Will I love American Ramble?

This book was appealing to me because it dealt with a personal reckoning decision on the part of the author to undertake a historically based pilgrimage on foot.

The account of his journey was not only educational but personalized in a manner that kept me engaged. Various sites from previous eras were visited, and the saga of the adventure in and of itself was interesting.

The author creates a purpose through his personal journey with historical accents along the way. At times not easy to follow, yet an account that will appeal to history buffs who wanderlust.

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.