5Heribert Niehues's award-winning photographs of gas stations, diners, motels, houses, and cars left behind by a shifting civilization, elicit strange fascination mixed with melancholy for a bygone era. His Hopperesque images document the rise and former glory of a legendary America.

This photo essay's laser focus on the effects of American mobility sets it apart from other books in the "abandoned" genre. The automobile made possible almost limitless development, but there was a dark side: ghost towns and deserted regions emerged due to economic crises, cultural shifts, and catastrophic weather.

Over the decades, only nature has changed their visage, and the old pioneering spirit is still tangible. Hauntingly beautiful, the photos portray the poetry of transience: from east to west, America as it is rarely seen.

• Almost 100 full-color images
• 196 pages
• Stunning photography by Niehues, an award-winning and well-respected photographer