View Full Version : please recommend a good A.T. book
mountainman
11-27-2010, 19:03
I want some good reaging for the winter. A friend recommended Just A Walk In The Woods. Any opinions. Thanks
The Road More/Or Less Travelled (Applejack and Futureman) A unique read for an AT book :)
http://www.amazon.com/Traveled-Madcap-Adventures-Along-Appalachian/dp/0615203051
I just read A Walk in the Woods a few weeks ago. Good read, very funny at times. Not as much of a play by play of hiking the AT as I expected, but still good.
Phlashlite
11-27-2010, 19:21
Three hundred zeros is good
DaveSail
11-27-2010, 19:35
The two BAREFOOT SISTERS ones are among the best .
Very well written . " Isis " and " Jackrabbit " alternate
chapters , so the books don't get boring ! Hoever , they
both are about twice as long as the " average " AT
book , at around 500 pages !
One is called : " Southbound " and the other : " Walking
Home " . [ They alked the AT barefoot , ( mostly ) both
ways ! ]
A nice one just was re - published : " AWOL On The
Appalachian Trail " .
Another one I enjoyed is : " The Things You Find On The
Appalachian Trail " by Kevin Runolfson . [ He found a lovely ,
bright , funny lady , who ended up hiking with him , plus a
bit more ! ]
Then of course , you should read the one : " Walking The
Appalachian Trail " by Larry Luxenberg who started and runs
the new AT Museum in Pennsylvania !!
I've read here on WhiteBlaze that Bill Bryson didn't really
hike the AT , but rather read Shelter Registers and talked
to hikers at places where the trail crossed a road ! [ I would
like to know if this is really true ! ]
Tere is a neat DVD ( fictional ) called ; " Southbounders "
which I liked so much that I bought it after renting it !!
The guy who directed it is a " ThruHiker " and the film was
shot along the trail in about four different locations !
David V. Webber
I want some good reading for the winter.
There are many kinds of A.T. books. It would be easier to make recommendations if we had some sense of what appeals to you.
http://www.booksforhikers.com/appalachian-trail/
DaveSail
11-27-2010, 19:46
Here is a " Link " to about 35 ; ( some out - of - print ) .
http://www.appalachiantrail.com/hikers-memoirs.html
My three favorite: A Walk in the woods, AWOL on the Appalachian Trail, and Just Passin' Thru.
couscous
11-27-2010, 19:57
It really depends what you're looking for:
What it's like to hike the A.T. - AWOL on the A.T. (http://www.shop.theatguide.com/Awol-on-the-Appalachian-Trail-AWOL.htm)
Things that can go wrong on the A.T - Skywalker, Close Encounters on the A.T. (http://www.amazon.com/Skywalker-Close-Encounters-Appalachian-Trail/dp/1934144266)
A Spiritual Journey on the A.T. - Hiking Thru (http://www.amazon.com/Hiking-Through-Finding-Freedom-Appalachian/dp/0984076050?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1271093686&sr=8-1)
A Walk in the Woods (http://www.amazon.com/Walk-Woods-Rediscovering-America-Appalachian/dp/0307279464/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1290901459&sr=8-1) - is part humor, part mind-numbing background history.
Next book I plan to get is - Becoming Odyssa (http://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Odyssa-Adventures-Appalachian-Trail/dp/0825306493/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1290900649&sr=1-1)
bulldog49
11-27-2010, 22:29
[QUOTE=mountainman;1073050]I want some good reaging for the winter. A friend recommended Just A Walk In The Woods. Any opinions. Thanks[/QUOTE[/I]
Piece of crap written by someone who never set foot on the AT.
Plenty of great books written by real hikers.
SouthMark
11-27-2010, 22:35
I just finished reading Tom Waite's new book "The Laughalachian Trail". I thought taht it was refreshing. It is on Amazon's Best Seller List. It is an uncensored celebration of thru-hiker humor. Tom is a 2009 yo-yo thru-hiker.
Spirit Walker
11-27-2010, 23:02
Model T's "Walkin' on the Happy Side of Misery" is one of the best.
