Nonfiction

The Appalachian Trail: A Biography

The Appalachian Trail: A Biography

  • Downloads：1091
  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2021-06-30 03:19:05
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Philip D'Anieri
  • ISBN：B08B3GT51Q
  • Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
  • Download

Summary

The Appalachian Trail is America’s most beloved trek， with millions of hikers setting foot on it every year。 Yet few are aware of the fascinating backstory of the dreamers and builders who helped bring it to life over the past century。

The conception and building of the Appalachian Trail is a story of unforgettable characters who explored it， defined it， and captured national attention by hiking it。 From Grandma Gatewood—a mother of eleven who thru-hiked in canvas sneakers and a drawstring duffle—to Bill Bryson， author of the best-selling A Walk in the Woods， the AT has seized the American imagination like no other hiking path。 The 2，000-mile-long hike from Georgia to Maine is not just a trail through the woods， but a set of ideas about nature etched in the forest floor。 This character-driven biography of the trail is a must-read not just for ambitious hikers， but for anyone who wonders about our relationship with the great outdoors and dreams of getting away from urban life for a pilgrimage in the wild。

Download

Reviews

Misti ，

As an AT and Florida Trail thru-hiker I was quite excited to read this book based on the premise of it being an overarching biography of the Appalachian Trail。 And it very nearly does that but with my kindle saying I had 75% of the book read， the book just ends！ The remaining 25% is bibliography and resources， which are greatly appreciated， but the last chapter acted as if it was tacked on randomly to create a vision of a tidy ending。 There's a huge 20+ years of trail history missing after Bill As an AT and Florida Trail thru-hiker I was quite excited to read this book based on the premise of it being an overarching biography of the Appalachian Trail。 And it very nearly does that but with my kindle saying I had 75% of the book read， the book just ends！ The remaining 25% is bibliography and resources， which are greatly appreciated， but the last chapter acted as if it was tacked on randomly to create a vision of a tidy ending。 There's a huge 20+ years of trail history missing after Bill Bryson。 The author attempts to summarize that with his sporadic section hiking and glossing over the recent technology access to the trail but he leaves out a huge section of other folks， primarily the hikers themselves， from the story。 Where are the FKTers of the last 20 years， what of Trail Angels and Trail Maintainers of significance， book authors， and even discussion about podcasters and more in depth information about technology on the trail and hiking celebrities？ What even of the natural history of the trail？ For this， the book fell hugely short。 I really appreciated the middle sections of the book， particularly about the evolving protection of the AT during that time period。 I wanted to love it but I ended up merely liking it for the sudden ending of the book。As a touted Biography， this book falls drastically short。*I received and ARC via NetGalley in exchange for my review* 。。。more

Jackie Hoyt ，

While an interesting biopic， I feel that this book falls short in a glaring way， and the author even admits it at the start- the persons each chapter details are all white and at least （upper） middle class。 There is no mention of indigenous persons beyond a “local guide，” and no mention of persons of color in the slightest。 While yes， the optics of thru-hiking the AT （and hiking in general） appear largely white， and largely male， I feel that books should be focusing on the marginalized histories While an interesting biopic， I feel that this book falls short in a glaring way， and the author even admits it at the start- the persons each chapter details are all white and at least （upper） middle class。 There is no mention of indigenous persons beyond a “local guide，” and no mention of persons of color in the slightest。 While yes， the optics of thru-hiking the AT （and hiking in general） appear largely white， and largely male， I feel that books should be focusing on the marginalized histories。 The language and facts were interesting， sure， but does this offer us anything newer that we can’t find online in more condensed form？ 🤷🏻‍♀️ 。。。more

