This unique book is best described as part travel journal, part history book, and part philosophy lecture. There is no rigid structure, Junger just alternates back and forth between detailing the perils of walking along the railroads with his group of friends, explaining the history of the American frontier, and contemplating philosophical ideas like the nature of freedom. I found this chaotic style to be very compelling, the book really held my interest and I had to finish it in one sitting. Junger weaves historical data about the area into his description of his journey so naturally, making insightful comparisons and conveying the feelings of his experiences.
The book starts off by jumping right into the journey. There is no introduction, forward, preface, or table of contents; Junger just starts with a description of how the landscape changed after his group had traveled past Harrisburg. He does an excellent job of giving you a sense of what it is like on this kind of walking journey, with vivid, gritty descriptions of the environment; the sights, sounds and dangers of the surrounding areas. There is a great deal of Native American history in the book, about not only the areas he passes through, but stories from all over the United States. To illustrate a point about freedom, Junger uses the example of the Apache and Pueblo tribes and their encounters with the Spanish army. He explains that the Pueblo, who lived in more permanent, fortified dwellings were actually conquered much more easily by the Spanish army than the Apache were, as the Apache had almost no possessions and moved quickly over the landscape. He connects this to the idea that nomadic peoples have often been considered to have more freedom than stationary civilizations, and then back to his feelings of personal freedom on his long walking journey.
Along the way, Junger and his group have to contend with avoiding police helicopters, dealing with infected blisters, meeting random mysterious people, and getting shot at, among other things. The book is relatively short, at only about 150 pages, but it packs quite a bit into those pages. I felt inspired, anxious, and grateful; all while learning quite a bit about the history of various groups of people. I really enjoyed this book, it was a very unique style of writing, and I hope to read more from this author in the future.
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Reviews with images
Book was great- Amazon deliveries are awful. No quality control on drivers.
Book is fantastic… too bad it had water damage by the time it got to me. Pages were soaked, cover was damaged. But hey, it’s better than the last delivery. The book wasn’t even in the fully closed and sealed package!!!
Top reviews from other countries
Richard K
A compelling odyssey through America's past and a stark reminder of the price of progress.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 27, 2021