Customer Reviews

To The Top: Reaching for America's 50 State Summits

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

As the author of To The Top, it's worth nothing that I've climbed 49 of the 50 highpoints -- including Mt. McKinley -- and made it to within 300 vertical feet of the one highpoint I didn't summit (Gannett Peak in WY). For the record, Nels Akerlund and I will return to climb Gannett this summer; however, the point is that our book aims to honestly document these neat mountains -- wins, loses and ties -- and includes plenty of information not only about the historical and social aspects of the highpoints but about the struggles that ensue when you don't succeed.

I have done 5 of the 50 state summits. I can't imagine the logistics of knocking off all 50. What I liked about this book is that you can skip around and read about different climbs or just flip through and look at the photos (which are awesome). Something to throw out on the coffee table. And the stories are pretty darn funny.

A must read for anyone with an adventurous spirit and a good sense of humor. The photos and humorous dialogue bring you right into this story. Anyone who has struck upon a "bright idea" over beers with a friend will to relate to this book. To The Top is a mix of adventure, misadventure, light-hearted humor and awesome photographs of two guys who get alot more than they bargained for. The photos alone are worth the price of the book -- the story is an excellent bonus. Great photos, great story, and great banter between Joe and Nels. Check it out.

Because of Mr. Ackerlund's world class photography and Joe Glickman's absolutely delightful writing style, "To The Top" is the BEST "travel/adventure travel book" in my collection. As expected, the 50 state "summits" are presented professionally. Unexpected are the occasional tear and numerous barrel-laughs from Glickman's sometimes poignant, occasionally irreverant, and nearly always witty writing style. It's a truly wonderful "feel good" read for anyone who enjoys the outdoors, travel, or simply a slice of Americana.

I found this collection of essays to be a great new way to look at our country. With its vastly different climats, its beauty is unmatched by any other.
I also enjoyed the casual intimacy in wich Mr. Glickmen tells of their various adventures though out this wonderfully photographed book. Great conversation peice.

Joe's writing style is hilarious and down-to-earth. I found the narratives of two guys spending countless hours driving around the country dealing with each others petty annoyances as well as their successes familiar to me. It churned up fond memories of my own friends and the similar times I've spent with them. The narratives of the highpoints from a "normal person's" perspective, that is, someone who is not particularly experienced, has given me lots of information about what to expect in my own aspirations to the 50 summits. And since it is not a guidebook but more of a travelogue, the emotional nature of their personal experiences really has had a profound effect on me. Guidebooks are useful for the logistical information needed, but a book like this helps with the mental preparation.

The photographs are stunning, and my only complaint about this book is that there are not enough of them. I would gladly have paid an extra $10-$15 for a book twice the size in order to accomodate more photos, especially of the spectacular western peaks.

I have been a big fan of F. Spencer Chapman for a LONG time. In 1930, he spent a YEAR on Greenland with the British Arctic Air Research Expedition (an important sounding name for a group of college boys on an adventure). The Team Leader was Henry George "Gino" Watkins. As such, they became supremely proficient paddlers in kayaks. They also spent considerable time nordic skiing on the glacial plateau, flying Tiger Moths in aerial surveys, as well as recording meteorological conditions.. On the Second Expedition in 1932, Watkins was again the leader, and Chapman again went along. Watkins died in a hunting accident. Chapman wrote both expedition books, "Northern Lights: The British Arctic Air Research Expedition" and "Watkins Last Expedition." But before WWII, he also went to the Himalayas and climbed several mountains, including Chomolari in the Kingdom of Bhutan (one of the highest peaks to be climbed prior to WWII). His book "Memiors of a Mountaineer" is a classic of those times in Tibet and the Himalaya.

Joe Glickman is our modern F Spencer Chapman. I recently got copies of Joe's "Kayak Companion" and "To the Top" books. Excellent material. Joe has an easy reading style, and his stories are amongst the best, paddling or climbing. If Joe can't make you laugh, your funny bone has to be broken. I usually find myself laughing at myself, because I too have been there.

Joe - I'm reading this book - finally, and I have to apologize for waiting so long. It's really quite wonderful and I'm enjoying it immensely. You write so well. Not only that but along with the humor, omnipresently threaded through your writing, there is real wisdom and insight into the nature of life. You are a philosopher with a light touch my friend. I'm learning some good stuff from you. What I feel about the book is the writing is just so good now, such a pleasure to read and so much of it has come from the fact that you've seen value in taking risks, pushing yourself and in adventure. Besides being a general good read, the experience offered to the reader is of a deeper significance than may be apparent on the surface and I appreciate you for that. Nel's photos are a profound visual treat - a fine compliment to your writing.

I beleive that this book suffers from its author having decided to write the book half way into the adventure. The varying themes of each chapter (a chapter per highpoint) lend the book fresh starts every couple of pages, making it very easy to read. The author perfectly changed up the speed and mood of the fifty chapters, lending each a new perspective.

Although the writer's allusions to recent politcal and world events makes it easier for the the reader to relate to the author's mountaintop experiences, it will ultimately date the book. But considering that accessibility (and hence travel details) to these highpoints often changes, this fault is not fatal.

Finally, I am troubled by basic factual innaccuracies. For example, on his trip to Mt. Mitchell, NC, the author identifies a tunnel AFTER turning onto the road up to the mountain. There is NO tunnel on that road. In addition, he speaks of a National Park Service ranger driving a snowplow on the summit parking lot. Although Mt. Mitchell can only be accessed by car via the Blue Ridge Parkway (a unit of the National Park System), Mt. Mitchell is a flagship unit of North Carolina's state park system. Maybe the NPS plows their road for them; but knowing gov't, I doubt it.

This book is not intended as a travel guide. It is however, a charming read of two mens' experiences on America's 50 summits.....

This is a great book. I got this as a gift for someone who is in the middle of a journey to climb to the highest points of all 50 states. The author has done a great job of documenting his journeys in pictures and text. If you just want a quick glance, you can always skip the text and the pictures will keep you interested throughout the book. This book is about 10 years old, but still interesting and applicable. Some the photos from the top are familiar from our journeys. For others, it's interesting to see how the views have changed. There are also photos from along the route, especially along the more interesting/harder to reach high points.

This book does not give directions, recommended approaches, or topography of high points. However, I would definitely recommend this book as a gift for anyone else on a journey to complete the high points as a preview of what they can look forward to or just as a coffee book table. It's an easy way to get a glance at all 50 states.