Margaret D'Anieri ，

4。5 if that were an option - what I appreciated （as a mostly dispassionate reader） was the strong writing and the appreciation of the paradox of the trail throughout its history and the changes in the idea， ideals and reality of the trail: that to enjoy nature， you have to beat back nature enough to get to something like an AT; that in one place at least， the trail is routed alongside an interstate - a metaphor for its sometimes uneasy relationship with the people who use it and the people aroun 4。5 if that were an option - what I appreciated （as a mostly dispassionate reader） was the strong writing and the appreciation of the paradox of the trail throughout its history and the changes in the idea， ideals and reality of the trail: that to enjoy nature， you have to beat back nature enough to get to something like an AT; that in one place at least， the trail is routed alongside an interstate - a metaphor for its sometimes uneasy relationship with the people who use it and the people around it。 。。。more

Alicia Farmer ，

This is not a book I'd ever read if I weren't married to the author。 ;） Histories are not my thing。 But I appreciated learning how this legendary trail came to be， and about the people who were attracted to it。 Each chapter profiles， in more or less chronological order， various individuals who played a key role in the Appalachian Trail's formation。 Some players were thinkers， whose idea for a trail along a single geologic feature captured the imagination of others who were willing to do the phys This is not a book I'd ever read if I weren't married to the author。 ;） Histories are not my thing。 But I appreciated learning how this legendary trail came to be， and about the people who were attracted to it。 Each chapter profiles， in more or less chronological order， various individuals who played a key role in the Appalachian Trail's formation。 Some players were thinkers， whose idea for a trail along a single geologic feature captured the imagination of others who were willing to do the physical bushwhacking required。 Others were savvy bureaucrats who were able to champion the idea in Washington。 And still others were restless souls looking for some peace， higher meaning， or escape in simply hiking the thing。 It was striking how almost every person profiled was odd， singularly focused， and， not surprisingly， most at home on their own among trees。 There's a type。I wish the book had more of what D'Anieri alludes to in places （and elaborates on in person， trust me！）， which is the way the trail is a mirror for changing societal notions of "nature" and "wilderness。" Early in its history， post-Enlightenment trail visionaries sought to classify and master nature as a demonstration of scientific dominance。 By the 70's the "back-to-nature" ethos sent lots of （white） suburbanites into the woods for a connection to everything they missed by commuting to and working in cities。 It's not a long book， so it should work well for anyone who wants a case study in parks creation。 。。。more

Martha Samsell ，

Book about founders of the Appalachian Trail and its history。

Zeb Kantrowitz ，

This is a history of the building and support for the AT （Appalachian Trail） as the first national trail。 A lot of the book is explained by the people most responsible for conceiving and creating the trail。 At many times the trail was just the side of the road of rail tracks， bridges or country roads， that were poorly marked an invisible in places。 Conceived at the beginning of the twentieth century， it was supported by volunteers up until the last quarter of the century。 Much of the trail was p This is a history of the building and support for the AT （Appalachian Trail） as the first national trail。 A lot of the book is explained by the people most responsible for conceiving and creating the trail。 At many times the trail was just the side of the road of rail tracks， bridges or country roads， that were poorly marked an invisible in places。 Conceived at the beginning of the twentieth century， it was supported by volunteers up until the last quarter of the century。 Much of the trail was privately owned and was allowed to be used by the owners at their forbearance。 This caused problems when the Federal Government wanted to buy the land from the owners。 Especially in the southern portion， instead of being on the upper ridges of the mountains it ran in the lower valleys so that it had poor visibility of the mountains。A good portion of the book is a narrative of the life's work of the people who were most important to getting the trail build and protected。 。。。more

Meghan O'Dea ，

A well researched， compelling， readable account of the hikers and bureaucrats who brought the Appalachian Trail to life。 This is a great read for hikers and outdoor enthusiasts it anyone thinking about the view from Katahdin

