American Ramble

By Neil King,

Book cover of American Ramble: A Walk of Memory and Renewal

Book description

“American Ramble is a dazzling mixture of travelogue, memoir, and history. At times profound, funny, and heartbreaking, this is the story of a traveler intoxicated by life. I couldn’t put it down.” — Nathaniel Philbrick

A stunning, revelatory memoir about a 330-mile walk from Washington, D.C., to New York City—an…

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Why read it?

1 author picked American Ramble as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

This is not really a Civil War book, but a meditation on how history (including the Civil War and Reconstruction) impacts our culture today, penned by a journalist hiking the 200+ miles from Washington, D.C., to New York City.

Beautifully written, with a gentle conversational tone, I felt like I was hiking along with him as he talked about the scenery, history, philosophy, and his own impending sense of mortality (the hike was during a respite from a long-running bout with cancer). One of the best books I’ve read in a long time.

From Dean's list on a fresh takes on the Civil War.

If you love American Ramble...

Ad

Book cover of Tap Dancing on Everest: A Young Doctor's Unlikely Adventure

Tap Dancing on Everest by Mimi Zieman,

Tap Dancing on Everest, part coming-of-age memoir, part true-survival adventure story, is about a young medical student, the daughter of a Holocaust survivor raised in N.Y.C., who battles self-doubt to serve as the doctor—and only woman—on a remote Everest climb in Tibet.

The team attempts a new route up…

Want books like American Ramble?

Our community of 12,000+ authors has personally recommended 69 books like American Ramble.

Browse books like American Ramble

Book cover of Manhunt: The Twelve-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer
Book cover of Be Free or Die: The Amazing Story of Robert Smalls' Escape from Slavery to Union Hero
Book cover of The Good Lord Bird

Share your top 3 reads of 2024!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

1,779

readers submitted
so far, will you?

Ad

📚 If you like American Ramble, you might also like...

Book cover of The Twenty: One Woman's Trek Across Corsica on the GR20 Trail

The Twenty by Marianne C. Bohr,

Marianne Bohr and her husband, about to turn sixty, are restless for adventure. They decide on an extended, desolate trek across the French island of Corsica — the GR20, Europe’s toughest long-distance footpath — to challenge what it means to grow old. Part travelogue, part buddy story, part memoir, The…

Book cover of Who Is a Worthy Mother?: An Intimate History of Adoption

Who Is a Worthy Mother? by Rebecca Wellington,

I grew up thinking that being adopted didn’t matter. I was wrong. This book is my journey uncovering the significance and true history of adoption practices in America. Now, in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade, the renewed debate over women’s reproductive rights places…

5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in New York City, the American Civil War, and Amish?

New York City 1,155 books
Amish 31 books