HikerRanky
11-27-2010, 23:55
The Road More/Or Less Travelled (Applejack and Futureman) A unique read for an AT book :)
http://www.amazon.com/Traveled-Madcap-Adventures-Along-Appalachian/dp/0615203051
I would agree with this... Met Futureman at the NOC Great Outpost grand opening in Gatlinburg and found him to be a great conversationalist. The book did not disappoint.
I would also recommend "A Walk for Sunshine" by Jeff Alt and "AWOL on the Appalachian Trail" by David Miller...
Randy
mweinstone
11-28-2010, 00:07
books? yes,..we have books.
show them to me!
now?
now!
looks at books , then at weena,.....what have you done?! i understand.....(sadly walks back to his time machine.
later. the housekeeper and his best friend..." is anything missing?
lets see, hmmm, yes! three books.i wonder whitch ones?
really dosnt matter.
what do you mean?
i guess hes go alot of time,...
friend" thats exactly what he does have,..all the time in the world....
from the time machines last sceen. hg wells.
their is only one at book. and earl wrote it.
It's about the PCT not the AT, but I just read "The Cactus Eaters: How I Lost My Mind and Almost Found Myself on the Pacific Crest Trail" by Dan White. It reminded me of Bryson's book and was a good read. Hey, hiking's hiking!
stacy324
11-28-2010, 11:32
I've only read about a dozen or so AT books, but the best I've read so far is online. Then The Hail Came. http://skwc.com/exile/Hail-nf.html
earlyriser26
11-28-2010, 14:39
I've only read about a dozen or so AT books, but the best I've read so far is online. Then The Hail Came. http://skwc.com/exile/Hail-nf.html
I highly recomend this too. A great read. Very funny. The title says it all.
The two BAREFOOT SISTERS ones are among the best .
Very well written . " Isis " and " Jackrabbit " alternate
chapters , so the books don't get boring ! Hoever , they
both are about twice as long as the " average " AT
book , at around 500 pages !
One is called : " Southbound " and the other : " Walking
Home " . [ They alked the AT barefoot , ( mostly ) both
ways ! ]
I second the motion on the Barefoot Sisters. Just read both books and really enjoyed. Well written chronicles of two consecutive thru-hikes, separated only by a week - a "yo yo."
bigcranky
11-28-2010, 17:30
+1 on Then the Hail Came. I wish it were a real book, not just an online journal.
k2basecamp
11-28-2010, 19:46
Finding Odyssa by Jennifer Pharr-Davis. Read it in 2 days - couldn't put it down. Just gave it to my 18 year old daughter to read.
Required reading by all 50 parapackers.
A great read.
country_runner
11-28-2010, 23:06
Just finished reading Laughalachian. It's like a "walk in the woods" by an actual thru hiker - who can also tell a story.
CR
MEGA SOBO '09
trippclark
11-28-2010, 23:31
I want some good reaging for the winter. A friend recommended Just A Walk In The Woods. Any opinions. Thanks
I have probably read at least two dozen books about the A.T. over the past few years. Several that stand out as excellent reads (in addition to the often debated "A Walk In The Woods" which is definitely entertaining) are . . .
1) "Walkin on the Happy Side of Misery" by JR "Model-T" Tate
http://www.modelt.net/
2) "Through Hiker's Eyes" by Larry "Baro" Alexander
http://www.trailpeddler.com/
3) "AWOL on the Appalachian Trail" by David "Awol" Miller
http://www.awolonthetrail.com/
4) "Just Passin Thru" by Winton Porter
http://www.mountaincrossings.com/justpassinthru.aspx
m.mcbride1981
11-28-2010, 23:36
A Walk For Sunshine by Jeff Alt was a very good book. And a great motivation tool to get out and start hiking.
:welcome, you're no longer a lurker.
paistes5
04-02-2011, 00:52
I know this thread is a bit old but had to say I just finished the Laughalachian Trail. What a big steaming pile of moose dung.
The author has a few stories that are good, then goes into his political and environmental rants. The second half of the book is awful. I kept hoping it'd get better and go back to humor versus testing "theories" with an air of superiority.