Jennifer Schultz ，

Read if you: Want a succinct and revealing look at the creation of the Appalachian Trail， including threats to its existence， its rise in popularity， and the current issues facing the trail。 I was particularly taken with the sections on Emma "Grandma" Gatewood and Bill Bryson， as well as the creation of the National Trails System Act （and the controversy surrounding it）。 Shenandoah National Park （and parts of the AT） are within a short driving distance for our patrons， so I'm looking forward to Read if you: Want a succinct and revealing look at the creation of the Appalachian Trail， including threats to its existence， its rise in popularity， and the current issues facing the trail。 I was particularly taken with the sections on Emma "Grandma" Gatewood and Bill Bryson， as well as the creation of the National Trails System Act （and the controversy surrounding it）。 Shenandoah National Park （and parts of the AT） are within a short driving distance for our patrons， so I'm looking forward to sharing this with patrons。 Librarians/booksellers: Although there are quite a few books written by people who have hiked the AT （the author of the most famous one， Bill Bryson， is profiled）， this is a unique take on 10 individuals who have had significant impact on the AT。 Many thanks to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and NetGalley for a digital review copy in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Casey Wheeler ，

This book has twelve chapters with each devoted to an individual who had some impact on the development of the Appalachian Trail。 Some of the chapters were well done and engaging while others were borderline boring making this a very uneven read。 It is informative for those who have an interest in the Appalachian Trail， but have not read much about it。I received a free Kindle copy of this book courtesy of Net Galley and the publisher with the understanding that I would post a review on Net Galle This book has twelve chapters with each devoted to an individual who had some impact on the development of the Appalachian Trail。 Some of the chapters were well done and engaging while others were borderline boring making this a very uneven read。 It is informative for those who have an interest in the Appalachian Trail， but have not read much about it。I received a free Kindle copy of this book courtesy of Net Galley and the publisher with the understanding that I would post a review on Net Galley， Goodreads， Amazon and my nonfiction book review blog。 I also posted it to my Facebook page。 。。。more

Judith Babarsky ，

While the premise of the book appears interesting -- the stories of 12 individuals who were instrumental in bringing the vision of a interstate wilderness trail to fruition -- the execution is choppy。 Some of the chapters， notably those of Benton Mackaye and Myron Avery （arch rivals） are excellent。 However， the story of these two men was told extensively in Jeff Ryan's book， "Blazing Ahead: Benton MacKaye， Myron Avery， and the Rivalry That Built the Appalachian Trail。" The initial chapters， prio While the premise of the book appears interesting -- the stories of 12 individuals who were instrumental in bringing the vision of a interstate wilderness trail to fruition -- the execution is choppy。 Some of the chapters， notably those of Benton Mackaye and Myron Avery （arch rivals） are excellent。 However， the story of these two men was told extensively in Jeff Ryan's book， "Blazing Ahead: Benton MacKaye， Myron Avery， and the Rivalry That Built the Appalachian Trail。" The initial chapters， prior to that of Mackaye （Chapter 4）， were fairly dry， not particularly engaging， and at times I wondered what the significance of the individuals was to the overall story。 It was as if D'Anieri hadn't quite decided exactly what he wanted his book to be。 This was particularly true in his Introduction where he provides long descriptions of the geological history of the Appalachian mountains。For me， the book became more interesting beginning with Chapter 6 and the story of Earl Shaffer， the first acknowledged thru hiker of the AT （1948） and the following year， Emma Gatewood。 It was interesting， as well， to read about the various strong opinions the hikers held as to what exactly counted as a "thru-hike。"Chapter 7 is the story of Senator Gaylord Nelson， who introduced legislation in 1964 to provide federal protection for the AT。 Nelson， neither outdoorsman nor hiker， was emblematic of a new environmentalism that was taking root in American politics。 He worked to preserve the wilderness nature of the trail and prevent further encroachment of postwar development。 In addition to his efforts to protect the AT， Nelson is also remembered for having organized the first Earth Day in April 1970。 Chapter 8 is similarly involved with telling more of the history of the AT and federal legislation as well as its interface with the National Park Service。Chapter 9 tells the story of Bill Bryson -- but to truly appreciate Bill Bryson one must read Bryson's own account as related in "A Walk in the Woods。" Bryson is hilariously， laugh-out-loud funny。Chapter 10 seems to be a discourse on the author's opinions concerning the purpose of the trail。 Is it for short-distance hikes？ Long-distance hiking？ At one point in the chapter， the author comments on three young men with Mountain Dew and cigarettes getting ready to hike， "They provided a sharp and， to my eyes， welcome contrast to the typical REI-adorned denizens of the trail。" This is the same author， who， in the Introduction， sets off on a 5-6 hour up and back hike up a smallish mountain on a Georgia portion of the trail with no water。 Seriously？ What kind of idiot does that？？？ No wonder he takes a liking to the cigarette smoking "hikers。" In fact， the author goes on to argue， in Chapter 10， in favor of a accessible trail noting that a more remote experience requires specialized gear， knowledge of what you're doing， etc。 He decries the predominant "whiteness" of the Skyline Drive in Virginia。 Again， is he writing a book about the history of the AT or a book about race and the great outdoors？ He needs to make up his mind。The last several pages of the book provide the author's take on the effect of the internet on the AT。 Again， this could be a complete book all to itself。 The author speaks of the ability to move knowledge quickly from reliable maps to informing others of one's progress on the trail。 The second relates to those on the trail broadcasting back to civilization， producing a public performance so to speak。 And the third is the blurring of the line between wilderness and civilization。All in all， there were enjoyable parts of the book。 But it didn't hang together as a whole book with a discernable beginning through to a cogent end。 Although the book does seem to fill a void， in that most books about the AT tend to tell the story of the hiking experience， it could have been better done。 。。。more

