Americas
![Neil King Jr. - [object Object] author](https://res.cloudinary.com/readsomnia/image/upload/authors/a_B0BHFW879W.jpg)
American Ramble: A Walk of Memory and Renewal
"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 unforgettable pilgrimage to the heart of America across some of our oldest common ground.
Neil King Jr.'s desire to walk from Washington, D.C., to New York City began as a whim and soon became an obsession. By the spring of 2021, events had intervened that gave his desire greater urgency. His neighborhood still reeled from the January 6th insurrection. Covid lockdowns and a rancorous election had deepened America's divides. Neil himself bore the imprints of a long battle with cancer.
Determined to rediscover what matters in life and to see our national story with new eyes, Neil turned north with a small satchel on his back and one mission in mind: To pay close attention to the land he crossed and the people he met.
What followed is an extraordinary 26-day journey through historic battlefields and cemeteries, over the Mason-Dixon line, past Quaker and Amish farms, along Valley Forge stream beds, atop a New Jersey trash mound, across New York Harbor, and finally, to his ultimate destination: the Ramble, where a tangle of pathways converges in Central Park. The journey travels deep into America's past and present, uncovering forgotten pockets and overlooked people. At a time of mounting disunity, the trip reveals the profound power of our shared ground.
By turns amusing, inspiring, and sublime, American Ramble offers an exquisite account of personal and national renewal-an indelible study of our country as we've never seen it before.
A stunning, revelatory memoir about a 330-mile walk from Washington, D.C., to New York City-an unforgettable pilgrimage to the heart of America across some of our oldest common ground.
Neil King Jr.'s desire to walk from Washington, D.C., to New York City began as a whim and soon became an obsession. By the spring of 2021, events had intervened that gave his desire greater urgency. His neighborhood still reeled from the January 6th insurrection. Covid lockdowns and a rancorous election had deepened America's divides. Neil himself bore the imprints of a long battle with cancer.
Determined to rediscover what matters in life and to see our national story with new eyes, Neil turned north with a small satchel on his back and one mission in mind: To pay close attention to the land he crossed and the people he met.
What followed is an extraordinary 26-day journey through historic battlefields and cemeteries, over the Mason-Dixon line, past Quaker and Amish farms, along Valley Forge stream beds, atop a New Jersey trash mound, across New York Harbor, and finally, to his ultimate destination: the Ramble, where a tangle of pathways converges in Central Park. The journey travels deep into America's past and present, uncovering forgotten pockets and overlooked people. At a time of mounting disunity, the trip reveals the profound power of our shared ground.
By turns amusing, inspiring, and sublime, American Ramble offers an exquisite account of personal and national renewal-an indelible study of our country as we've never seen it before.
Editorial Reviews
"King puts his head and heart on the page. His prose is mellifluous, yet measured. His life story helps drive the narrative, a mixture of the personal, political and pastoral...American Ramble helps make the past come alive." - The Guardian
"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, author of Travels with George and In the Heart of the Sea
"The author's storytelling skills transform a seemingly insignificant trip into something revelatory.…An enlightening book with lessons for us all." - Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"American Ramble is the wise, warmhearted account of a journey that was pedestrian in its execution, but miles from that in the depth of King's experience and his ability to share it in a clear and affecting way…he generously shares his sense of discovery and delight on every page." - Shelf Awareness
"This is a near perfect book, an exquisitely seen and felt memoir of an American journey; it's not just a geographic journey, full of keen observations and thoughtful insights, but a spiritual one, finding in our complex and sometimes contradictory landscape a mirror in which King's own inner life awakens as he wanders. Amazing."
- Ken Burns
"American Ramble is a beautifully written, carefully observed, and wisely enlightening examination of modern America and modern Americans. Read this book for a new view of the country and of yourselves."
- James Fallows, co-author of Our Towns
"Part travelogue, part history, American Ramble is a thoughtful, warm-hearted guide to the country that we've inherited and that we're making." - Elizabeth Kolbert, author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning The Sixth Extinction
"American Ramble...
"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, author of Travels with George and In the Heart of the Sea
"The author's storytelling skills transform a seemingly insignificant trip into something revelatory.…An enlightening book with lessons for us all." - Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"American Ramble is the wise, warmhearted account of a journey that was pedestrian in its execution, but miles from that in the depth of King's experience and his ability to share it in a clear and affecting way…he generously shares his sense of discovery and delight on every page." - Shelf Awareness
"This is a near perfect book, an exquisitely seen and felt memoir of an American journey; it's not just a geographic journey, full of keen observations and thoughtful insights, but a spiritual one, finding in our complex and sometimes contradictory landscape a mirror in which King's own inner life awakens as he wanders. Amazing."
- Ken Burns
"American Ramble is a beautifully written, carefully observed, and wisely enlightening examination of modern America and modern Americans. Read this book for a new view of the country and of yourselves."
- James Fallows, co-author of Our Towns
"Part travelogue, part history, American Ramble is a thoughtful, warm-hearted guide to the country that we've inherited and that we're making." - Elizabeth Kolbert, author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning The Sixth Extinction
"American Ramble...
Readers Top Reviews
nottcollegealumMr
I admit I bought this book because, like the author, I am currently battling esophageal cancer and I thought Mr King might talk about aspects of his cancer journey I would find useful even if i was not particularly interested in what I suspected would be a lot of navel gazing. Boy, was I wrong! I was captivated from the first page by the local anecdotes, the little known as well as widely known historical facts, the people he met, and the descriptions of the landscapes that landed me right there with the author. This was the best book I've read in a while, and I've read many these past months.
father mike watson
The book is so inspiring. I am an author myself, so my eye and ear for words are trained. This book surpassed all of my high expectations.
I watched this book take form during Neil's walk, when he sent out an e-mail to friends every day. He was carried to a different and higher mental/emotional and even spiritual plane by this journey, and it shows in the writing. And yet it is grounded in the tools of his training as a journalist: observation, inquiry, historical context, and probing questions. There is much in this book about the importance of knowing our history, but also of talking about it, debating it, and listening to others perspectives. But Neil's approach is one of wonder, not fear. He is a student of the world, not a know-it-all. He is alive with the joy of discovery, and as a cancer survivor, he takes each day as a gift. This book will transport you as well. It is a jolt of optimism at a moment when we all need that quite a lot.
Greg Jaffe
This book is beautifully written and carefully observed. It taught me a lot about our history -- our shared national story -- and what it means to be an American. The thing I liked most about it was how at peace I felt reading it. Every page is a delight; every chapter is a reminder to be grateful and to retain your sense of wonder for the world. At a time when it's so easy to feel cynical about our world, our country and our neighbors this book reminds us of all the good around us. It's not preachy, never simple, just true. The rare book that made me feel better about the world and made me want to be a better person.
carri
Just finished reading this great book. Thoroughly enjoyed it. I marvel at the depth of the research Neil did and how he weaved it into his personal experience. Enjoyed to the spiritual dimension of his walk. Grateful for the author sharing his gift in this way.
