Airstream Books

We all know that one of the greatest pleasures in an Airstream is finding a cozy camping spot and settling down with the company of a great book. Reading, it is often said, is best done like meditation: alone.

Here are some reading materials related to Airstream, its history, its inspiration, and the joys of travel.




A big, hardcover collection of Airstream photographs. A nice book to open and take in with the day's first cup of coffee, savouring both. A nice touch: the shape and colour of the book mimic the trailer itself.




Another volume of photos. For these, however, the author sought out vintage Airstream models and personally photographed them along with their owners. A book very much in love with the Airstream aesthetic, a kind of visual history.




With only his dog Sweetzer for company, famed Colorado essayist Jim Fergus spent six years crossing and criss-crossing America in his Airstream: hunting, fishing, discovering nature, and writing about it. A light read full of wonder and subtle insight.




Patricia Young is a poet and writer from Victoria, British Columbia. I added this volume of her short stories because of the title and the cover. Isn't it fascinating how strong a connotation the word and image of the Airstream have in North America? One word, one picture: one lifestyle. And, these, are stories inspired by it.




Another Canadian poet: Ken Babstock. And another case of connotation and inspiration. On the cover, the peculiar curves of the Airstream; in the title, the Airstream as a "land yacht". Brings back a romantic vision of the settlers going West in their covered wagons, discovering America for the first time...