Jocelyn ，

Written as a biography of the Appalachian Trail， this book delves into the backgrounds of individuals who had a profound affect on the AT and the public's view of it。 It is often difficult to tell the history of an object or place in this style and while this book makes a good attempt at it， I wasn't as taken by it as I thought I might be。 The chapters meander a lot and don't always blend together well。 I would have been interested in a chapter about how Indigenous regarded the mountains and how Written as a biography of the Appalachian Trail， this book delves into the backgrounds of individuals who had a profound affect on the AT and the public's view of it。 It is often difficult to tell the history of an object or place in this style and while this book makes a good attempt at it， I wasn't as taken by it as I thought I might be。 The chapters meander a lot and don't always blend together well。 I would have been interested in a chapter about how Indigenous regarded the mountains and how it factored into their cultures。 Overall， a good idea but bad execution。I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more

CB_Read ，

The divide between nature and society has always interested me， especially since the rapid urbanization of everyday life over the past two hundred years that created this divide in the first place。 How people could ever consider themselves separately from their environment is impossible to answer sensibly--but many of us can think of good reasons of how and why we are separate from "the environment，" the non-urban natural world that always remains out there beyond the walls of civilization。Nowhe The divide between nature and society has always interested me， especially since the rapid urbanization of everyday life over the past two hundred years that created this divide in the first place。 How people could ever consider themselves separately from their environment is impossible to answer sensibly--but many of us can think of good reasons of how and why we are separate from "the environment，" the non-urban natural world that always remains out there beyond the walls of civilization。Nowhere is this natural space better typified than our natural parks， of which the Appalachian Trail is one。 In his lively biography of the 2，100-mile natural corridor， Philip D'Anieri presents twelve characters who helped sculpt the AT into the shape it has taken in our culture today。 It may be a downside of the book that the abridged lives that brought the AT into being were not given more pages， or that the cast of characters were so homogenous--nevertheless， the author has succeeded in presenting a thorough and well-researched history of a national conservation project that has captivated the time， attention， and resources of America's white middle-class over the past one hundred years。Like many environmental histories of America， Thoreau's influence plays an indelible role， but here it is only to begin a more nuanced conversation: in the pursuit of "a better home，" Thoreau sought both to abandon the city for a time without losing his sense of community and his sense of self。 Finding a place that was the best of both worlds turned out to be， in contemporary times， living within a day's drive to a national park， where one can enjoy a day of exertion and return to their cars and their homes。 This seems to be the route we have gone in modern times， but it was by no means--much like the AT itself--a straight path。Philip D'Anieri does an excellent job tracing the contours of the numerous figures responsible for conceiving of the AT。 Some key figures and their bona fides: Arnold Guyot's scientific discovery that the Appalachian mountains are a unified mountain chain; Horace Kephart's development of the "back to nature" movement in rebellion of turn-of-the-century urbanism; and Benton MacKaye's philosophy of conservation and forestry that dovetailed with Myron Avery's practical skills for charting and blazing the trail itself。 