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Addicted to Americana: Celebrating Classic & Kitschy American Life & Style

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An adventure through the classic, the vintage, the kitsch, the nostalgic, and the fun of Americana culture guided by showman Charles Phoenix. “ Addicted to Americana …unfurls the most colorful, most creative, and most interesting facets of mid-twentieth century American culture in a joyful, exuberant way only [Charles Phoenix] can convey.”
― Bleep Mag Raised on a used-car lot, Charles Phoenix was destined to become the Ambassador of Americana. The photo collector, food crafter, and field tripper is famed for his hilarious live show performances and "theme park" tour of downtown Los Angeles. This riotously colorful book, replete with Charles's collection of vintage Kodachrome slides, celebrates his lifelong quest to unearth the best of classic and kitschy American life and style.

176 pages, Hardcover

Published October 3, 2017

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Charles Phoenix

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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
Profile Image for Online Eccentric Librarian.
3,400 reviews5 followers
August 19, 2017
More reviews at the Online Eccentric Librarian http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/

More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/

I couldn't help feeling that Charles Phoenix's very personal love of nostalgia definitely comes from having grown up in Southern California, especially the inland areas that saw such a huge growth in the mid century. The area was heavily shaped by 1950s and 1960s future-forward, idealistic, and consumer driven consciousness. From Palm Springs modernism to Disneyland escapism, it was a great place to come of age. And although there are references to other locations (e.g., Route 66), Southern California is definitely the heart of the book. And while I loved it, it also felt very indulgent and a bit too personalized. I was left wanting more even as I enjoyed what was there.

The author turned a love for collecting orphaned photo collections from the 1950s and 1960s into talks and personal presentations. He's the perfect 'ambassador of kitsch' and his love of the era and Americana gives the book its warm and sparkle. Surprisingly, photos of other people's vacations don't take up as much of the book as seeing Phoenix's images of himself standing next to kitsch items he's tracked down. From a monorail from a world's fair languishing in a backyard to large historic fiberglass statues, there are a LOT of photos of Phoenix in the book. Admittedly, they are very snapshotty as well and so it was hard to appreciate several items with him standing in front of them. A book about the love of kitsch would have felt much better to me if the items stayed in the past with their pristine conditions. Before and afters of how items survived are great but I would have loved a perspective taken from the same angle for comparison, rather than a random shot of Phoenix standing in front of/blocking that item. The fun and magic of nostalgia is taken away when drearily grounded by the modern. And although it is sweet that he met the elderly owner of an object, I can't say I was as interested to see a snapshot of the two together as I would have been to see the owner standing in front of their proud monument to American kitsch. This is a nitpick, of course, but by the end, I wanted more old snapshots rather than Phoenix in front of yet another object, grinning happily at his find.

The book has a narrow focus on the kitsch: Disneyland, fairytales, mermaids and dinosaurs, giant statues, roadside attractions, motels, shopping centers, drive ins, bowling alleys, Lax, World's fairs, Las Vegas, restaurants, and cars. That seems like a lot, but most of those topics only have a few items. Restaurants, Disneyland, and cars/monorails/trains get the most topics covered. an example would be Let's Go Shopping: that section has Sears, White Front stores, Eastland Mall, and the Walk O Wonders shopping center. Just four items yet I couldn't help but feel there is so much more!

There were many great subjects in the book and some that perhaps could have been left out. Although Disneyland may seem like a no brainer, it's probably been discussed so much that we really didn't need Phoenix's brief survey and a couple of tourist photos. Rather, I would have loved to see more about attractions that copied Disneyland but then eventually closed, like Boston's Pleasure Island. There are so many that, even without a personal connection in someone's history, are fascinating and definitely part of American kitsch. But then there are images in the book of the wonderful A-frame bowling alleys, coffee shops (Sambo's!), and half domed shopping malls that put a smile on your face when you see a mom and kids posing in front of their local haunt.

The book is wonderfully graphic but not very deep. Most of the anecdotal text is Phoenix reminiscing or congratulating himself on the find. Perhaps that is why it felt indulgent because most of the time I wanted to know more about the items rather than a shallow "I tracked this World's Fair elevator down in a farm in Alabama and then snuck into their yard to photograph it." But that said, we do learn a bit more about things like the giant statues (e.g., the muffler man) and that they were pretty much made all by the same fiberglass company.

I found the vehicle section the least interesting. But I was also pleasantly surprised because the author focused on prototype cars that were rare and hard to find (e.g., a car made specifically for women called "La Femme") But the 'car' section also included monorails, the TWA rocket at Disneyland, and a 'rocket witch' parade float that was saved from scrap.

