Horatio's Drive

America's First Road Trip

By: Dayton Duncan, Ken Burns

Narrated by: Dayton Duncan, Ken Burns

Length: 3 hrs and 9 mins

Publisher's summary

In 1903 there were only 150 miles of paved roads in the entire nation and most people had never seen a "horseless buggy" - but that did not stop Horatio Nelson Jackson, a 31-year-old Vermont doctor, who impulsively bet $50 that he could drive his 20-horsepower automobile from San Francisco to New York City. Here - in Jackson's own words - is a glorious account of that months-long, problem-beset, thrilling-to-the-rattled-bones trip with his mechanic, Sewall Crocker, and a bulldog named Bud. Jackson's previously unpublished letters to his wife, brimming with optimism against all odds, describe in vivid detail every detour, every flat tire, every adventure good and bad - in a country still settled mainly in small towns, where life moved no faster than the horse-drawn carriage and where the arrival of Jackson's open-air (roofless and windowless) Winton would cause delirious excitement.

Jackson was possessed of a deep thirst for adventure, and his remarkable story chronicles the very beginning of the restless road trips that soon became a way of life in America. Horatio's Drive is the first chapter in our nation's great romance with the road.

©2003 The American Lives II Film Project, LLC (P)2003 Random House, Inc. Random House Audio, a division of Randhom House Inc.

Critic reviews

"Historian [Dayton] Duncan and documentary filmmaker [Ken] Burns read the bulk of this audio adaptation...with all the enthusiasm of a pair of travelers setting off on the open road." (Publishers Weekly)

"If any audiobook was ever destined to be heard on a car trip, this is the one.... The soft voice of Ken Burns mixes with those of Tom Hanks and others to produce a historical American drama never told before." (AudioFile)

An American tale...

Where does Horatio's Drive rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Top 15%

What other book might you compare Horatio's Drive to and why?

William, Alfred, and General Motors. Another historic snapshot of how the automobile changed America. The fortitude of Americans was keenly defined by everyday auto pioneers like the main character.

What does Dayton Duncan and Ken Burns bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Historical accuracy and sidebars that make it interesting. Did you know that the Smithsonian has this car on display at the Museum of American History on the mall? That should give relevance to the significance of this journey.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes

Any additional comments?

Literally changes in the storyline occur with every turn of the wheel. Something that was hard to do then and would go unoticed if done today. Read it for the sake of learning about the culture of those times and enjoy the sense of accomplishment made by the main character.

Love this pioneer spirit

Great writing and narration. America needs more pioneer spirit and determination like Horatio’s. What a positive, determined and optimistic person. Those traits can take one a long ways - like across a continent. Very enjoyable to listen to and learn from.

A Must-listen

A must-listen if you like cars or road trips or just a good story from U.S. history.

A good sandwich, but too much bread

This is my second time taking in the Dayton Duncan-Ken Burns audiobook about plucky doctor-turned-adventurer Horatio Jackson's historic first crossing of the U.S. continent by automobile. The challenges, the individual triumph, the unplanned three-way race make for a compelling, exciting American tale. Cameo narration by Tom Hanks and, at the NYC end, George Plimpton, and others make for a great, exciting, entertaining telling. However, Ken Burns' lengthy, self-indulgent introduction borders on narcissism and takes away from the initial energy, while Duncan's panoramic road trip paean and excessive Walt Whitman quotes take away from the already perfect conclusion: Horation finally making it home.

Great story!

Who knew about the first cross-country road trip? I sure didn't until listening to this book. A cross-country road traveller myself (4 times in the car), I found the plight of Horatio interesting, funny and frustrating, and I was glad that my family's adventures were never as severe as poor Horatio. The book is a companion to a documentary, and it reads a bit like that. I imagine the print version might be better because it probably includes photos, diagrams and maps. I don't think the lack of those took away from the experience of listening to the book, but they probably would add to the reading of it.

Fun & Short History Lesson

Would you listen to Horatio's Drive again? Why?

Absolutely I would listen again. There was so much information and it moved so quickly that I wouldn't mind listening again. The whole book was just over 3 hours. And such an interesting time in history.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I loved the tenacity. Now a days, we pull over and call AAA if we have a flat tire. I was in disbelief that they traveled over animal paths with a block & tackle to pull their car out of every form of mishap. Boy are we wimps today.

Which scene was your favorite?

I loved the bulldog they picked up along the way that was their mascot. Even bulldogs are wimpier today. This one was a trooper!

Great book

What a great book. Thank you. Cool to hear what a feat it was to do something like this back then. When the men were men

What a fun read!

How fascinating to “read” about this first automobile drive across the country. The condition of roads and the primitive early automobiles, along with resident reactions along the route were fun to read. The condition of early “roads” was especially interesting to me, as my mother used to talk about the early roads in central Iowa, and lived in communities along the Lincoln Highway, as well as U.S. 6, improved by the mid-thirties, but not all roads were paved. And she talked about riding in rumble seats! I thought the narrations were well-done and liked the way the story was so detailed. And, of course, Ken Burns has been a fixture on Iowa PBS for years, with his well-written, directed, and performed documentaries. It was also a nice length, after listening to 12-15 hour books.

Very enjoyable especially if you love road trips!

i saw the documentary a few year ago and learned a lot from that so when I saw this I had to listen to it. I'm extremely glad I did. Not very long but just right for the story.

Didn't finish

The music is so loud it overpowered the narrative. Too annoying. I never finished. I'd like a version with the background effects in the background.