These are the "founding fathers" of the AT， and debates over the welcome presence of society within the sacredness of nature were constant throughout these formative years。Then there was the beginning of the environmental movement as we know it today。 Earl Shaffer's recognized， and Emma Greenwood's unsung， accomplishment as the trail's first thru-hikers; Gaylord Nelson's political victories in ushering in legislation for the New Conservation movement; Dave Ritchie， Pam Underhill， and Dave Startzell's tireless fighting to achieve recognition of the AT as a national park; and Bill Bryson's wildly successful novel， "A Walk in the Woods，" that has skyrocketed the AT's popularity and disgruntled the in-crowd of the AT's most authentic and die-hard admirers。 Each of these figures is explored in depth and with scholarly grace that conveys a vivid picture of how this celebrated trail came to be。The author's own experience as a thru-hiker bookends this biography， in which he contributes valuable insights into the ethos that inspired the AT's initial development and the final product we have today。 Published just in time for the Appalachian Trail's 100th anniversary， Philip D'Anieri's biography of this national treasure is not to be missed; it is meant to be shared。 **My sincere thanks to the good folks at HMH and NetGalley for providing this advance reader's copy。** 。。。more

This Feral Housewife ，

This book was so well done。 A perfect blend of history and stories from one of the greatest trails in the US。 If you have a love for hiking and history this book is for you。

Curtis Edmonds ，

THE APPALACHIAN TRAIL: A BIOGRAPHY is a series of biographical sketches about the people who were instrumental in the growth of the trail， from the Princeton geologist who first started exploring it， to Bill Bryson， who memorialized it the popular imagination in A WALK IN THE WOODS。 Author Philip D'Anieri manages to spin a coherent narrative out of all this， but the thread of the narrative is the journey from romance to bureaucracy。 This is a familiar enough story。 I used to work at a startup， a THE APPALACHIAN TRAIL: A BIOGRAPHY is a series of biographical sketches about the people who were instrumental in the growth of the trail， from the Princeton geologist who first started exploring it， to Bill Bryson， who memorialized it the popular imagination in A WALK IN THE WOODS。 Author Philip D'Anieri manages to spin a coherent narrative out of all this， but the thread of the narrative is the journey from romance to bureaucracy。 This is a familiar enough story。 I used to work at a startup， and one of the fun things about working at a startup is telling people who come along later， "You have no idea what it was like when I first started。" Over time， the romantic aspects （or， in reality， the romantic-in-retrospect aspects） of the project give way to the bureaucratic realities of managing a project that has grown far beyond its original scope。This is exactly what has happened to the Appalachian Trail; it started out as an ideal， and then an idea， and wound up as a tiny part of a larger federal bureaucracy。 （And along the way it became something of a pop-culture phenomenon， but that's only part of the story。） D'Anieri's book traces the story of how a vast trackless wilderness became a beloved national institution。 But in doing so， the story narrows from grand vistas to squalid little fights over how much development is allowed to back up to the trail。 The history of the trail is detailed， and well done， and it's certainly worth your time if you have any interest in the subject whatsoever。 。。。more

