A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail by Bill Bryson (1998, Hardcover)

One of the perks of owning a bookstore is that you have first pick of the new inventory that is either traded in or outright purchased. It can be an adventure to see what treasures are inside the box just waiting to be discovered. "A Walk In The Woods" is one such gem.

Bill Bryson invites you to join him and his friend Stephen Katz on an adventurous and often hilarious hike along the 2100 mile Appalachian Trail that runs from Springer Mountain in Georgia all the way up to Mount Katahdin, in Maine. Of the many who start to traverse the affectionately nicknamed AT, very few have completed the entire arduous and grueling route in stages, and even fewer have been able to accomplish the journey non-stop.

This book contains some very funny stories as well as a lot of informative facts about the AT and Bill references other sources of reading material concerning the AT and the dangers of hiking in the woods; one in particular being the bear. My favorite story by far involves the arrival of Bill's hiking partner at the airport.

Prior to Stephen's emergence from the aircraft, Bill writes about some of the terrifying stories of petrified campers lying in their flimsy tents while listening to a ravenous bear ransacking the campsite because he was drawn by the lingering aroma of cooked meat that is still in your hair, on your clothes and tent fabric. They of course love Snickers and any other tasty morsels that they can score. Then, there are the occasional abductions and mauling...

Needless to say, Bill is a little on edge not wanting his demise to be at the claws and teeth of a hungry bear. When his very large friend disembarks from a short trip from Boston, MA to Hanover, NH, he is already hungry and looking for the nearest doughnut shop; not a good sign. When he is informed that there are no doughnut shops on the trail, Stephen beams and proudly states he had thought of that. He points to a large, very heavy duffle bag and to Bill’s horror, explains, “Snickers. Lots and lots of Snickers.”

As the story progresses, you witness the transformation of two completely clueless and totally out-of-shape greenhorn tourists to a pair of trail weary travelers, to a couple of rugged, experienced veterans of the AT. Hats off to both men, because I know I won’t be seen on the trail…

This is a very good book, well-written and a recommended read. It is a delightful addition to my library and I’m sure that it will be yours, too.

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Bill Bryson's A Walk in the Woods is a spectacular true life tale of one not so physically fit man's journey along the Appalachian Trail. We meet his wonderfully less fit companion, Steven Katz, as the two set off from Georgia on their trek towards Maine. The reader is ultimately pleased to find that the cherished American fantasy of hiking the complete Appalachian Trail is much more challenging than it sounds. As we live Bill's aching adventure step by step, we continually realize our personal dream of hiking the trail has crashed into pieces.

But, Bill's difficulties along the trail are told in hilarious detail and his spirited writing style will have you turning pages faster than you can breathe. Heartwarming glimpses into the 'real America' are portrayed, akin to Jenkin's "A Walk Across America"(2001).

Bryson's A Walk In The Woods is a refreshing and humorous study of human nature and personal foibles. This book should be considered a gem among travel readers everywhere, and I highly recommend it. I've recommended that you purchase the hardcover edition of this book, knowing that you'll want read it time and time again.

I bought this book when I was out of town for the weekend. Sometimes I wake up at night and I wanted to have a book in case I did. I loved this book because it was "light reading" and one I could actually put down. The author is so funny that I wanted to read it slowly and take my time, instead of my usual practice of devouring a book as quickly as possible - not moving for hours. I loved his attitude, the information that it contained, and I thought it was so hilarious that I ordered several more copies to share with friends and family members.

I absolutely loved this book! I bought it because I love to go hiking and a hiking buddy of mine mentioned this book to me. I read it so fast and I was laughing out loud at points. I have hiked some of the Appalachian I also live nearby and it seriously made me consider hiking the whole thing! I recommend reading this book, even if you don't like hiking you can enjoy it from someone else's point of view.

This author is so wonderful. He makes you laugh out loud, grab a dictionary, and google things because you never heard of it before. I've read other books by Bill Bryson, but this is a "keep forever" book.