A Walk in the Woods
Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail
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4.2 • 829 Ratings
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- $8.99
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- $8.99
Publisher Description
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The classic chronicle of a “terribly misguided and terribly funny” (The Washington Post) hike of the Appalachian Trail, from the author of A Short History of Nearly Everything and The Body
“The best way of escaping into nature.”—The New York Times
Back in America after twenty years in Britain, Bill Bryson decided to reacquaint himself with his native country by walking the 2,100-mile Appalachian Trail, which stretches from Georgia to Maine. The AT offers an astonishing landscape of silent forests and sparkling lakes—and to a writer with the comic genius of Bill Bryson, it also provides endless opportunities to witness the majestic silliness of his fellow human beings.
For a start there’s the gloriously out-of-shape Stephen Katz, a buddy from Iowa along for the walk. But A Walk in the Woods is more than just a laugh-out-loud hike. Bryson’s acute eye is a wise witness to this beautiful but fragile trail, and as he tells its fascinating history, he makes a moving plea for the conservation of America’s last great wilderness. An adventure, a comedy, and a celebration, A Walk in the Woods is a modern classic of travel literature.
NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
In A Walk in the Woods, Bill Bryson—author of A Short History of Nearly Everything and One Summer—turns his trademark wit, intellect, and enthusiasm for discovering new places to the Appalachian trail. Bryson vividly catalogues the deprivations, physical challenges, and threats—wildlife, hypothermia, and even the odd creepy murderer—encountered along his demanding 870-mile journey, offering intriguing reflections on history, ecology, and manmade destruction. He takes us on a hugely entertaining journey, making us laugh out loud with his delicious portraits of larger-than-life locals, self-obsessed hikers, and his traveling companion, Katz.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Returning to the U.S. after 20 years in England, Iowa native Bryson decided to reconnect with his mother country by hiking the length of the 2100-mile Appalachian Trail. Awed by merely the camping section of his local sporting goods store, he nevertheless plunges into the wilderness and emerges with a consistently comical account of a neophyte woodsman learning hard lessons about self-reliance. Bryson (The Lost Continent) carries himself in an irresistibly bewildered manner, accepting each new calamity with wonder and hilarity. He reviews the characters of the AT (as the trail is called), from a pack of incompetent Boy Scouts to a perpetually lost geezer named Chicken John. Most amusing is his cranky, crude and inestimable companion, Katz, a reformed substance abuser who once had single-handedly "become, in effect, Iowa's drug culture." The uneasy but always entertaining relationship between Bryson and Katz keeps their walk interesting, even during the flat stretches. Bryson completes the trail as planned, and he records the misadventure with insight and elegance. He is a popular author in Britain and his impeccably graceful and witty style deserves a large American audience as well.
Customer Reviews
Bill Bryson keeps it real…
For the Everyman who thinks or dreams about doing something completely out of the ordinary, A Walk in Woods does just that. The stories are funny and genuine, his research is meticulous and interesting. And what happens to him versus what he wanted to have happen is what would happen to most of us. Great read.
Absolute classic! Hilarious!
This book was brought to my attention about 5 years ago from my mom, I gotta tell u I was skeptical, but wow!!!
Lol this book is hilarious! It is by far my favorite book of all time, I have NEVER read anything remotely close to as funny as this book... Well done, absolutely brilliant!
Tedious
Rather boring and uninspiring. I kept waiting for the exciting part to take place, but it never transpired.