The Appalachian Trail Reader (Official Guides to the Appalachian Trail) [Paperback]

David Emblidge (Editor)

Book Description

Series: Official Guides to the Appalachian Trail | Publication Date: November 6, 1997

The longest continuously marked footpath in the world, the Appalachian Trail spans 2,140 miles across fourteen states--from Georgia to Maine--and travels through vastly different natural and social environments. Now, in a lively and eye-opening introduction to this national treasure, The Appalachian Trail Reader collects trail diaries, historical and personal essays, and poems that reflect the meaning of this great wilderness trail across both time and geography.
Here are the works of both well-known writers and anonymous raconteurs, including Henry David Thoreau, James Dickey, Aldo Leopold, James MacGregor Burns, Richard Wilbur, and many others. The trail's founding fathers Benton MacKaye and Myron Avery speak here, too, about their visions and plans, while excerpts from Appalachian Trail hikers' journals, from the 1930s to the 1990s, provide a firsthand, intimate portrait of walking the trail. And throughout, scientists' close observation of the natural world mingle with poet's evocations of the sweetness or the rigors of the wilderness experience.
A patchwork quilt of voices, both eloquent and raw, The Appalachian Trail Reader presents a rich introduction to the trail for those planning a walking trip, and a vivid scrapbook for those who have already hiked its mountains or valleys.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The Appalachian Trail, at 2,150 miles, is the longest continuous recreational footpath in America. From a variety of sources, Emblidge culled random trail gems to create an Appalachian quilt of an anthology. Through the Green Mountains, the Adirondacks, and the Great Smokies, the trail links the ridges and valleys, as well as a diverse cross-section of American cultures. With practical trail details and an eclectic assembly of hiking wisdom, you can read it straight through, or a chapter at a time, as you plan your next hike. It's just a shame it's too heavy to pack along. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

YA. This beautifully literate compendium offers armchair travelers a sense of the trail's history; romance; and blood, sweat, and tears. The book is also a practical guide; the section maps include intersections of the trail with major interstates, national forests, mileage, and elevation. One of the most striking maps is a cutaway of the spine of the trail that dramatizes its vertical rise and drop. Readers get everything from a history of the regions and the evolution of the Appalachian Trail to hiking logs from every state it traverses. Notables in the environmental movement are included as well as literary figures such as Henry David Thoreau, James Dickey, Walt Whitman, and Richard Wilbur. The selections communicate the beauty and awe experienced on the trail, especially by those who have walked every inch and every up-and-down from Springer Mountain in Georgia to Mt. Katahdin in Maine.?Cynthia J. Rieben, W. T. Woodson High School, Fairfax, VA
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (November 6, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0195100905
• ISBN-13: 978-0195100907
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,529,612 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Valuable trove of anecdotes and information, March 29, 2005

By 

Matt Hetling "Matt" (Bethel, ME USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Appalachian Trail Reader (Official Guides to the Appalachian Trail) (Paperback)

This reader is broken into two parts. The first part, which is shorter by far, contains a series of essays (including one by Thoreau), and lots of historical information which places the Appalachian Trail in its proper context of American history. The essays explore the trail from a variety of interesting perspectives.

The second part, which is most of the book, is made up of writings by people who have experienced some part of the trail. Old hikers, young hikers, disabled hikers and spiritually downcast hikers are all given a voice. These writings are arranged into sections according to which state they take place in.

In all, this is a valuable and interesting compilation about an amazing feature of the United States. I found that reading it from cover to cover got a little tedious at times; the stories all sort of blur together and most of the anecdotes are descriptive rather than plot-driven. However, reading a portion of the book here and there helps to keep the experience of the Appalachian trail alive in our minds.

If you're considering spending some time on the trail, I would recommend reading this and also "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Taste of the Trail, June 19, 2001

By 

Corinne H. Smith (Athol, MA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

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This review is from: The Appalachian Trail Reader (Official Guides to the Appalachian Trail) (Paperback)

This is the perfect book for those of us who have good intentions of someday making the 2000-mile trek from Georgia to Maine ... but will never really get around to it. Emblidge dovetails selections by well-known naturalists and writers with those of AT through- and dayhikers to create a unique collection of observations. Some, like Thoreau, found themselves in the neighborhood of the path before it was even created. You can follow the history of the trail, beginning with Benton MacKaye's first written public proposal in 1921. Then the pieces mark an imaginary trip north from Springer Mountain to Mount Katahdin. Simple maps and b&w photos are included. It's not Bill Bryson's _A Walk in the Woods_, but then, what is? This is still an easy summer read.