A classic account of the author's 1979 Georgia-to-Maine hike of the Appalachian Trail (before it was popular!), treasured by those who love great writing about the outdoors. First published in 1990, this second edition includes a new preface and afterword by the author, looking back 20 years on a season that changed his life after a reunion hike up Maine's Mt. Katahdin.
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Book Description
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Editorial Reviews
Review
An Appalachian Trail classic. You can taste and smell the woods in this remarkable book about hiking and living... -- National Geographic Traveler, September 2000
Book Description
“Trail enthusiasts will love this one. . . . Best account I have read of an end-to-end walk on the Appalachian Trail. . . . Thoreau lives!”—Roanoke Times & World News“Walk the trail with Brill. . . , and see if you don’t come out. . . thinking about doing something to push your own boundaries a little further.”—Rockland Gazette“This book. . . almost defies a neat label. It is part philosophy, part adventure, part practical guide, and part character study. . . . The book is well written, and its appeal will not be limited only to the outdoor enthusiast.” —The Pittsburgh PressMany an armchair hiker has dreamed of traversing the Appalachian Trail in its entirety. In 1979, David Brill became one of the first of a new generation to complete the Georgia-to-Maine hike. As Far as the Eye Can See chronicles his six-month, 2,100-mile walk, a quest to grow, to breathe, to change, to discover what really mattered to him. This book is for anyone interested in getting beyond the day-to-day slog of the hike to explore the emotional and spiritual dimensions of a long journey on foot.
--This text refers to an alternate
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
It's hard to write a review about this book. Why? It's so good. Why is it good, and what makes it different?
First, it tells of the trail and the people he met in 1979. I doubt you'd find some of these folks along the AT today. For example, the rednecks who came a'drinkin' and a'shootin' at a Georgia shelter, the mountain woman who showed him how to hunt ramps, and the strange and funny account of the rednecks with their "bullet trick" at the tavern in Erwin. Most of these type folks have probably faded into the era from which they came, now extinct by the pervasive eroding effect of the media and its pressure for everyone to conform to American McCulture, not to mention the effect of a constant stream of AT thru-hikers through a previously much more isolated mountain culture and communities.
He writes very well of the changes the trail had on himself, and the transition from feeling like a visitor in the woods to a resident of the woods. He goes from being deathly afraid of thunderstorms in gaps in Georgia when he started, to enjoying them later on. And the change in personal values his hike had on him.
Another big difference is this book is written by subjects, not chronologically like the numerous journal-type AT books. Chapters are on "Fear," "Seasons," "Our Community," "Bad Company," "Critters," and so forth. I find this a refreshing break from those books that generally read something like: "I got up at 6 am, cooked pop tarts, walked X miles up a MFer of a hill, saw curly joe and moe, stayed at X shelter, cooked slop tarts, tossed and turned under a leaky roof, got up at 6 am and started again."
Don't know else to say. Read it.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Anyone interested in the AT, or just backpacking in general, should read this book. It's a great read. I liked it better than Bryson's "A Walk in the Woods" and I recommend it to everyone.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
In his book, "As Far Aas the Eye Can See", David Brill takes the reader on a soul-sirring adventure along the rooftop of eastern America. He tugs at heart strings as he overcomes the grueling day-to-day trials and tribulations that plague long distance backpackers, and he lifts the reader's spirit as his soul soars to lofty heights as the beauty of Nature's bounty unfolds. Couch-bound? Not to worry. Mr. Brill evokes pictures with his dynamic and descriptive prose that carries the reader alongside, step by step. A must-read! J.R. "Model-T" Tate, author of "Walkin' on the Happy Side of Misery"
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Definitely worth a couple days of your spare time
Great read by a great author. I would suggest this book to anyone who is planning to tackle the AT, or anyone who can find beauty and peace in a simple day hike. Read more
Published 6 months ago by chattyrat
As Far as The Eye Can See
A wonderful overview of hiking the AT. Well written and an easy read that allows us armchair hikers to share the bounties of the AT. A wonderful work.
Published 15 months ago by Alaska Professor
A story of self-discovery along the Appalachian Trail
David Brill has a way with words. His descriptions of the Appalachian Trail bring the woods to life. Read more
Published 19 months ago by Nancy Loderick
One of my favorite books...
I come back to 'As Far as the Eye Can See' year after year. It's absolutely brilliant. Well written, honest, insightful. Read more
Published on July 6, 2007 by Keith Blodgett
Great reading!
Mr Brill's book was the first of several I have read on hiking the AT, and it is, so far, still my favorite. Read more
Published on June 25, 2001 by C. B. Prevedel
One of the best Appalachian Trail books ever written
By the time you finish this book, you'll be ready to throw a pack over your shoulder (a large one) and head for the AT. Read more
Published on February 17, 2001 by R L
Good AT Book
This book was very good. It is more about some of the author's experiences than a day to day summary of his hike. Read more
Published on August 31, 1999
A must read for past and prospective thru-hikers
I first read this book not long after it was published during my first thru-hike in 1991. While some elements of the trail description could be considered dated, the essential... Read more
Published on March 25, 1999
If you are a hiker this book is a must read.
David Brill has put words to the feelings you experence hiking the Appalachian Trail. He brings you right with him and makes you want to do it again.
Published on February 11, 1999
A great book for people searching for who they really are
This book helps to ignite the fire in each of us to set out into the unknown and find out what we are made of. Read more
Published on January 28, 1998
Inside This Book
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First Sentence:
I'm lying under a wind- and rain-buffeted tarp in a mountain gap in Georgia. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
other hikers, most hikers Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Appalachian Trail, Hot Springs, North Carolina, Springer Mountain, Mount Katahdin, New Hampshire, New York, New England, Mount Washington, New Jersey, Port Clinton, Bear Mountain, Amicalola Falls, Baxter Peak, Harpers Ferry, Katahdin Stream Campground, Paul Dillon, Roan Mountain, Shenandoah National Park, Spence Field, Tesnatee Gap, Hurricane David, Tiorati Circle New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
I'm lying under a wind- and rain-buffeted tarp in a mountain gap in Georgia. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
other hikers, most hikers Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Appalachian Trail, Hot Springs, North Carolina, Springer Mountain, Mount Katahdin, New Hampshire, New York, New England, Mount Washington, New Jersey, Port Clinton, Bear Mountain, Amicalola Falls, Baxter Peak, Harpers Ferry, Katahdin Stream Campground, Paul Dillon, Roan Mountain, Shenandoah National Park, Spence Field, Tesnatee Gap, Hurricane David, Tiorati Circle New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
5
books
cite this book:
- Spring: A Spiritual Biography of the Season by Gary Schmidt on page 223, page 313, and Back Matter
- Long-Distance Hiking: Lessons from the Appalachian Trail by Roland Mueser on page 148, and Back Matter
- Story Line: Exploring the Literature of the Appalachian Trail by Ian S. Marshall in Front Matter, and Back Matter
- Hiking the Triple Crown : Appalachian Trail - Pacific Crest Trail - Continental Divide Trail - How to Hike America's Longest Trails by Karen Berger in Back Matter
- Walking the Appalachian Trail by Larry Luxenberg in Back Matter
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