About the Author

David Blanke is Joe B. Frantz Associate Professor of History at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. He earned his BS at the University of Kentucky and his MA and PhD at Loyola University Chicago.

Rise of the Automobile

Secondary Sources

Belasco, Warren. Americans on the Road: From Autocamp to Motel: 1910-1945. Cambridge: MIT Press, 1979. A well-written account of early cross-country travel and the culture of mobility spawned by automobile use.

Blanke, David. Hell on Wheels: The Promise and Peril of America's Car Culture, 1900-1940. Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 2007. An analysis of the rising auto accident crisis in America and the country's response to this peril.

Borg, Kevin. Auto Mechanics: Technology and Expertise in Twentieth-Century America. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2007. Borg examines the role of automobile technology, especially the rising dependence most have on the technical experts who keep our cars running.

Flink, James J. The Automobile Age. Cambridge: MIT Press, 2001. The standard account of America's adaptation to automobile use in the 20th century, Flink's work is comprehensive and highly informative.

Lewis, David L. The Public Image of Henry Ford. Detroit: Wayne State University Press, 1976. An analysis of the life and public legend of Henry Ford.

McCarthy, Tom. Auto Mania: Cars, Consumers, and the Environment. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2007. A study of the economic and environmental costs of automotive use in America.

McShane, Clay. Down the Asphalt Path: The Automobile and the American City. New York: Columbia University Press, 1994. An essential analysis of how the automobile changed and was changed by the American city.

Scharff, Virginia. Taking the Wheel: Women and the Coming of the Motor Age. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 1992. A well-written account of women motorists in the automobile age.

The Society of Automotive Historians. The Society of Automotive Historians includes members from all walks of life and includes authors who write books and articles about automotive history as well as people who simply enjoy reading and researching it.