Best Appalachian Trail Book

[gpburdelljr]

What is the best book about the Appalachian Trail that you have read? The kind of book that you didn't want to put down until you finished.

[Foresight]

These two.

http://adiggerstolz.wordpress.com/books/

[Slo-go'en]

"A walk in the woods".

[Feral Bill]

The Barefoot Sisters, both books.

[colorado_rob]

The best AT book is ALL dozen that I've read....

[MkBibble]

I have read several that I really enjoyed. These come to mind: Skywalker by Bill Walker; Three Hundred Zeroes by Dennis R. Blanchard; Walking the Appalachian Trail by Larry Luxenberg; and Just Passin' Thru by Winton Porter. Of course these two as well: A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson (really more for the humor…); Walking with Spring by Earl Shaffer (I think it’s required reading – somebody correct me if I’m wrong).

For years my favorite was AWOL on the Appalachian Trail by David Miller, but having just finished Becoming Odyssa by Jennifer Pharr Davis, I would put it at least on par with AWOL. Obviously, just my opinions; your mileage may vary.

[Mags]

On The Beaten Path: Perhaps my favorite book on hiking the Appalachian Trail. Treating the AT what it is like for many of us..a pilgrimage in the mountains.

The Appalachian Trail Reader: My copy of this book is very dog eared. This book collects writings on geology, history and the culture surrounding the AT. It also features musings on the the trail and the Appalachians in general from the raw, but powerful voices, of everyday hikers to the eloquent musings of Thoreau and Wendell Berry. Highly recommended.

[Rain Man]

Don't overlook Then the Hail Came (http://www.skwc.com/exile/Hail-nf.html) by George Steffanos. Online only.

Rain Man

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[TOW]

What is the best book about the Appalachian Trail that you have read? The kind of book that you didn't want to put down until you finished.

As Far As The Eye Can See

Crazy Larry

[aficion]

AWOL on the Appalachian Trail, but then I've only read a few.

[Luddite]

The only one that didn't bore me to tears was Bill Bryson's A walk in the Woods, the book most AT hikers hate. All the others I've read were either poorly written, used the word "spiritual" one too many times, or was just plain boring. Hiking is one of those things that is fun to do and boring to read about, IMO.

[rhjanes]

Agreed
AWOL on the Appalachian Trail by David Miller, Becoming Odyssa by Jennifer Pharr Davis
and the Barefoot Sisters, book one.

[Trailweaver]

Barefoot Sisters - both books. I really would like to meet them, and have a long conversation with them. Anyone know what they're doing now?

[tickspit]

Becoming Odyssa by Jennifer Davis is an easy read.

[Schnitzel]

I like various things about various books - can honestly say that I've read most of the available books out there (Amazon is my friend!) - I really enjoyed Three Hundred Zeros - Blanchard had a great adventure, and described it with kindness, humor and drama where appropriate. I think it was well-written, and dear to my heart - well edited. Too many of the books out there, especially on the Kindle, seem to have no editing done at all, and are rife with spelling and grammatical errors. I know most people don't seem to care about it these days, but I guess I'm a bit of a snob when it comes to that.

[slbirdnerd]

Read almost all of the above, plus "Ten Million Steps" by Nimblewill Nomad. All pretty great books, but I have to say "Three Hundred Zeroes" is still my favorite.

[Almost There]

As a former history teacher I have to say I am really enjoying "Hiking the Appalachian Trail", two volume set. I like reading about how the trail was, just finished Dottie Laker's account, and really enjoyed her accounting. Reading Ten Million Steps right now. I think most are on par with one another, so it's a matter of interest. "A Walk for Sunshine" comes as an audio book, and isn't a bad listen. "Just Passin' Thru" is a good read, but knowing some of the folk in the book personally may have added greater enjoyment to me, however, I do think Winton does tell a good story.

I think it really depends on what you're looking for.

[MkBibble]

I forgot about As Far As The Eye Can See. Another good one. Thanks TOW. Rain Man, I have started and stopped Then the Hail Came an number of times. I am not a fan of reading it on the computer... that's a shame too, because it really is a good story. Maybe I should just print out a couple chapters at a time and leave them in the "library" where I often read.

[Mr. Clean]

"the barefoot sisters" and "and then the hail came".

They are all pretty good, though.

[Kerosene]

I enjoyed both of The Barefoot Sisters books and really liked the writing style: Southbound (http://www.amazon.com/Barefoot-Sisters-Southbound-Adventures-Appalachian/dp/0811735303/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1391190095&sr=1-1&keywords=barefoot+sisters) and Walking Home (http://www.amazon.com/Barefoot-Sisters-Walking-Adventures-Appalachian-ebook/dp/B003BIFKDK/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1391190095&sr=1-2&keywords=barefoot+sisters)

Noone has mentioned Model T's Walking on the Happy Side of Misery (http://www.amazon.com/Walkin-Happy-Side-Misery-Tate-ebook/dp/B008FQBC2G/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1391189786&sr=1-1&keywords=walking+on+the+happy+side+of+misery)

I thought that Jennifer Pharr Davis' first book, Becoming Odyssa (http://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Odyssa-Adventures-Appalachian-Trail-ebook/dp/B004I8VGYO/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1391189972&sr=1-3&keywords=jennifer+pharr+davis), was well done and perfect for my new-to-backpacking 21-yo daughter. I have yet to read 46 Days (http://www.amazon.com/46-Days-Keeping-Jennifer-Appalachian-ebook/dp/B006OOHJVY/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1391190022&sr=1-4&keywords=jennifer+pharr+davis#_).