In all, it is beautifully presented and wonderfully graphic, with each page full of image that include modern incarnations, old snapshots, promotion materials from the time, and many snapshots of Phoenix in front of something/smiling with the owner. There's very little text to get in the way and it is friendly and upbeat - you can't help but fall for Charles Phoenix as his love of the subject shines through. It all feels very rooted in Southern California - the mecha of googie, modernism, consumerism, and transportation freedom. As a fellow Southern Californian, I absolutely adored all the inland empire images of where Phoenix grew up. Surprisingly, perhaps because I grew up in the San Fernando Valley, there wasn't a section on the apartment building and how all the valley had whole sections of fantastical architecture - from Tahitian entrances to Phoenician and Egyptian theme buildings. Perhaps they didn't have those as much in the Pomona area but I felt the lack all the same. For that reason, I would love to see an Americana book of this type but focusing on Southern California in the same way - I think that's where Phoenix's heart truly lies and there is so much that could be covered in more depth. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.
Profile Image for Kelly.
31 reviews1 follower
December 8, 2019
I wanna share a lot of love for this book in many respects, but above all I must say (TMI warning) I am grateful for having it at hand while suffering the worst stomach bug I have ever weathered as it was a most welcome and comforting distraction.

THAT SAID, this slim tome is delightfully resplendent with a bounty of high-toned, eye-poppin' images of roadside Americana, the likes of which made me itch to hit scenic routes far and wide in search of bygone kitsch (living, hidden, or otherwise undead). Phoenix's enthusiasm and nostalgia is the lens through which most of content is presented, but in him I see a kindred spirit; his insanely smiley face is my insanely smiling face, and his infallible determination to follow local word-of-mouth deep into unknown backwoods to locate some old bubble-faced monorail car is an absolute inspiration. LET'S GO!!

My one criticism is: I wish there were more entires included *outside* of his home state of Californialand. As a former longtime resident of the Golden State, I was starry-eyed, but as a now-and-then native Southerner, I'd have loved to see more explorations and revelations found in, I dunno, Elsewhereland? Maybe that's a tall order since a lot of what he and folks like him (and me) are chasing here seems to specific to mid-century California (specifically SoCal) in origin, and generally thick on the ground thereabouts, but there's a lot more ~FABULOUS~ Americana out there to discover and revel in. I'd be thrilled to see a volume 2 and then some.
Profile Image for Lynda.
354 reviews
February 2, 2018
If you're of a certain age, you may remember the odd shaped burger stand in your neighborhood or the one with neon signage and wondered, why?
The delightful collection of photos accumulated by the author is accompanied with information he's gathered about these odd and flamboyant structures, many of which he's visited as a child and revisited as an adult. California, when it was new to a generation raised on the automobile, was a likely candidate for this style which reached it's heyday in the 50's and 60's. The road people traversed to get to LA and Phoenix, Highway 66, is still scattered with these structures some of which are merely the remains of what was. Of course, there is the odd style scattered across the country and is still revered by those who hold Americana dear.
This book takes the reader back to an earlier time when things, in retrospect, seemed easier, less serious, whimsical and fun. When going for a burger could be an event, when staying in a hotel could mean a night in a tepee.
I highly recommend this book to those who enjoy a little bit of Americana.
770 reviews4 followers
October 9, 2025
A fun read from America's paramount authority of kitsch. This book mostly covers products, cars, amusement parks, restaurants, take-outs, gambling casinos, motels, etc., with outlandish themes, such as westerns, space-age, exotic, dating from the late 1940s to the early 1960s. The reader is treated to the author's wacky sense of humor, a huge number of great photos depicting the originals, and to a great many accounts of the author's dogged search to find some of these long-lost survivors of kitschdom. My only negative criticism is that it is sometimes difficult to read the text when it is printed on dark toned background.
Profile Image for Colleen.
Author 22 books26 followers
October 3, 2017
Full disclosure-- I'm the book's publisher. And I published it for a reason-- it is just so much fun. Vividly colorful, celebratory, lively, and witty, it showcases Phoenix's adoration of all things Americana. We think it'll be the gift book of the season.
Profile Image for Dachokie.
384 reviews24 followers
October 9, 2017
Kitschy Book Covering Kitschy Stuff …

This book was reviewed as part of Amazon's Vine program which included a free copy of the book.

As someone who is extremely nostalgic, I’m always looking for books that cover things from my past that no longer exist (and EVERYTHING seems to be going away these days). Charles Phoenix’s ADDICTED TO AMERICANA scratches that nostalgic itch, but I occasionally found the book’s presentation a little maddening.

