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| A Walk in the Woods | 
 enlarge | Author: Bill Bryson
Publisher: Doubleday
Category: Book
List Price: £16.99
Buy Used: £0.01
You Save: £16.98 (100%)
New (4) from £4.95
Avg. Customer Rating:  68 reviews
Sales Rank: 41639
Media: Hardcover
Pages: 320
ISBN: 0385408161
EAN: 9780385408165
ASIN: 0385408161
Publication Date: November 1, 1997
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
Condition: USED BOOK, NORMAL SHELF / READING WEAR, SUPER FAST DELIVERY, DISPATCHED WITHIN 24 HOURS FROM UK!!!
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Amazon.co.uk Review
Bill Bryson has made a living out of travelling and then writing about it. In The Lost Continent he re-created the road trips of his childhood; in Neither Here nor There he retraced the route he followed as a young backpacker traversing Europe. When this American transplant to Britain decided to return home, he made a farewell walking tour of the British countryside and produced Notes from a Small Island. Once back on American soil and safely settled in New Hampshire, Bryson again hears the siren call of the open road--only this time it's a trail. The Appalachian Trail, to be exact. In A Walk in the Woods Bill Bryson tackles what is, for him, an entirely new subject: the American wilderness. Accompanied only by his old college buddy Stephen Katz, Bryson starts out one March morning in north Georgia, intending to walk the entire 2,100 miles to trail's end atop Maine's Mount Katahdin. If nothing else, A Walk in the Woods is proof positive that the journey is the destination. As Bryson and Katz haul their out-of-shape, middle-aged butts over hill and dale, the reader is treated to both a very funny personal memoir and a delightful chronicle of the trail, the people who created it, and the places it passes through. Whether you plan to make a trip like this one yourself one day or only care to read about it, A Walk in the Woods is a great way to spend an afternoon. --Alix Wilber, Amazon.com
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| Customer Reviews: Read 63 more reviews...
 Moose and Bears and Hikers, Oh My! August 19, 2008
Never start reading a Bill Bryson book in a public place. This is the mistake I made with A Walk in the Woods, and I found myself giggling embarrassingly. Starting with the selection of equipment, and then the preparation for the journey by reading several terror-inducing stories of bear attacks, Bill Bryson continually amuses, educates and entertains.
Bryson sets off on one of the most physically and psychologically demanding tests of stamina that he could attempt: a hike along the Appalachian Trail. With his long-suffering friend Katz in tow, he encounters brutal weather, crazy hikers, price-gouging hostels, and random acts of kindness that make the whole thing worthwhile. I was especially touched to read about people who come to the AT specifically to leave things like snacks and books for the hikers.
Given that I am not in any kind of shape to attempt even a day hike on the AT, I enjoyed living vicariously through Bill Bryson's experiences. The vistas he got to view sounded amazing, and I could almost taste the wonderful, satisfying meals enjoyed when he was able to reach "home cooking" after many days on the Trail. In addition, his turns of phrase had me laughing out loud over and over again. The first Bryson book I've ever read, but definitely not the last.
What a fantastic read! April 21, 2008
I'm not a big reader and had never before read a Bill Bryson book but was bought this for Christmas by my parents. I took it with me on holiday as essential beach reading and as soon as I started it, found it VERY hard to put down.
Bryson's writing style is easy to read and extremely entertaining whilest being factual and informative.
I have now started to read his 'Down Under' book and am quick becoming a big Bill Bryson fan!
 Nice, enjoyable, fairly light March 24, 2008
Not as many laughs out loud as some of his others, but an enjoyable read nonetheless.
MORE OF A MARATHON - ENJOY! December 28, 2007
Bill Bryson takes us on a marathon trek on the highways and byways of the Appalacian Trail with his out of condition middle aged body and that of Katz his physically challenged friend. Luckily for them and us, they didn`t have the slightest idea of what they were in for before they set out - meeting interesting characters on the way and having several out of the body experiences. Bill manages to keep our interest to the end in a thoroughly entertaining read which moves much faster than the aching bodies of the two protagonists!
Mick Drake author of the the comic novel All`s Well at Wellwithoute
Not his greatest, but still entertaining November 29, 2007
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
There are some good and some bad points to this audio CD.
First, it isn't as good as his travels around Britain, Europe, or his notes from a Big Country. There is considerably less material here - it's all about him hiking the Appalachians with his friend Steve Katz. It's still enjoyable in itself, but Bill Bryson writes best when he is put into new, bewildering situations, poking fun at the people he meets and poking fun at his reactions. And in a Walk in the Woods, he simply doesn't meet enough weirdos with which to test his acid pen.
Bill Bryson narrating the book is a mixed benefit. On the one hand, it's always good to have the author read his own material. And the passages in which Bill Bryson desribes the hostile beauty of Appalachians are particularly evocative. The problem is that unfortunately, his voice is quite relaxing and occasionally dull. Despite the fact that he is one of the funniest writers around today, he can't tell a straight-forward gag, whereas the often irritating narrator on some of his other work (the name escapes me) at least knew when and how to tell a funny story.
Despite the shortcomings, it is still enjoyable. I listened to it whilst driving long distance, and it's very nice to pass the time to. But I don't think I'd listen to it sat at home.
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