[ChuckT]

Rain Man - thank you for the link to "Then the Hail Came". I did Springer to Erwin in late 70s so it rings true for me.
CVT

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using Tapatalk

[gpburdelljr]

Thanks for all the good suggestions.

[Rain Man]

I forgot about As Far As The Eye Can See. Another good one. Thanks TOW. Rain Man, I have started and stopped Then the Hail Came an number of times. I am not a fan of reading it on the computer... that's a shame too, because it really is a good story. Maybe I should just print out a couple chapters at a time and leave them in the "library" where I often read.


Rain Man - thank you for the link to "Then the Hail Came". I did Springer to Erwin in late 70s so it rings true for me.

Agree that "Then The Hail Came" should be in book form! Great memoir, which I've read more than once. Of course, being an online journal/book means one can capture it, convert to pdf, then put it on a smart phone or other book reader. I'm guessing. Can't do that easily with paper books.

Also agree that "As Far As the Eye Can See" is in a small group at the top of my list.

Rain:sunMan

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[Odd Man Out]

I got this for Christmas last year. Finished it by New Years. It is not a memoir about hiking the trail, but a big "coffee table book" about the AT (history, etc...). Published by the ATC.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Appalachian-Trail-Celebrating-Americas/dp/0847839036/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1391272134&sr=8-1&keywords=the+appalachian+trail

[rambunny]

Hi! I've got probably 150 AT books here & would like to sell some-if you are looking for something in particular ask. Thanks-pm me please or E mail [email protected]

[Rain Man]

Hi! I've got probably 150 AT books here & would like to sell some-if you are looking for something in particular ask. Thanks-pm me please or E mail [email protected]

Rambunny, I've had my live-at-home daughter cataloging my AT books for the past couple of days. I've got over a hundred. Will send you a list and when you get time and if you want, let me know what you have that I don't and we'll make a deal. :)

Rain:sunMan

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[earlyriser26]

Then the hail came (title says it all), a walk in the woods (very funny), southbound, AWOL on the AT (best detail of any AT book)

[stacy324]

What is the best book about the Appalachian Trail that you have read? The kind of book that you didn't want to put down until you finished.

best - A Walk in the Woods (the first half - toward the end I was ready to put it down)
don't want to put down - Then the Hail Came (can you put an online book down?)

[Sarcasm the elf]

As Far As The Eye Can See

Crazy Larry

This is my favorite, I just started reading it for a second time.


"A walk in the woods".

A walk in the woods is probably the most entertaining and least accurate book about hiking the A.T., I highly recommend it, but keep in mind that it is largely fiction.

[Marta]

I enjoyed both of The Barefoot Sisters books and really liked the writing style: Southbound (http://www.amazon.com/Barefoot-Sisters-Southbound-Adventures-Appalachian/dp/0811735303/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1391190095&sr=1-1&keywords=barefoot+sisters) and Walking Home (http://www.amazon.com/Barefoot-Sisters-Walking-Adventures-Appalachian-ebook/dp/B003BIFKDK/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1391190095&sr=1-2&keywords=barefoot+sisters)

Noone has mentioned Model T's Walking on the Happy Side of Misery (http://www.amazon.com/Walkin-Happy-Side-Misery-Tate-ebook/dp/B008FQBC2G/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1391189786&sr=1-1&keywords=walking+on+the+happy+side+of+misery)

I thought that Jennifer Pharr Davis' first book, Becoming Odyssa (http://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Odyssa-Adventures-Appalachian-Trail-ebook/dp/B004I8VGYO/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1391189972&sr=1-3&keywords=jennifer+pharr+davis), was well done and perfect for my new-to-backpacking 21-yo daughter. I have yet to read 46 Days (http://www.amazon.com/46-Days-Keeping-Jennifer-Appalachian-ebook/dp/B006OOHJVY/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1391190022&sr=1-4&keywords=jennifer+pharr+davis#_).

These are my picks, too, although I enjoyed Southbound more than Walking Home.

[Kerosene]

These are my picks, too, although I enjoyed Southbound more than Walking Home.Agreed....

[One Half]

I just read Bryson's "A Walk in the Woods."

It's a good read. I may even watch the movie now. I've never read anything else by Bryson. He's a good writer. And funny.

[gpburdelljr]

I just read Bryson's "A Walk in the Woods."

It's a good read. I may even watch the movie now. I've never read anything else by Bryson. He's a good writer. And funny.

