Books By Tim Steil

	Stretching from New Orleans to the U.S.-Canada border in Grand Portage, Minnesota, U.S. Highway 61 - like its east-west counterpart Route 66 - is a dying vestige of a time when two blacktop lanes represented the zenith of cross-country highway travel. Unlike Route 66, however, a strong case can be made that Highway 61 - running 1,699 miles through the gut of the nation - is a much truer cross-section of American heritage and geography. From the Deep South, steeped in the tragic legacy of slavery and the magic of rhythm and blues, to the lily-white North Shore of Lake Superior, inhabited largely by the descendants of Scandinavian immigrants, this evocative and artfully executed celebration of Highway 61 is organized as a "road trip" book in three acts: 1) Louisiana to Memphis, 2) Memphis to Wisconsin, and 3) Wisconsin to Canada. As such, it provides an unprecedented and visually intense look at the road's past and present, tying into the people associated with the cities and towns along the way (Robert Johnson, Bob Dylan, Elvis), the literary locales (Mark Twain's Hannibal, Mo.), its proximity to historic sites (Vicksburg), and less-famous but nevertheless interesting folks (Supa-Chikan, a folk artist/musician who builds guitars from 5-gallon gas cans). Each of the eight states through which 61 passes is represented.

	"They are all here - The Cadillac Ranch, The Big Texan, Roy's in Amboy, the Wigwams, Jackrabbit, Lucille's, The Bagdad Cafe. All of the places we know and love along The Mother Road are beautifully photographed in this new book in the MBI Enthusiast Color Series. But what sets this book apart from other "picture" books, and don't misunderstand, Jim Luning did an excellent job of photographing the people and places along the Road, is the great narrative writing of Tim Steil."I suppose there are people in this world who are unaffected by the smell of diesel smoke. That, leaning against a truck stop gas pump at 3 a.m., a warm summer breeze and corn pollen bathing them, would not give into an urge to purchase a tall coffee, jump on the nearest highway, and drive until daylight just to see what's there. I don't trust them." I don't trust them either TimFrom such a picturesque opening Tim bares his Roadie soul, allowing us to travel The Mother Road with him as he shares stories, insights, and interviews with the people who made the road such a special place, and who, far more than the asphalt of the highway, left a living legacy for us to follow. A small book by most standards, but a giant of Route 66 lore, both in photographs and narrative. Add this one to your Roadie library, you won't be disappointed. Softbound 96 pages: $14.95" - Bob Moore, author - "The Illustrated Guide to The Mother Road"

	Fantastic Filling Stations - once an integral part of daily American life, the traditional full-service gas station has given way to sterile convenience stores with automated, pay-at-the-pump service. Fortunately, memories of old service stations live on in this entertaining book filled with original period color images, as well as modern color shots of surviving filling stations. Readers will witness eccentric and wacky station styles, including airplanes, teepees, windmills, petrified trees, railroad tank cars, and more. Author Tim Steil also examines the role of the automobile and filling station in American society, from the earliest days in the 1910s through the end of the service station era in the 1970s.