Click for larger view Excerpts: "Even today, televised images of our army rushing across desert sands in motorized vehicles can grip the nation, gluing millions of anxious people to their seats. Even though they are safe and comfortable on their living room couches, viewers of these wartime news reports somehow share the danger and excitement of a mechanized army on the move. Imagine how the public responded in 1909!" "But in 1909, the idea of using motorized vehicles in warfare was new and controversial. In order to prove that motorized military transport was practical, the army signal corps sent three men in a Mitchell Ranger automobile from New York City to San Francisco [Aug. 19 to Sep. 19, 1909]. This daring enterprise was closely followed by the national press, and the car was met by large crowds wherever it went. But then they hit the vast and largely untamed American West, where roads were few and bridges fewer. This is their harrowing story, as told by the original driver in 1941."

Click for larger   view

Old car enthusiasts enjoy driving their cars and occasionally going on tours. Well, here is the ultimate tour of endurance. Going back almost 100 years and driving cross country on unpaved roads — 3,524 miles under conditions hardly fit for a horse and buggy — would not have been as challenging then as it would be to go back in time, knowing the comforts of today's roads and cars, and recognizing the actual difficulties ahead of us. To read about their exploits in such a nonchalant way creates more interesting reading than it would have during the time of the ordeal.

To enjoy this saga you should have an appreciation and knowledge of early automobiles and have traveled by car across the U.S. in your youth. As readers of "The Automotive Chronicles", I am betting you have done both and, for that reason, I believe you will enjoy this book. If you own a vintage car and have not gone on a long distance tour, Private Parrott's account will give you the courage to do so. Wouldn't it be grand to actually follow his path and recreate the trip?

Click for larger view

My only regret is that the book is so short. Exhausted at the end of each day, the author probably did not have the strength to write a detailed accounting of each day's activities and most of the book is based on his memories over thirty years later. Well written and very entertaining. My thanks to Stuart Mowbray for bringing this adventure to light and I encourage our readers to learn what early touring was like in a 1909 Mitchell.