Worst AT book I've read so far.
how about blind courage by bill irwin the first blind thru hiker.every time im having a tough climb i think of bill and orient and it gives me that extra push to get to the top.
msikora4
04-02-2011, 07:54
AWOL on the Appalachian Trail and Becoming Odyssa (I am re-reading it at the moment!).
Fake Outrage
04-02-2011, 08:58
John Illig has written books about all of his thru hikes. Trail Ways, Path Wise for the AT, Pacific Dream for the PCT, and Man in the Middle for the CDT.
All three are good reads but the AT one is the best.
paistes5
04-02-2011, 09:16
AWOL on the Appalachian Trail was an excellent read. Loved every minute of it.
300 Zeros has been my favorite. Right up there with AWOL
TallShark
04-02-2011, 15:31
[QUOTE=mountainman;1073050]I want some good reaging for the winter. A friend recommended Just A Walk In The Woods. Any opinions. Thanks[/QUOTE[/I]
Piece of crap written by someone who never set foot on the AT.
Plenty of great books written by real hikers.
^ I second this
+ for AWOL on the Appalachian Trail
My favorites are the Barefoot sisters books--hands down!!! Others I really liked were Winton Porters book, Just Passin Through (short stories about people and events happening at Neel's Gap, GA), Blind Courage (very inspiring), and one that I don't think has been mentioned..In Beauty May She Walk by Leslie Mass. This book probably appealed to me because it is about a middle aged woman (like I am) who thru-hiked. I have really not read any books about the AT (and I have read a bunch!!) that I didn't enjoy!!
I just finished Skywalker, AT NOBO 2005. Very well done. AWOL, In Beauty, 300 Zeros, Model-T's books, all excellent.
Skywalker
05-17-2011, 16:27
I just read A Walk in the Woods a few weeks ago. Good read, very funny at times. Not as much of a play by play of hiking the AT as I expected, but still good.
A truly talented writer. In fact, I wish he would hike the PCT, although Katz would probably perish in the desert.
Skywalker--Highs and Lows on the Pacific Crest Trail
Skywalker
05-17-2011, 16:30
I just finished Skywalker, AT NOBO 2005. Very well done. AWOL, In Beauty, 300 Zeros, Model-T's books, all excellent.
Remember, my book is as much about what NOT to do, as what to do. I fancy myself as a bit more determined (and certainly taller!) version of Stephen Katz.
Thanks for the compliment on the book.
Skywalker--Close Encounters on the Appalachian Trail
LIhikers
05-18-2011, 17:40
Model T's "Walkin' on the Happy Side of Misery" is one of the best.
Of the dozen or so that I've read so far this is my favorite!
hikerboy57
05-18-2011, 17:58
Finding Odyssa and Awol were both great- two different perspectives of NOBOs. I just finished Mountain Crossings, which has been probably my favorite AT read so far.I've just started on Earl Shaffers Walking with Spring.
A Walk in the Woods is a great book. I'm not much of a reader but I couldn't put it down. Bill Bryson is a great author.
slovakiasteph
05-18-2011, 19:18
Here's a post I just wrote on my blog about AT books (with a few other trails as well):
http://slovakiastephsnewestobsession.blogspot.com/2011/05/books-hiking-and-at.html
+1 for Becoming Odyssa by Jennifer Pharr-Davis
A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson ? A very funny book,I just finished reading it yesterday.
Joker4ink
05-18-2011, 21:14
I really enjoyed Nimblewill Nomad's book Ten Million Steps. I would recommend it.
Oh, be sure to go to your local Borders and sign up for their free membership card so you can get the email promotions. Literally, I get at least two coupons a week for between 25% and 40% books. They can be used online or in store.
skoolbyrd
05-20-2011, 01:27
I want some good reaging for the winter. A friend recommended Just A Walk In The Woods. Any opinions. Thanks
You'll read "A Walk In The Woods" in a week. Great book. More of a challenge would be "Foucoult's Pendulum" by Umberto Ecco. Good workout too! Probably weighs three pounds hahaha.
I agree with DAVESAIL the Barefoot Sisters is a good read, likely the best thru hiking story
" Gatewood hiked the Appalachian Trail in 1955 at the age of 67, wearing Keds sneakers and carrying an army blanket, a raincoat, and a plastic shower curtain which she carried in a homemade bag slung over one shoulder."