Cat ，

I just read about Grandma Gatewood！ Amazing woman！ I've always wanted to walk the Appalachian Trail。 I remember reading about it as a kid， but have never had the opportunity to do so。 So armchair journey for me， at the moment。 I enjoyed reading this history of the trail: the characters that brought the trail to life， those who walked it， what they experienced， and how it was accomplished。 I still lots of life yet。 If Mrs。 Gatewood could do it， I may try it sometime myself！ Great read; just a joy I just read about Grandma Gatewood！ Amazing woman！ I've always wanted to walk the Appalachian Trail。 I remember reading about it as a kid， but have never had the opportunity to do so。 So armchair journey for me， at the moment。 I enjoyed reading this history of the trail: the characters that brought the trail to life， those who walked it， what they experienced， and how it was accomplished。 I still lots of life yet。 If Mrs。 Gatewood could do it， I may try it sometime myself！ Great read; just a joy。I received a Kindle arc from Netgalley in exchange for a fair review。 。。。more

Rather。be。reading1 ，

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book。 This was a GREAT history on the Appalachian Trail。 Because of Cheryl Strayed's "Wild" I have been fascinated with long trails and people's journeys。 I love nature and was very excited to learn more about the AT。 Thank you。 Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book。 This was a GREAT history on the Appalachian Trail。 Because of Cheryl Strayed's "Wild" I have been fascinated with long trails and people's journeys。 I love nature and was very excited to learn more about the AT。 Thank you。 。。。more

Terry Swindell ，

There was a time in my life when I had easy access to the AT。 I always wanted to take some short hikes through various sections， but I had very young children and a job， so it just wasn’t practical。 I always wondered how the trail came to be， so I was excited to see this book。 This was truly a biography。 It starts at the very beginning explaining how the AT was started and about the people who overcame numerous obstacles to build it。 Many of these people were at odds with each other because each There was a time in my life when I had easy access to the AT。 I always wanted to take some short hikes through various sections， but I had very young children and a job， so it just wasn’t practical。 I always wondered how the trail came to be， so I was excited to see this book。 This was truly a biography。 It starts at the very beginning explaining how the AT was started and about the people who overcame numerous obstacles to build it。 Many of these people were at odds with each other because each person had their own vision of the AT。 I also learned about and came to appreciate all of the volunteers who make the trail possible。 The last part of the book talks about our connected society and the impact， both good and bad， that social media has had on the trail， This book is also l a good resource on how to find material on the trail。 All and all， it was a great read。 。。。more

Scott Nickels ，

NetGalley has given me the opportunity to read “The Appalachian Trail: A Biography” by Philip D’Anieri。 I am on the next-to-last chapter and have enjoyed reading about the history of the trail from its beginnings over a century ago。 I found the earlier chapters that followed some of the “idea people” that envisioned a trail along the eastern mountain spine of the United States。 These people were deeply flawed in their personal life but found themselves whilst walking amongst the hills and dales NetGalley has given me the opportunity to read “The Appalachian Trail: A Biography” by Philip D’Anieri。 I am on the next-to-last chapter and have enjoyed reading about the history of the trail from its beginnings over a century ago。 I found the earlier chapters that followed some of the “idea people” that envisioned a trail along the eastern mountain spine of the United States。 These people were deeply flawed in their personal life but found themselves whilst walking amongst the hills and dales away from settled civilization in the towns and cities。 Still， these folks were more interesting than the folks （many of them government bureaucrats） who took over the development of the trail in later years。 D’Anieri is an obvious conservationist and environmentalist。 He also sees nothing wrong with eminent domain as a vehicle to squelch individual rights and ownership of property for the “greater good。” But he isn’t obnoxious about it。 Unlike when I read Bill Bryson’s best seller 20 years ago I wished to understand how the Appalachian Trail came to be and Mr。 D’Anieri succeeded。 Well done。 。。。more