I liked the book, but was disappointed by the movie.

[Tuxhiker]

If you can find the audiobook narrated by Bill Bryson, it is very entertaining.

[JNI64]

If you can find the audiobook narrated by Bill Bryson, it is very entertaining.

I read a walk in the woods, walking in the woods.
I hiked up to weaverton cliffs and read awhile, then walked to the Ed Garvey camped and read awhile.

Next day I walked in the woods to the David Lessoner shelter and camped and read awhile and actually finished the book a couple days. I ended up leaving there at the shelter for the next interested.

And I met my first thru hiking south bound cat on that trip , no lie.

[TwoSpirits]

If you can find the audiobook narrated by Bill Bryson, it is very entertaining.This is so true...unfortunately, the only audio version narrated by him (that I know of) is an abridged version, which is disappointing. Even so, there really is no one better suited to read Bryson than Bryson.

[colorado_rob]

This is so true...unfortunately, the only audio version narrated by him (that I know of) is an abridged version, which is disappointing. Even so, there really is no one better suited to read Bryson than Bryson.Yeah, that is unfortunate.

But he does narrate a bunch of his other books in full; I've read a half dozen BB books, here they are in order of my enjoyment:

A Brief history of Nearly Everything - Fantastic, I've read it 3 times now (actual book), the audio version is NOT narrated by him though.

In a Sunburned country - fantastic and funny, it's all about Australia. Narrated by BB himself.

Walk in the Woods - I really enjoyed reading this, and again, have done so many times now; disclaimer: I really enjoyed the movie as well, unlike many on here; there were plenty of ridiculous moments in the movie to be sure, but enough moments that reflected what life is like on the trail.

One Summer; America 1927 - Very interesting book. I think I'm going to get the audio version and "re-read" it. Narrated by BB himself.

The Mother Tongue - Very interesting treatise on our English language and how it became the most dominant language in terms of global business. Not narrated by BB. Beware, for the gentler ears/eyes on here: the book has an entire chapter devoted to the F word, basically because of its extreme diversity of use. Kind of fun if you're not put off by it.

Notes from a Small Island - Basically, BB is talking about his time spent in England. My least favorite, but still enjoyable. Narrated by BB himself.

So, a book that looks fantastic and is narrated by BB himself looks great and I'm buying it right soon: The Body; A Guide for Occupants. I'll have it for my upcoming long hikes.

[TwoSpirits]

Yes -- "The Body: A Guide for Occupants" is a great audio book for a long hike...as is "A Short History of Nearly Everything" (though not narrated by Bryson.

Back to the original topic: I really wanted to like The Barefoot Sisters, but the writing just didn't grab me -- as is the case with 98% of the hiking books I've read. I would agree that "Walking With Spring" is almost required reading (although it too is not exactly great literature....) "Just Passin' Thru" is very enjoyable. Unlike many people here, I also enjoyed Cheryl Strayed's "Wild" -- though "enjoyed" is perhaps not the right word, as it is often painful and uncomfortable (same for the movie, which I thought was phenomenal on many levels.)

[colorado_rob]

Y
Back to the original topic: I really wanted to like The Barefoot Sisters, but the writing just didn't grab me -- as is the case with 98% of the hiking books I've read. I would agree that "Walking With Spring" is almost required reading (although it too is not exactly great literature....) "Just Passin' Thru" is very enjoyable. Unlike many people here, I also enjoyed Cheryl Strayed's "Wild" -- though "enjoyed" is perhaps not the right word, as it is often painful and uncomfortable (same for the movie, which I thought was phenomenal on many levels.) Sorry for the divergence.... anyway, yeah, those are good, except I never tried Barefoot Sisters. I think it was "walking with spring" that really got me to actually hike the AT.

Have you read any of Skywalker's books? He's a very entertaining writer. Bill Walker, 7 feet tall, hence the obvious trail name "Skywalker".

https://www.amazon.com/Skywalker-Close-Encounters-Appalachian-Trail-Close/dp/1460999428

He's written numerous long-trail books, AT, PCT, Camino Santiago, others. I like his modest, self-deprecating style. My wife and I read his PCT version to each other on an AT LASH some years ago. Good entertainment.

[TwoSpirits]

Yes -- read Skywalker's AT book and did enjoy that one. I actually met him up in Maine in 2014 when I was starting my attempt at a SOBO and he was starting a SOBO section. He checked into the AT Lodge in Millinocket, and the few of us who were there had to keep from staring at him. The guy is TALL! He had a room next to mine and I think the poor guy was up half the night struggling with the bed because it had a footboard...he ended up sleeping on the floor. Nice guy, too.

[Old_Man]

On The Beaten Path: Perhaps my favorite book on hiking the Appalachian Trail. Treating the AT what it is like for many of us..a pilgrimage in the mountains.



This was the first book I read about the AT and it really got me hooked on the idea of thru hiking. It's very introspective but he does a great job describing the culture of thru hiking too.

[One Half]

I watched the movie: A walk in the Woods. Meh. The book was much better.