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Type of bind: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 796.7082
EAN num: 9780786409709
ISBN number: 0786409703
Label: McFarland & Company
Manufacturer: McFarland & Company
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 174
Printing Date: 2000-10
Publishing house: McFarland & Company
Sale Popularity Level: 1656856
Studio: McFarland & Company
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Editor's Notes and Comments:
Product Description:
The audacity of driving a horseless carriage from coast to coast in the early years of the 20th century is hard to imagine in an age of superhighways and global positioning systems. Roads might be nothing more than muddy ruts made by wagon wheels; sources of gasoline or replacement parts were few and agonizingly far between; frequent repairs and tire changes were necessary; and the traveler was subject to the whole range of nature's perils and discomforts.
For a woman to endeavor the trip was, at the time, a jaw-dropping event. Yet in 1909, 22-year-old Alice Ramsey and three female companions piled into a Maxwell in New York City, and 59 days later they triumphantly rolled into San Francisco. A few years later silent film star Anita King would become the very first woman to make the transcontinental drive solo. These and other early coast-to-coast drives proved women's growing independence, as well as the automobile's long-distance viability.
Detailed accounts of five coast-to-coast drives make up this lively history. Drawing from plentiful contemporary newspaper reports and the women's own words, author Curt McConnell recounts the bold adventurers' experiences day by day and mile by mile.
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Rated by buyers -
An interesting well written history of the very first women to endeavor and then accomplish driving across the United States. I initially purchased the book because I found my great-grandfather, Eugene Gnehm, was mentioned in the book. I found Mr. McConnell's review of the events in the early days of American automobile travel a good view of how things were only 100 years ago.
Rated by buyers -
Although I was familiar with Alice Ramsey's 1909 trip, I was pleasantly surprised at the detail of the notes regarding Alice's and the other ladies' trips. For the serious researcher these notes are indispensable! Although I was not so familiar with the other ladies save Blanche Stuart Scott, Mr. McConnel provides much insight into their travels and is able to make a research book as enjoyable as an adventure novel. Blanch made her way into San Diego and garnered several paragraphs in 2 issues of the San Diego Motor News. One thing Mr. McConnel overlooked, according to the Motor News, Blanche's trip had been free of serious accidents until she reached the seaside town of Pacific Beach. "The accident, the very first and only serious one, occurred at Pacific Beach, was due to a bit of careless driving when any thought of care had been banished from her mind." Since the author of this article was a salesman and soon to be owner of the Willys dealership in San Diego, he is excused, I guess, from giving us more details. Mr. McConnel makes it prefectly clear throughout this book that "company men" were less than forthright when describing the exploits of their female drivers (even my favorite, Alice Ramsey). I was annoyed however to learn of Willys-Overland's and Blanche's attempts to ignore Alice's trip. All in all a fine book, carefully (as far as I can determine) researched and certainly entertainly written. Michael Miller, Education Director, San Diego Automotive Museum
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