At 51 years of age, I’m seeing much of my childhood disappearing at a fast clip … it seems like everything is being replaced, updated or removed all together. While moving forward and anticipating what lies ahead is certainly fun and exciting, looking back and remembering is just as thrilling to me. What I enjoy about the “recent” past (last half of the 20th century), is that today we have pretty much surpassed the 1950s and 60s vision of the future. It’s neat to see the simple and gaudy things that used to excite and entice people in this country … ADDICTED TO AMERICANA aims to remind us of America’s somewhat embarrassing tendency of embracing the cheesy side of life.

ADDICTED TO AMERICANA markets itself as a “colorful kaleidoscope of retro pop culture” and its author, Charles Phoenix is deemed the “Ambassador of Americana” and “King of Retro”. The book itself is a colorful and eccentric presentation of Kodachrome-quality photos, insets, sidebars and text (in a font that seems to shout at the reader) that document things some may be familiar with (Disneyland and the Weinermobile) to obscure things (like a serious collection of bowling alley signage). The book is heavy on photos and, unfortunately, too many of the photos include the author himself, dressed in themed-attire and making faces … yes, the author tends to “photo-bomb” his own book. While I felt the author injecting himself through-out the book tended to get annoying, I must applaud his seemingly exhaustive effort to find so many obscurities (all of those creepy, giant statues/mannequins/figures that serve as enticements for restaurants, museums and stores). Much of what fills the pages of this book are things we see on the side of remote roads when traveling. In other words, the places most Americans drive by with their eyes rolled, Charles Phoenix pulls over to investigate. From that perspective, we are given the small satisfaction of seeing what we’re “missing”. The book is aimed at western US subjects … otherwise the cloying “South of the Border” located on the east coast would have certainly graced the pages of this book. Some of the book’s highlights are the retro McDonalds, the original Disneyland presentation, vintage diners and restaurants. The end of the book has a nice section on unique vintage cars that some may find appealing.

I guess one would expect a book documenting kitsch would be annoyingly kitschy itself … that is the case with Addicted to Americana. Phoenix crams a lot of stuff in the pages of this volume and you can tell this subject matter is a labor-of-love for the author. Although the book’s presentation is somewhat ADHD-inducing, it falls naturally into a designated shelf in my home library dedicated to nostalgia.
Profile Image for Mark Taylor.
291 reviews14 followers
June 2, 2020
Behold the Glory! How do you describe the one-man fountain of enthusiasm that is Charles Phoenix? Phoenix has a love for just about every piece of mid-century kitsch that our country turned out in the 1950’s and 1960’s. During a depressing time like 2020, it’s a source of great comfort for me to turn to Charles Phoenix and his contagious excitement for funky old stuff.

I was first introduced to Charles Phoenix by a friend who shared one of his videos on Facebook. The video didn’t even show Charles’ face on camera—it was just him finding a cool old car on the street in Palm Springs and waxing rhapsodic about it. I was like, “Who is this guy, and why does he keep saying ‘I knowwww!’ all the time?” When I finally saw Charles Phoenix in a video, I was glad that he looked exactly like I thought he would. Since then, I’ve become a devoted fan of Phoenix’s Facebook and Instagram accounts and his delightful “Charles Phoenix Joyride” videos where he talks about cool old cars.

About a month or so ago I was in a funk about the state of the world and said to myself: “I should order a signed Charles Phoenix book. It would show my support of him, and it would make me really happy.” About a week later I received my signed copy of Phoenix’s 2017 coffee-table book Addicted to Americana. The book is a joy and a delight, as Phoenix takes us through some of the many treasures he’s found through road trips, and old slide collections.

Addicted to Americana is a beautiful coffee-table book, with a mixture of new and old photographs, nearly all of them either taken by Phoenix or from his collections of old slides. You can either dip your toe into whatever section looks the most interesting, or you can read the whole thing cover to cover like I did. Addicted to Americana will give you new ideas of places you can go on your next road trip across the United States. As Charles Phoenix would say, “I knowwww!”
51 reviews
March 19, 2018
Thank you to Prospect Park Books and Edelweiss for this free digital copy of Addicted to Americana: Celebrating Classic & Kitschy American Life & Style
by Charles Phoenix. *All opinions are my own.
This was such a fun book to read! It really is a "blast to the past" to read this book! It has such amazing retro pictures of places the author has been to all across America. It will definitely take you down memory lane. I especially loved the part about Disneyland! As a kid that grew up in California, of course I loved the fact that we are just a few hours away from Disneyland. And granted, I didn't grow up in the 50's, as most of these pictures were taken, but it was still fun to see Disney in it's early years and also learn a few fun facts. Also, seeing pictures of the Skyway, a ride I remember riding when I was in the seventh grade, not long before they removed it.
This book includes so many other places than just Disneyland! It is a perfect gift for the person in your life that loves all things retro, who may have grown up in that era, or just for yourself to keep out on your coffee table so you can flip through it time to time just to put a smile on your face!
Author 6 books3 followers
February 19, 2018
What a hoot! Full of vintage photos and interesting stories shared by an author who loves, loves, loves everything retro! And his enthusiasm is catchy.

