The pair fly to Atlanta and make their way to Springer Mountain to begin their routine of hiking by day and camping by night. While Bryson is glad that he won’t be traveling alone, he’s slightly worried that Katz isn’t disciplined or healthy enough for the trek. Katz and Bryson grew up together in Iowa but barely saw each other for decades. None respond, but one old pal, Stephen Katz, hears of his plan and asks to come along. Fearful of making the trek alone, he begins inviting friends to come along. In addition, he buys some relevant books. To purchase backpacking and camping gear for the trek, he visits a local sporting goods store, where he’s bemused by the complexity and expense of the recommendations but nonetheless leaves with most of the items. He decides to hike the whole trail, from Georgia to Maine. This guide references the first Anchor Books edition.Īfter living in England for 20 years, Bryson and his family move to Hanover, New Hampshire, where he soon discovers that the famed Appalachian Trail (AT) runs nearby. The book explores three primary themes: Wilderness and Civilization, Isolation and Companionship, and The History of the Appalachian Trail. Bryson blends humorous narrative with background information on various aspects of American history, nature conservation, botany, geology, geography, industrialization, and wildlife. Structured as a chapter-by-chapter travelog, A Walk in the Woods chronicles the author’s experiences while attempting to hike the Appalachian Trail end to end, from Georgia to Maine, in the spring and summer of 1996. His other books include an examination of the English language, The Mother Tongue: English and How It Got That Way (1990) the popular science books A Short History of Nearly Everything (2003) and The Body: A Guide for Occupants (2019) and a popular history book, One Summer: America, 1927. Bryson is a journalist and author known for his wry wit.

A walk in the woods bryson