The Wild Birds' Song

Rating:
Summary: Walking to His Own Drummer
Review: "The Wild Birds' Song" is a journey of words that lets you walk along the Appalachian Trail with former editor Jim Coplen. The 2,158 mile walk that changed his life gives readers a bird's-eye view of the east coast mountain range. He craved the solitude that beckoned as he started walking toward Georgia, though he made friends with thru-hikers along the way. From almost being run over by a moose to rescuing a Boy Scout, to an unexpected twist near the end of the trail, "The Wild Birds' Song" will keep your interest and offer word pictures of the beauty of this land.

Rating:
Summary: Walking to His Own Drummer
Review: "The Wild Birds' Song" is a journey of words that lets you walk along the Appalachian Trail with former editor Jim Coplen. The 2,158 mile walk that changed his life gives readers a bird's-eye view of the east coast mountain range. He craved the solitude that beckoned as he started walking toward Georgia, though he made friends with thru-hikers along the way. From almost being run over by a moose to rescuing a Boy Scout, to an unexpected twist near the end of the trail, "The Wild Birds' Song" will keep your interest and offer word pictures of the beauty of this land.

Rating:
Summary: An invitation to find answers and motivation
Review: I feel if I can complete the Appalachian Trail at the age of 58, then others can take hope. I would like my book to serve both as inspiration and guidance to those who dream about expanding their lives.

Rating:
Summary: Entertaining and fun to read
Review: I really enjoyed this book...it was a light read and very informative as to life on the trail. Also, I was inspired by the effort and tenacity of the author who was 57 or 58 years old when he made this trip.

Rating:
Summary: Interesting and detailed
Review: I really felt like I got to know Jim Coplen while reading this book. His writing style is spare and no-nonsense, almost Hemingway-esque. I read his book because I am dreaming of hiking the Appalachian trail in the next few years and want to soak up as much information as I can. Jim's book is one of the best AT books in terms of describing the day-to-day grinds, headaches, fears and joys in hiking over 2100 miles. He has the unique ability of enabling you to be in the scene with him, as if you're walking alongside him. This was a pleasant surprise.

I do wish that Jim would have told us a little more about his life outside of hiking. He scarcely mentions his wife (who remained at home in Indiana), and I never got a clear or definitive idea why he chose to undertake the adventure. He didn't seem to have much inner turmoil or upheavel in his life prior to embarking on this grandiose and magnificent pilgrimage.

I recommend this book to thru-hikers, section-hikers or those planning on doing the AT someday in the future. It's especially instructive for the 10% of prosoective thru-hikers who plan to begin their walk from Maine and walk south.

Jim wasn't quite able to complete his thru hike (he breaks a bone in his ankle as he nears Georgia), but he returns to the trail in the Spring to complete his adventure. If you like a bare-bones writing style, not enlivened with much humor or extraneous "personal confession" garbage, you'll like this book and respect it. I know I did.

Rating:
Summary: Read this book in one sitting. Still dreaming.
Review: If your burned out and disenchanted with techno-pop culture like I am then this book may be just what you are looking for. Jim has a clear and consise way of conveying the day-in day-out of hiking the AT and all the magic alone the way. When you are finished reading this book I'm sure you will feel some of that magic as I did. Happy trails!

Rating:
Summary: The Wild Bird's Song
Review: Jim's account of his Appalacian Trail thru-hike is compelling. As I read I pictured myself there with him. His writing helped me to picture what people looked like, what food tasted like, what solitude felt like, and what the bird's sounded like. He painted a picture and it is still impressed in my mind. During the course of the book you see Jim change. Priorities become much more singular and focused during the hike. Water, food, and shelter basically become THE priorities. You can picture civilization being washed away with each step. Jim's book has made me want to attemp a thru-hike, and since reading "The Wild Bird's Song" I have bought four more books about the Appalacian Trail.

Rating:
Summary: The Wild Bird's Song
Review: Jim's account of his Appalacian Trail thru-hike is compelling. As I read I pictured myself there with him. His writing helped me to picture what people looked like, what food tasted like, what solitude felt like, and what the bird's sounded like. He painted a picture and it is still impressed in my mind. During the course of the book you see Jim change. Priorities become much more singular and focused during the hike. Water, food, and shelter basically become THE priorities. You can picture civilization being washed away with each step. Jim's book has made me want to attemp a thru-hike, and since reading "The Wild Bird's Song" I have bought four more books about the Appalacian Trail.

Rating:
Summary: Great detail of the unique lifestyle of thru-hikers.
Review: My opinion might perhaps be biased but I hiked the AT with Jim Coplen in 1995. We weren't together every day but we found ourselves in the same general vincinity on several occasions. There are many, many books on the Appalachian Trail but the aspect that sets this one apart from the rest is that this book doesn't merely focus on "oatmeal for breakfast, crossed route 11, got tired." Jim's book centers on the unique cohesion of thru-hikers as traveling communities are formed over the months and miles along the AT. Every person on the trail becomes a part of some network of new friends and Jim's detailed testament to the way this developed for a small group of us in 1995 is an excellent example.

Rating:
Summary: Great detail of the unique lifestyle of thru-hikers.
Review: My opinion might perhaps be biased but I hiked the AT with Jim Coplen in 1995. We weren't together every day but we found ourselves in the same general vincinity on several occasions. There are many, many books on the Appalachian Trail but the aspect that sets this one apart from the rest is that this book doesn't merely focus on "oatmeal for breakfast, crossed route 11, got tired." Jim's book centers on the unique cohesion of thru-hikers as traveling communities are formed over the months and miles along the AT. Every person on the trail becomes a part of some network of new friends and Jim's detailed testament to the way this developed for a small group of us in 1995 is an excellent example.