I hoped someone would have a story on granny.
A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson ? A very funny book,I just finished reading it yesterday.
The first part of the book was enjoyable and mildy funny... then it melted into tedious mediocrity for me. I think it reads like two different books... also some of it rings "false" to my ears.
DaveSail
06-19-2011, 21:38
Finding Odyssa by Jennifer Pharr-Davis. Read it in 2 days - couldn't put it down. Just gave it to my 18 year old daughter to read.
Required reading by all 50 parapackers.
A great read.
Yes , this is a great book . Well written , as her degree is in
the Classics . She is a long - legged Gazelle , and flows down
the trail like the wind ! A " Newbie " would be hard - pressed
to do 30 - mile days .
Soon , or presently , racing down the trail in an attempt to
complete it in 47 days . She will have to average about 46
miles per day . Sleeping on the trail ; never getting off . DVW
Jack Tarlin
06-19-2011, 22:47
Suggest you have a look at "Walking With Spring" by Earl Shaffer.
JaxHiker
06-19-2011, 22:58
Three hundred zeros is good
Just finished this. It's the only one so far that's made me laugh out loud. I'm reading "Skywalker" at the moment.
DaveSail
06-19-2011, 23:47
My favorites are the Barefoot sisters books--hands down!!! Others I really liked were Winton Porters book, Just Passin Through (short stories about people and events happening at Neel's Gap, GA), Blind Courage (very inspiring), and one that I don't think has been mentioned..In Beauty May She Walk by Leslie Mass. This book probably appealed to me because it is about a middle aged woman (like I am) who thru-hiked. I have really not read any books about the AT (and I have read a bunch!!) that I didn't enjoy!!
Yes , that is a warm and wonderful book ! My local library only had TWO
books on the AT , and that was one of them ! I should buy it , but I haven't seen it in my local book stores .
David V. Webber
Just finished "Southbound on the Appalachian Trail" by Ken Sarzynski, an awesome read!
sonnynGA
06-20-2011, 12:36
So far my favorite book has been "Lost then Found" by Jeff Morgan. Met him on the trail once and he was a really nice guy. If you hike in the NOC, North Carolina area you will find his story especially enjoyable.
jnanagardener
06-20-2011, 20:28
I enjoyed A Walk for Sunshine (for inspiration) and the Appalachian Trail Reader (just to be able to jump to any aspect of the AT you are interested in at that moment).
Don't forget Warren Doyle's 2 page book (http://www.warrendoyle.com/ATBook.html): "Walking the Entire Appalachian Trail:
Fulfilling a Dream by Accomplishing the Task" (31st edition)
And no, there's not a Kindle edition.
Quiescence Farm
06-21-2011, 00:26
Enjoyed the book, and the authors great sense of humor.
Jeff Alt. A Walk For Sunshine
Lessee ... I finished these. Enjoyed and got a lot out of em:
Barefoot sisters - Both volumes A+
Becoming Odyssa
The Laughalachian Trail
AWOL on the Appalachian Trail
Just started Appalachian Odyssey written in 77. Very well written. Interesting that they started out relatively ill-equipped and learned to deal with it at a time when there were a lot fewer hikers, and fewer options to resupply ... I got a kick out of the Ranger at Neals Gap telling them that they were the 63rd and 64th thru hikers so far in mid April!
Sitting in the pile to be read are recommended (Some highly*):
As Far as the Eye Can See *
Walking With the Ghost Whisperers *
Just Passing Thru
Many of the books that were written as how to guides I found less helpful than the above, or this forum, but which contain some nuggets:
Long Distance Hiking on the Appalachian Trail
How to Hike the A.T.
General Books on Walking, Hiking and Backpacking
Everyday Wisdom 1000 Expert Tips For Hikers
Walking (Thoreau)
Cooking
Freezer Bag Cooking
Raw Food Made Easy
AT Guides
Thru-Hikers's Companion - I have it and it's well annotated in preparation for my hike next spring.
The A.T. Guide - I'll probably xfer all my annotations and take it when the 2012 version ships