Love this quote from the "Traveling Man" who is always on the lookout for something interesting - "Boarding a boat, train, or plane always reminds me of getting on a ride at Disneyland. If you're lucky enough to have turbulence, it's a thrill ride."
Profile Image for David Allen.
Author 4 books15 followers
July 28, 2018
Consider this a kind of personal, guided tour to kitschy Americana sites past and present, led by Charles Phoenix, who is photographed visiting most of the still-extant monorails, mock rocket ships, ice cream stands and streamline diners, while also telling fond and funny anecdotes about finding them. A must for his fans (I'm one), optional for those who want only vintage images or dispassionate history.
Profile Image for Liselotte.
1,209 reviews13 followers
May 7, 2019
I'm not really sure what I expected from this book, but I definitely didn't expect it to be about the life of Charles Phoenix! I learned a lot more about him than anything else in the book. But the strangest part? I loved every minute of it! This book is incredibly beautiful and the photos are amazing. This isn't a book that will teach you anything, but it's a joy to go through and look at he beautiful images.
Profile Image for Amy Warren.
558 reviews15 followers
January 19, 2022
Super fun read of one man's collection of vintage Americana through photos and memories of trips taken to iconic sites throughout the U.S. Really mesmerizing read about places and things that define the American experience from the mid century until now. Very, very impressed with the author's photographic collection as well as his creativity and storytelling ability. Each page was more fun than the last. Great book for lovers of American nostalgia.
283 reviews
March 16, 2023
Charles Phoenix’s love of all things MCM and Kitsch is addictive. His books have gorgeous old photos, ads, and are chock full of history factoids and tidbits. They make me so nostalgic for parts of my childhood, which was in the 70’s, but much of this stuff was still around then. Still, I have always wished I could’ve come up in the 50’s and 60’s, that’s the time period that really speaks to me. The closest I’ll ever get to that is looking at his beautiful books.
Profile Image for Robin.
1,617 reviews34 followers
July 2, 2018
Easily one of the most entertaining books I've read in years. Anyone born in the 50s and 60s will find the "Americana" presented familiar and if like me, will want to hop on a time machine and return to the days when this kind of kitschy stuff still existed. Either that or schedule a road trip to visit what is left standing.
Profile Image for Clint.
828 reviews3 followers
January 8, 2026
Just delightful retrospective of the space-age Americana of the late 1950s and early 1960s by the king of such Americana, Charles Phoenix, whose short videos on cars of the same era have fascinated me for years. Even found photos of a space-age motel, the Cosmic Age Lodge, where family members stayed during a 1969 trip to Disneyland. Cars, signs, rockets, trains and other kitsch are all covered.
Profile Image for Jennifer Daniel.
1,255 reviews
February 14, 2018
Just delightful! I too love a bit of tacky Americana and any oversized, unusual roadside attraction is well worth driving out of the way to see. The vintage Disney pics really took me back to my childhood!
Profile Image for ellen bivins.
282 reviews
April 10, 2020
Not only do I love mid-century kitsch, this book allowed me to escape the heaviness of current times and disappear into a world of nostalgia for a bit. I miss these crazy types of places which I seemed to recall visiting when I was little.
Profile Image for Suzi.
1,359 reviews14 followers
January 14, 2022
When you can't go anywhere, pick up a book. That's my mantra. This is a fun trip through the recent past and around our country. Nostalgia in full color. Amazing the things you forget or wish you'd pulled off the highway for! Great fun.
Profile Image for Paul.
197 reviews
January 28, 2018
Charles Phoenix has a great love for the people, places and things that made up mid-20th century American pop culture, and it shows. In his latest book, Charles takes us on a tour across the country to show us some of the iconic things that exemplified the era, and tells us us about the lengths he’s gone to in order to find and appreciate the Mid-Century Modern treasures that have survived, or enjoy the ones about to fade away. Best of all, he brings us along for the ride.

Charles’ book shares some wonderful images of Americana in it’s prime, and shares really fun stories about his life and adventures. Charles brings his readers bits of the beautiful, the fascinating, and the truly odd, but does it with the utmost appreciation and respect. He’s definitely a showman, but one with a love for his stars on the midway, and he wants you to love them, too.

The book is short and mostly images, but that doesn’t mean you won’t spend a lot of time with the book before you put it down. Highly recommended!
Profile Image for Shelly Morris.
56 reviews
March 29, 2022
OMG Charles Phoenix’s books are a visual assault and I LOVE THEM! They’re so fun and hard to put down. I discovered them at my library and I need to own them all. What a nostalgia dive
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