• A Walk in the Woods

  • By: Bill Bryson
  • Narrated by: Bill Bryson
  • Length: 5 hrs and 58 mins
  • 4.4 out of 5 stars (4,112 ratings)

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A Walk in the Woods  By  cover art

A Walk in the Woods

By: Bill Bryson
Narrated by: Bill Bryson
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Publisher's summary

"Not long after I moved with my family to a small town in New Hampshire, I happened upon a path that vanished into a wood on the edge of town." So begins Bill Bryson's hilarious book, A Walk in the Woods. Following his return to America after 20 years in Britain, Bryson decided to reacquaint himself with his native country by walking the 2,100-mile Appalachian Trail, which stretches from Springer Mountain in Georgia to Mount Katahdin in Maine. The AT, as it's affectionately known to thousands of hikers, offers an astonishing landscape of silent forests and sparkling lakes - and to a writer with the comic genius of Bill Bryson, it also provides endless opportunities to test his own powers of ineptitude, and to witness the majestic silliness of his fellow human beings. But A Walk in the Woods is more than just a laugh-out-loud hike. Bryson's acute eye is a wise witness to this fragile and beautiful trail, and as he tells its fascinating history, he makes a moving plea for the conservation of America's last great wilderness. An adventure, a comedy, a lament, and a celebration, A Walk in the Woods is destined to become a modern classic of travel literature.
©1998 Bill Bryson (P)1998 Bantam Doubleday Dell Audio Publishing, Bantam Doubleday Dell Audio Publishing, A Division of Random House Inc.

What listeners say about A Walk in the Woods

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

A must hear.

If you love hiking, walking or nature, this is a great title. It is extremely funny and informative. It transports you to the Appalachian trail, and what it would be like to try to hike the whole distance. It also covers environmental concerns regarding the preservation of the trail, and the history of those who founded it.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Informative entertainment!

Listened to this while hiking on the Appalachian and other trails. Laughed out loud. Really enjoyed this one!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Gotta love Bryson

I can't imagine anyone narrating his books other than him. The book is great, the narration is great. When you see someone laughing at the stop light, they're probably listening to Bill Bryson.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Engaging and fun and interesting!

Read it! You will not be sorry. Bill Bryson is always witting and his reading style is easy to listen to.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Wonderful book

Loved it. Great ways to work in history as well as scientific knowledge of the areas.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

scream guide to rustic hiking

this man writes a travel guide in a way I would suppose for myself when I picture how I would do it, but his version seems far more accurate

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Wonderful!

After completing this book, I want to listen to it again! This is a great, humorous book full of heart, and I recommend it to anyone interested in hiking, nature and odd friendships.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A terrific book (esp. if you care about the AT)

In the course of reviewing another book about the AT, I found myself writing about A Walk in the Woods. This is what I said.

Bill Bryson's A Walk in the Woods, on the other hand, was written by a gifted author/university administrator with a background in the humanities. From my perspective, it is a VASTLY better book. Not only does it cover Bryson's hike, it explores the history of the AT, the thru-hiking community, and everything else associated with them. It's (lol) funny; moving; informative; and well worth listening to (and listening to again). (I recommend the abridged version narrated by Bryson himself.)

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Bucket List Hike

What did you like best about A Walk in the Woods? What did you like least?

As with Bill Bryson's other books, I was intrigued by his observations and background information. I had no idea that the Smokies had such a display of biodiversity. To paraphrase Samuel Johnson, 'the greatest compliment a reader can give to an author is to wish that when the book is finished, I would like for it to continue'. I find the book well written and engaging.

What did you like best about this story?

I love Bill Bryson's gift for taking me with him on his hike. I thought I was hiking along with him.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

wonderful

I absolutely love this book and I'll listen to it many times it is inspired me and help me to continue hunting

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