Jeff ，

Biography - By Way Of Biographies。 This was a very interesting read， if primarily for the narrative structure D'Anieri chose in writing it。 Here， the author doesn't set out to provide a "definitive history" of the Trail or the technical details of how it came to be。 Instead， he profiles key players in the development of the Trail as it has come to exist now and shows how their lives and thoughts and actions proved pivotal in how the Trail got to where it is。 Overall a fascinating book about a wi Biography - By Way Of Biographies。 This was a very interesting read， if primarily for the narrative structure D'Anieri chose in writing it。 Here， the author doesn't set out to provide a "definitive history" of the Trail or the technical details of how it came to be。 Instead， he profiles key players in the development of the Trail as it has come to exist now and shows how their lives and thoughts and actions proved pivotal in how the Trail got to where it is。 Overall a fascinating book about a wide range of people and attitudes about the boundary of civilization and wilderness， written in a very approachable style - much like much of the Trail itself。 Very much recommended。 。。。more

Melissa ，

*This book was received as an Advanced Reader's Copy from NetGalley。One day I want to hike the AT， until then， I satisfy myself by reading books about it and the people who have traveled it， namely thru-hikes。 This book is a bit different though， it's not about any one persons thru-hike， but more about the people who helped to build the AT in the first place， and their contributions to its preservation。Starting with the man who mapped the mountains （Guyot）， heading through the earliest hiking cl *This book was received as an Advanced Reader's Copy from NetGalley。One day I want to hike the AT， until then， I satisfy myself by reading books about it and the people who have traveled it， namely thru-hikes。 This book is a bit different though， it's not about any one persons thru-hike， but more about the people who helped to build the AT in the first place， and their contributions to its preservation。Starting with the man who mapped the mountains （Guyot）， heading through the earliest hiking clubs and start of other trails（Taylor）， to the people building the actual trail （Avery） and securing its protection （Nelson）; there are a lot of people in the development of the trail itself。 To be honest， I had never really thought about how the trail was built or when it was built or how much time it took。 And those are questions I should have asked because the answers are interesting。 While some thru-hikers are mentioned; notably the first （Shaffer） and the first woman a few years after （Gatewood）， Bill Bryson and his best-seller also make the list because of impact。The book was very approachable to read。 Sometimes history， even on something as interesting as the AT， can get dry， and I appreciated that this book flowed smoothly the whole way through and provided narratives of the individuals lives in addition to what they were doing for the trail itself。 The amount of work that's gone into the trail both to design and protect it is impressive。 The author also speaks to environmental impact and demographics of the trail， which I thought were good callouts as well。If you like reading thru-hiking accounts， give this book a try。 It will make you appreciate the AT all the more。Review by M。 Reynard 2020 。。。more

Katie Martin ，

I have received this title via NetGalley and publishers in exchange for an honest reviewThis was an interesting comprehensive history of how the Appalachian Trail came to be。 The first half I found to be really dull。 It felt like a monotonous lecture。 I found the second half to be much more engaging and very interesting。 The author inserted more personal details on his own experiences on the trail in this part。 I enjoyed how much I learned from this book！

Brian Miller ，

A really comprehensive tale about the Appalachian Trail from its history from the beginning when it was just a grand idea to its current place as a beacon to hikers both long distance and day hikers。 The first half although well done was a little more in depth than I needed although the book does bill itself the way it read。 The second half was more engaging， especially the part about Bill Bryson。 I especially liked the author’s day trips on the highlights of the AT。 Great book but be prepared f A really comprehensive tale about the Appalachian Trail from its history from the beginning when it was just a grand idea to its current place as a beacon to hikers both long distance and day hikers。 The first half although well done was a little more in depth than I needed although the book does bill itself the way it read。 The second half was more engaging， especially the part about Bill Bryson。 I especially liked the author’s day trips on the highlights of the AT。 Great book but be prepared for a lot of history about the trail which I really enjoyed learning about from the author。Thank you Philip D’anieri and NetGalley for the ARC for my honest review。 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Appalachian Trail: A Biography

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Appalachian Trail: A Biography&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Appalachian Trail: A Biography&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0