Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Great American Retro Road Trip:
Too many of these things were during my lifetime. I feel so old.
Quick synopsis:
A look at all the best retro places and things around the United States.
Fact for Non-History People:
“Retro” is derived from the Latin word for “backward.” That checks.
Fact for History Nerds:
Skee-ball was invented in 1908. Do with that what you will.
My Take on The Great American Retro Road Trip:
A book like Rolando Pujol’s The Great American Retro Road Trip needs to be evaluated in two phases. Phase 1: The content. Phase 2: How good does it look on a coffee table? Good news, it rates highly in both!
Pujol writes about the disappearing parts of the good old U.S. of A. Whether it’s a roadside diner or one of those weird attractions (I dunno, biggest Q-Tip or whatever), Pujol wants to preserve the nostalgia attached to these things before they are gone. I should mention that while Pujol’s love of these things shines through, some of the entries are very short and not always the easiest to navigate. He organizes by parts of the country, so some chapters are bouncing around multiple states. The content of the book is less an easy checklist and more of something you pick up occasionally to learn something cool.
The physical book is gorgeous. This needs to be enjoyed in full color in your hands to truly engage with the material. It is tabbed for sections of the country, and the pictures are superb. The audiobook version would probably be a nightmare. This is one you should spend the couple extra bucks to truly engage with it.
(This book was provided as a review copy by Hachette Books.)
Verdict:
Would look perfect on your coffee table. Buy it here!
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