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

By David Brill

Book Overview

When David Brill's now-classic account of his 1979 thru-hike of the 2,190-mile Appalachian Trail was released in 1990, it immediately struck a chord with veterans and aspirants of one of the world's longest continuously marked footpaths. Over the years, the book has continued to sell through multiple printings.

As Far as the Eye Can See: Reflections of an Appalachian Trail Hiker, now in its fifth (thirtieth-anniversary) edition and eighth printing, was recently released by the University of Tennessee Press. The new edition features a new preface on Brill's 2019 40th-anniversary reunion in Maine with his AT buddies, as well as prefaces to earlier editions and three bonus chapters that bring Brill's continuing connection with the trail to near the present.

In the years following release of As Far as the Eye Can See, first-person accounts of hiking the trail burgeoned into a literary genre, but Brill's book was among the first to capture the physical and spiritual aspects of the long journey across fourteen states.

Brill and his fellow hikers, who are all portrayed in the book, were relatively early devotees on a pilgrimage that, within a few decades, would become a popular rite of passage. Indeed, by the end of 1979, a mere 837 people had reported finishing the entire AT route over the trail's then 42-year history. The total now easily exceeds 20,000.

Brill credits his trail experiences with inspiring his career as a magazine journalist and book author and providing the theme for much of his subsequent writing on nature and adventure travel. The trail also did much to shape his enduring values and beliefs.

"Though it took me a while to realize it, the trail had shaped me, had given me a philosophy, had toughened me in some ways, had softened me in others, and taught me lessons I will never forget: lessons on survival, kindness, strength, friendship, courage, perseverance, and the ways of nature," Brill writes in the book's final chapter, "Coming Home." "Those lessons have affected everything I've done since."

Readers find that Brill's experiences and observations on the healing power of nature from forty years ago are equally relevant in today's world.

The book's first edition received widespread critical acclaim. The San Francisco Book Reader wrote: "Evocatively written gems of observation full of native wisdom brimming over with thoughts and exploits.... You read and read again, this book is that rich." Many other reviewers have commended the book on its honest portrayal of the trail experience and the literary quality of its prose. In its review, The Roanoke Times effused "Thoreau lives "

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1621900002
• ISBN13: 9781621900009
• Release Date: May 2013
• Publisher: University of Tennessee Press
• Length: 210 Pages
• Weight: 0.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Best AT book I've read

It's hard to write a review about this book. Why? It's so good. Why is it good, and what makes it different?First, it tells of the trail and the people he met in 1979. I doubt you'd find some of these folks along the AT today. For example, the rednecks who came a'drinkin' and a'shootin' at a Georgia shelter, the mountain woman who showed him how to hunt ramps, and the strange and funny account of the rednecks with their "bullet trick" at the tavern in Erwin. Most of these type folks have probably faded into the era from which they came, now extinct by the pervasive eroding effect of the media and its pressure for everyone to conform to American McCulture, not to mention the effect of a constant stream of AT thru-hikers through a previously much more isolated mountain culture and communities. He writes very well of the changes the trail had on himself, and the transition from feeling like a visitor in the woods to a resident of the woods. He goes from being deathly afraid of thunderstorms in gaps in Georgia when he started, to enjoying them later on. And the change in personal values his hike had on him. Another big difference is this book is written by subjects, not chronologically like the numerous journal-type AT books. Chapters are on "Fear," "Seasons," "Our Community," "Bad Company," "Critters," and so forth. I find this a refreshing break from those books that generally read something like: "I got up at 6 am, cooked pop tarts, walked X miles up a MFer of a hill, saw curly joe and moe, stayed at X shelter, cooked slop tarts, tossed and turned under a leaky roof, got up at 6 am and started again." Don't know else to say. Read it.

An A.T. Classic

In his book, "As Far Aas the Eye Can See", David Brill takes the reader on a soul-sirring adventure along the rooftop of eastern America. He tugs at heart strings as he overcomes the grueling day-to-day trials and tribulations that plague long distance backpackers, and he lifts the reader's spirit as his soul soars to lofty heights as the beauty of Nature's bounty unfolds. Couch-bound? Not to worry. Mr. Brill evokes pictures with his dynamic and descriptive prose that carries the reader alongside, step by step. A must-read! J.R. "Model-T" Tate, author of "Walkin' on the Happy Side of Misery"

Great reading!

Mr Brill's book was the first of several I have read on hiking the AT, and it is, so far, still my favorite. He tell's about the hardships without moaning and groaning, and also lists the good things. You can get a good idea of what to expect about the AT from reading this book.

One of the best Appalachian Trail books ever written

By the time you finish this book, you'll be ready to throw a pack over your shoulder (a large one) and head for the AT. Hikers and non-hikers alike will appreciate Brill's wonderful book about his journey. A must read for anyone who has walked or dreams of walking this national treasure. (His more recent book is another must read - called "A Separate Place.")

A must read for past and prospective thru-hikers

I first read this book not long after it was published during my first thru-hike in 1991. While some elements of the trail description could be considered dated, the essential trail experience remains the same as the author describes. The narrative is a fine balance of negative and positive experiences without resorting to all too "flowery rhetoric" of constantly describing how beautiful the scenery was or even the flipside, how every uphill and rainy day were too much to bear. The author genuinely captures the real experience and distills it into an enjoyable book. The section describing life after the trail was right on the money in my opinion, and is the best description I've read to date. I've re-read this book several times, and it has always brought the trail experience back to life.