Customer Reviews

Appalachian Adventure: From Georgia to Maine, A Spectacular Journey on the Great American Trail

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

While working on the Appalachian Trail in Vermont, I had the misfortune of running into this group (or at least part of it). They hiked the AT with purely commercial interests. They were a miserable lot. Overall, the book doesn't say much that hasn't been said already in countless other publications. Just go hike the trail and be happy.

The story is about a group of journalists and photographers that decide to trek the Appalachain Trail in segments. The photography is lush and magnificent. The interesting people that are met along the way are well documented and some of the graphics accompanying the text are first rate. I only wish that journalists had been able to fully articulate their personal experiences during their months on the AT. I got the feeling that much of the human interest portion of the story was edited out of the final text. The human feelings of isolation, frustration, and ultimate triumph over the distance and natural elements are largely, and unfortunately, missing from the text. I wish that I had been able to read the daily logs of the individuals during their trek.

I especially found the full page picture (near the beginning of the book) of the three little Chandler girls catching frogs to be very inspirational. If little ones like that can be out there hiking the trail, I sure can get out there and do some! Very nice "coffee table" type book to own.

I guess having my picture in this book makes me biased. Regardless of the authors' backgrounds, this book captures many of the truly unique stories on the AT and covers topics normally not found in other thru-hiking books. The pictures alone are worth the price of the book.

I read several of the individual newspaper articles originally written by these journalists and was hooked on the story. When I bought the book I was not disappointed. The photography is marvelous and I love the anthology of the different writers. Each journalist and photographer brought their own perspective and "eye" to the project. I definitely recommend this one, but not necessarily as a preparation to hike the AT. It does a better job convincing you that you want to make the hike.

So I don't think that hiking the entire Appalachian Trail is in the cards for me. But I can live vicariously through other's experiences.

I am fascinated by the group effort to capture the essence of the Appalachian Trail. This group of reporters, photographers and illustrators from 5 newspapers walked the 2100 mile AT in relays. This book captures their experiences.

What I especially enjoyed about this book:

*the different perspectives of each hiker. The hiker portraits helped me to visualize them actually hiking the trail. I was especially impressed by how much weight they had to carry (40 - 50 pounds) and how much food they had to eat (5000+ calories per day!)

*the beautiful photographs. There's nothing like a picture to show the beauty of nature, words can't always do justice.

*the interesting and helpful facts interspersed throughout the book. For example, how to pack your knapsack, essential trail equipment. These tips are great even for those who aren't hiking the entire AT.

I recommend this book to anyone wanting to experience the beauty of the Appalachian Trail.

Bryson does it again. First, the hilarious "The Lost Continent" and now this. Both books cater to those of us with wanderlust. This guy is great and funny. The Katz character cracked me up, especially the whole deal with Mary Ellen. I busted a gut - and wanted to take off on the trail at the same time (I hike a lot). Required reading for anyone I (anyway) know.