Please Recommend an AT book for family member

[Blissful]

Anyone have suggestions for an interesting book on the AT that explains the trail and its history in pretty simple terms and what to expect from a thru hike? I'd like to give it to my FIL for his birthday so he has some idea what we plan to do next year. (He likes books) Thanks!

[jamarshall]

Ten Million Steps by M.J. Eberhart - Not much trail history but a great read.

-Joyce

[Chavens]

There's always Bill Bryson's "A Walk in the Woods"...easy to read, and quite humorous. Reading that book is what first got me interesting in hiking the trail myself.

[eArThworm]

Larry Luxenberg. "Walking the Appalachian Trail." Stackpole Books, 1994.
Both history and what it's like to hike. Very well written and an interesting
read.

[2Questions]

Back in 197?, National Geographic put out a book called "Mountain Adventures". It has great pictures and provides a good historical overview.

[Skidsteer]

If he likes statistics and a different slant on things...

Roland Mueser's-

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0070444587?v=glance

[bigmac_in]

Bryson's book is strictly entertainment, which it is. But, don't expect to get a good feel for what a thru hike is - he quit early. Luxenberg's book is probably what you are looking for, although a little dated.

[TJ aka Teej]

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=j>Lynn Setzer’s A Season on the Appalachian Trail: the story of a handful of thru-hikers from the Class of 1996.</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>And be sure to check out eArThworm's AT book site: http://trailsbib.blogspot.com (http://trailsbib.blogspot.com/) !

[blindeye]

since you didn't specify NOBO or SOBO iam planning a SOBO myself. the book about a SOBO that i like is THE WILD BIRD'S SONG by JIM COPLEN

[The Solemates]

Ten Million Steps by M.J. Eberhart - Not much trail history but a great read.

-Joyce

horrible. couldnt even finish.

[The Solemates]

There's always Bill Bryson's "A Walk in the Woods"...easy to read, and quite humorous. Reading that book is what first got me interesting in hiking the trail myself.

double horrible. didnt even get halfway.

[The Solemates]

Back in 197?, National Geographic put out a book called "Mountain Adventures". It has great pictures and provides a good historical overview.

youre right, great photos and decent general overview.

[The Solemates]

If he likes statistics and a different slant on things...

Roland Mueser's-

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0070444587?v=glance

very good, but is more detailed for a future thru-hiker, not as a general read on the trail

[The Solemates]

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=j>Lynn Setzer’s A Season on the Appalachian Trail: the story of a handful of thru-hikers from the Class of 1996.</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>And be sure to check out eArThworm's AT book site: http://trailsbib.blogspot.com (http://trailsbib.blogspot.com/) !

a decent book, worth a read but certainly not the best

[Rain Man]

Three that have not been mentioned, but are among my favorites are:

"Walking on the Happy Side of Misery" by J.R. (Model-T) Tate

"As Far as the Eye Can See" by David Brill (two guys)

"Walking North" by Mic Lowther (about a family of three)

The good thing about these three books is that they are not "got up at 7:30 and hiked 20 miles in 60 degree rain from shelter A to shelter B and went to sleep at 9:00." These three are more story-type books.

Rain:sunMan

.

[Sly]

The Appalachian Trail: Calling Me Back To The Hills Text and poetry by Earl Shaffer. Photography by Bart Smith.

http://www.earlshaffer.com/publications.html

[2XL]

Check out your local library and see which you like best before buying.
If the library does not have the book, they will get it for you from another.

[Blissful]

I probably should clarify also - this book is for someone who wants to know about the trail on the homefront while his son and daughter-in-law are hiking it! (He's not sure about our plans to thru hike in 2007, etc so I want to inform him) Thanks!

[Lilred]

If you want a good history, Model-T's new book is all about the history of the towns and people associated with the AT. Great read. It's called Walking with the Ghost Whisperers.

[Krewzer]

I agree with the "Walking on the Happy Side of Misery" by Model T recommendation. And I second Larry Luxenburg's book. Also, Walking With Spring, As Far as the Eye Can See, Blind Courage.

Hopefully this won't turn into a love/hate thread about Bill Bryson, but I don't think "A Walk in the Woods" as a reference of what you are going to do next year would be a good choice. Give it to him after you return, you'll both enjoy it more then. But, please don't let it be the first book he reads about the AT or thru-hiking.

[camich]

Three that have not been mentioned, but are among my favorites are:

"Walking on the Happy Side of Misery" by J.R. (Model-T) Tate

............

Rain:sunMan

.<TABLE class=tborder cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=6 width="100%" align=center border=0><TBODY><TR title="Post 196045" vAlign=top><TD class=alt1 align=middle width=125>Lilredmg</TD><TD class=alt2>If you want a good history, Model-T's new book is all about the history of the towns and people associated with the AT. Great read. It's called Walking with the Ghost Whisperers.</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>



Model-T's books are awesome!!!! I love both of them....I read them over and over.

[Sparkplug]

Another vote for "Walking on the Happy Side of Misery." I read this before our hike last year, and loved it. Once I returned to "civilization," I reread it and thought it really did a great job of telling a wonderful story but also really capturing the trail experience :-)
-Sparkplug

[2Questions]

The ATC has a photogtaphic overview called "The Appalachian Trail: An Aerial View" (Member Price: $29.75). A picture is worth a thousands words...!!

[mbroadhe]

"A Walk for Sunshine" by Jeff Alt
"A Journey North" by Adrienne Hall
I also enjoyed "Walking the Appalachian Trail" by Luxenberg. It's basically filled with about 21 short stories.

[Mr. Clean]

"Walking the happy side of misery" is one of the best. I also liked "Walking Home", and "A journey North".
Need to read Model T's other book.