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Summary: A classic - couldn't put the book down
Review: This is a great read that teaches you what America is truely like. Although this book was written over 20 years ago, its story still hits home today. Happiness, sadless, love, friendship, heatache - this book has it all. I was amazed to read a book in which the events took place when I was just a baby. I wouldn't call it a history book, but it does teach you what the United States were like in the 70's. I had a hard time putting this book down. I started reading and just fell in love with the story and the people (and animals), especially Cooper, Peter's amazing dog that joins him on this journey from upstate New York to New Orleans. I can't wait to read the follow up book A Walk West
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Summary: The best book I ever read
Review: This book is my all time favorite. It is true adventure with a new happening one every page. A must read !!!
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Summary: The best book ever...almost!
Review: I am not a person who likes to read much and certainly not the same book repeatedly. But I have read A Walk Across America at least 5 times which is why I'm buying a new one in hardback. I read Peter's story to my students and we use it for geography lessons, graphing lessons and for all around enjoyment. One year I was unable to finish the book before the end of the school year and a student begged his parents to track down a copy of it so he could finish it on his own.
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Summary: A book everyone should read
Review: This is a simple story of an amazing journey, narrated by a man who writes in a refreshingly open manner. Whether you enjoy walking or not, or whether you have the slightest interest in the geography or social customs of the United States, this book is written for everyone who has a desire to read a beautiful story. Peter Jenkins walks across America in this book, with his faithful, tireless companion, his dog Cooper. The dog is an integral part of this story and almost made me go out and buy one of Cooper's breed. He is the epitome of what a dog should be, and canine lovers will adore all the little vignettes about this amazing fellow. Of course there are setbacks, heartaches and crises along the way, but there are also some old-fashioned heartwarming moments as well. The people in the South are especially helpful to a thirsty, hungry traveler. Jenkins' stories of their hospitality is touching. Yes, there are a few sections of the book which border almost on the mawkish and the "aw, shucks" John Denver-ish approach of the main character might seem a little dated or folksy. But I challenge the naysayers to attempt (and succeed) at what Jenkins managed to do, it's an amazing book and one which many people will read in a single evening. One note: there is a second part to this narrative, which encompases the rest of the journey across America. This book is also available on Amazon.
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Summary: Something you should have in your library
Review: I admit, the writing style was not amazing or creative but it was well said. Jenkins told his story through his own experience, even if it may or never can relate to me, I still found his stories to be full of depth. I bawled my eyes out at teh water truck chapter and afterwards, i kept feeling incredible empitness and loss. Alothough he had a happy ending, as well as full of energy-- I still found myself mourning for Cooper. I couldnt give him 5 stars because, his writing styles got a little bit too songsy for my taste, some of his comments were cheesy. However, if you are willing to overlook his style and look at the story itself, i promise you, it will make you laugh, cry and wonder!
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Summary: Interesting Journey
Review: I found this book long forgotten on a shelf in an extra bedroom during the holidays. Having read Bill Bryson's "A Walk in the Woods" several months ago, I thought a good travelogue would be an interesting read. Other reviewers have provided an ample summary of the storyline, but I simply saw this as being a personal travel journal written by a typical recent college grad of his adventures (I wouldn't call him a hippie - weren't we all pseudo hippies at that day and age). The book seemed to be very genuine accounts of his thoughts and exploits - an interesting glimpse for the rest of us - not only of his travels within these geographic regions, but of America and people in general in that day and age. There is certainly no comparison in the writing sophistication of Bryson's excellent book and this first Peter Jennings endeavor, however for light reading (sometimes a little corny and naive), but enough going on to keep you interested and reading, I recommend it. I found it very uplifting and reconfirming as to what America's really like beyond the turbulent newspaper headlines.
