The Appalachian Trail Reader

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.

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.