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As Far As the Eye Can See: Reflections of an Appalachian Trail Hiker Paperback – September 18, 2020

by David Brill (Author)
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 45 ratings
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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!”

 
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  1. Print length
    210 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Univ Tennessee Press
  4. Publication date
    September 18, 2020
  5. Dimensions
    6 x 0.8 x 9 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1621906469
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1621906469
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"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." San Francisco Book Reader.

"Nearly every page has a thought worth sharing or a sentence to savor....Thank you, David. It is a beautiful book." Appalachian Trailway News.

"A magnificent book...all at once, a travel book, a nature guide, an adventure story, and the saga of a restless young man in search of himself." Knoxville Journal.

"This book speaks to everyone interested in the outdoors, from confirmed hiking enthusiasts to city dwellers wondering what the fuss is about." The Booklist.

"Will inspire even couch potatoes to buy a backpack and hiking boots and head for the nearest trail." Tampa Tribune and Times.

Brill's "account of the journey has fine touches of grace and practicality, combining elements of trail guide and spiritual odyssey." The Columbia State.

"Anyone who loves the outdoors will enjoy the bountiful descriptions and chuckle along with [Brill's] experiences with wild and not-so-wild creatures." The Oak Ridger.

"If you enjoy good writing with plenty of trail highlights, pick [up] the...book. Travel Books Review.

About the Author


David C. Brill is the author of Into the Mist: Tales of Death Disaster, Mishaps and Misdeeds, Misfortune and Mayhem in Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Cumberland Odyssey: A Journey in Pictures and Words along Tennessee’s Cumberland Trail and Plateau.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Univ Tennessee Press; 5th edition (September 18, 2020)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 210 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1621906469
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1621906469
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 11.8 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.8 x 9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 45 ratings

About the author

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David Brill

David Brill

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David Brill’s essays, personality profiles, and articles on science, ecology, the environment, business, health, fitness, parenting, and adventure-travel have appeared in more than 30 national and regional magazines, including National Geographic Traveler, Men’s Health, National Parks, AARP the Magazine, Bicycling, Family Fun, American Way, and Smokies Life. He has written extensively about Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Brill has published five nonfiction books. His first, As Far as the Eye Can See: Reflections of an Appalachian Trail Hiker (University of Tennessee Press, 2020), is a collection of essays based on his six-month, 2,100-mile trek of the Appalachian Trail, which stretches from Georgia to Maine. The book is now in its fifth (30th-anniversary) edition, eighth printing.

Desire and Ice: Searching for Perspective atop Denali (National Geographic Adventure Press, 2002) recounts the ascent of eight amateur mountaineers to the 20,310-foot summit of Denali (Mt. McKinley), the highest peak in North America and one of the coldest mountains on Earth. The book features the images of National Geographic photographer Bill Hatcher.

In 1981, Brill and three other former Appalachian Trail end-to-enders were among the first hikers to follow the then-proposed Pacific Northwest Trail, which stretches 1,200 miles from Glacier National Park in Montana to the Pacific Coast at Cape Alava in Washington.

Brill’s most-recent book, Into the Mist: Tales of Death and Disaster, Mishaps and Misdeeds, Misfortune and Mayhem in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, was published by Great Smoky Mountains Association in August 2017 and is now in its fourth printing.

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
45 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Lisa Kearns
5.0 out of 5 stars A Young Man's Journey To Adulthood On the Appalachian Trail
Reviewed in the United States on August 30, 2012
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David Brill's "As Far As The Eye Can See" is about the author's late-70s Appalachian Trail thru-hike. I've read numerous books by other authors who have done the same thing, but this one is one of the best.

Brill was a recent college graduate in 1979, and like many of us who grew up during that time, he wasn't sure who he was or what he wanted to do with his life. On a whim he decided to hike the entire Appalachian trail. He wasn't an experienced hiker or camper when he started out, but we see him grow from fear of the unknown in the dark woods of Georgia to a seasoned outdoorsman by the time he scaled Katahdin in Maine. He paints a vivid picture of the blisters and thunderstorms, mountains and rivers, and animals and people he met on the trail. But Brill takes his book a layer or two deeper than the average trail diary.

The book is written more as a collection of essays than a daily journal. While the skipping around between before-hike, during-hike and after-hike stories take some getting used to, the overall picture is one of a sensitive and kind young man who found that he feels most at home in nature. I especially appreciated that he spent time getting to know people with different backgrounds and beliefs before judging them.

This is one of the more upbeat books written by a thru-hiker. He doesn't gloss over the rainy nights, stinky bodies in the shelters, the muscle strains or the mosquitoes. But his wonder and enjoyment give the entire book an optimistic feel.

This is a wonderful book and will appeal to anyone who loves the outdoors or who has dreamed of hiking the AT.
2 people found this helpful
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Mountain Grannie
4.0 out of 5 stars One of the best trail books I've read with regards to expressing the ...
Reviewed in the United States on February 21, 2016
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Well written and enjoyable. One of the best trail books I've read with regards to expressing the permanent changes that a through hike can make in one''s life.
2 people found this helpful
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Glenn B.
5.0 out of 5 stars AT trail adventure
Reviewed in the United States on March 10, 2014
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This book offers a great adventure on the AT trail and You can do it from your armchair .I love meeting new people and the stress one put oneself through to do this train is amazing. There are great stories along the way and it is exciting to reach the end of the trail.
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Dan Roper
5.0 out of 5 stars As Far as the Eye Can See is Literature that the Eye Can Enjoy
Reviewed in the United States on December 7, 2013
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I read this book every year or two, usually after returning from an AT section hike (I've done 300 miles). It's my favorite AT book for many reasons. First, Brill hiked the AT in its infancy as a thru hiking destination. Second, the book is organized by subject matter rather than as a chronological list of details. Third, and perhaps most important, the writing is brilliant and the book is actually literature of the finest sort. Just read his description of the seasons, especially the part about watching the line of new spring foliage creeping up the mountains each day.
2 people found this helpful
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Maybeareasontoread
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Read
Reviewed in the United States on July 9, 2019
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I loved the detail about hiking the Appalachian Trail. The writing is excellent. Read David Brill’s other work, too. He is the kind of writer who makes you delay putting the book down.
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Keith C.
3.0 out of 5 stars A Nostalgic Journey on the AT
Reviewed in the United States on December 12, 2014
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Unlike most AT books, this is not a chronological narrative. Its chapters are thematic, each creating an impressionistic image of some aspect of the trail. It was written by a young man who wanted to be a writer, and that is exactly how it reads. Written in the 1970s, it will remind some readers of the book A Walk Across America by Peter Jenkins, who set out on a hike during the same period searching for the same things. Although dated in many respects, AT hikers will recognize some things that never change such as the eternal battle between mice and those who try to sleep in their shelters. The last few short chapters are about the author's return to the trail many years later, and the overall tone of the book is nostalgic as he reflects on the greatest adventure of his life, and then seeks to recapture some of it once more.
2 people found this helpful
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Marianne Chrystalbridge
4.0 out of 5 stars A return to the AT
Reviewed in the United States on September 27, 2013
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A good storyteller who brought me back to the wonders and challenges of hiking the Appalachian Trail. His stories are both humorous and insightful.
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chattyrat
5.0 out of 5 stars Definitely worth a couple days of your spare time
Reviewed in the United States on November 25, 2011
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Great read by a great author. I would suggest this book to anyone who is planning to tackle the AT, or anyone who can find beauty and peace in a simple day hike. It's told quite differently than other thru-hiker books in that it is not a linear log of his journey, but a series of chapters that each cover a different aspect of the challenges and triumphs.
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