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Summary: Hippie Takes a Long Walk
Review: Note that the cover of this book, showing a Rocky Mountain scene, is inaccurate. This book covers Jenkins' walk from New York State to Louisiana, while his trek to the Rockies is in a later book. In this story Jenkins starts as a disillusioned hippie in 1973 and decides to walk across America to restore his faith in the country. He started with little knowledge of the challenges of hiking - embarking in New York in the fall and thus suffering through winter in the Northern Appalachians, then spending the sweltering summer in the Deep South. There are many surprises in this book concerning the people Jenkins met along the way. This is especially true of his run-in with racial prejudice in the Deep South, and his perspective as an extremely naïve hippie white boy from up north is rather interesting. In the North Carolina mountains he was harassed by Yankee-hating rednecks who threatened to lynch him. But in the very next town he found shelter with a friendly black family who let him live with them in their cramped trailer home for five months. Jenkins' time with the Oliver family is the best part of this book, even though it interrupted his walk - and his account of his first service at their church is hilarious. Other than meetings with some interesting people, this book cracks under Jenkins' completely juvenile and naïve writing style. Examples can be found in odes to his faithful and personality-rich dog Cooper, who was his traveling companion. Try not to gag on lines like "my irresistible friend brought, for the thousandth time, a smile like all of sunshine to my face" or "he and I were going to be together forever!" Jenkins is unable to convey any sort of emotion without an over-reliance on exclamation points and remedial platitudes - some examples are "Oh! I was mad!" and "Mobile made me want to sing and shout!" This tendency ruins for the reader the truly monumental events in Jenkins' life during his trip - the death of his dog, an unexpected religious conversion, and falling in love with a southern belle. Worst yet is his total lack of insight into his own efforts at soul searching, the freedom of unrestricted travel, or the real America that he was looking for and found. That all makes this book little more than a dry travel diary, and I sure hope that Jenkins' later books show more skill and insight.
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Summary: A Walk Across America
Review: I remember first reading this book as part of a school assignment as a junior in high school. At the time I thought not that much of it. But once I bought the book and started to read it, I could not put it down. It was a well written book and Mr. Jenkins writes in a way that you, the reader, are right there walking beside him and Cooper and sharing thoughts and experiences.
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Summary: Review
Review: Good travel adventure book. Jenkins walked from Alfred,NY to New Orleans. Jenkins met the common American people that make this country great. Jenkins teach the reader all he learn from his walk. I read this book because of a college assignment. Jenkins is one of the best current American writers. I recommend you to read it.
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Summary: A good, solid book about an interesting journey
Review: I finished reading Peter Jenkins' book for the first time just a few days ago. As has been stated by other reviewers, this book chronicles the first section of Jenkins' walk across America in the early 1970's to see what the country is about. Along the way he meets interesting people and has a scare or two. His story is told in an easy-to-read style that flows fairly well. It's not a complex tale, but it is very engaging.
If I had one negative comment about the book, I'd say that it is a bit slow out of the gate. While I understand Jenkins has to lay the foundation for the story, and why he is undertaking this journey in the first place, I found this to be a bit dry. Perhaps I just wanted him to get on with the walk. But having finished the book, I certainly understand why Jenkins spent the time laying the foundation - it helps one understand the internal conversion he went through while traveling. Once Peter reaches Smokey Hollow, the book has fully hit its stride. Having spent much of my life either in the mountains of North Carolina or the deep south of southern Georgia, his experiences certainly rang true. I had no qualms about finishing this book; it was just getting past the first chapters.
In reflection, this book really reminded me in many ways of Kenn Kaufman's book "The Kingbird Highway". Both books are true accounts of journeys taken by young men about the same time in U.S. history. While Kaufman's book is more about a journey while birding, he also goes through a sort of transformation during his journeys. I found the books to be similar also in their easy, breezy writing. As someone mentioned in another review, William Least Heat-Moon's book "Blue Highways" is also somewhat similar. That trip took place several years after this long walking journey, and while aspects of the books are quite similar I find big differences as well. One of the biggest being that Heat-Moon had a vehicle to drive and sleep in. It may not seem like much, but I think that integrally affected how both Jenkins and Heat-Moon interacted with the folks they met.
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking to understand a bit of what the U.S. was like in the early 1970's. Yes, anything in this book is filtered through Jenkins' experiences and perceptions, but this is an interesting first-hand account of a man's discovery of his country and himself.
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