As Far as the Eye Can See: Reflections of an Appalachian Trail Hiker

[WhiteMTHike]

I take a bus into the city every day to go to work. In addition to saving on gas this also gives me plenty of time to read. A book I was thinking of getting is As Far as the Eye Can See: Reflections of an Appalachian Trail Hiker by David Brill who hiked the Appalachian in 1979. On the surface the book sounds good. I was wondering if anyone on VFTT has read it and if they'd suggest it? I went on the Barnes and Noble web site but couldn't find any online reviews.

Are there any other similar books (narratives) about hiking that any of you would suggest? I like the idea of reading a hiking narrative as I'm riding into the city.

 

[TDawg]

I havent read it, but intend to start it tonight actually.

So far I like the cover...

But my father says it was pretty good...A Walk in the Woods, by Bill Bryson.

 

[Danielle]

Of all the AT books I've read, the best by far is Model T's "Walking on the Happy Side of Misery." A very funny and true portrayal of the trail. I've read it a few times now, and enjoy it every time I pick it up! Absolutely a great read (As an aside, Model T is hiking the AT again this year, and has another book about the trail, although I have not yet read it.)

As for "As Far as the Eye Can See," we have that book too. Brill has a nice if sort of serious writing style. If I recall correctly it's not a chronological story of his time on the trail, but rather thoughts on certain aspects of the trail/hiking broken out into chapters. Interesting and a good read, in my opinion, but very different than say Model T's book or Bill Bryson's.

Happy Reading

 

[poison ivy]

I also would highly recommend Model T's book. I'll admit I hated the beginning during his "alter-ego" phase but he kind of stopped doing that halfway through and the book became really enjoyable. Another AT book I liked was Ruben's "On the Beaten Path." I liked both of these more than Bryson's book... but I usually find myself in the minority when it comes to opinions on "A Walk in the Woods."

Now if you're interested in Polar adventures, I can give you a ton of recommendations there. I can't seem to get enough of South Pole explorer books for some bizarre reason!

- Ivy

 

[Kevin]

Walking With Spring

Another good book, in my opinion, and it is a very quick read, is Earl Schaffer's autobiography Walking With Spring , written after his first thru in 1948. The historical perspective is fun to read about, like the gear, where the trail went, people he met along the way.

Overall a quick and fun read, quite enjoyable, a good summer afternoon book to relax with...
Kevin