The Last Great Walk: True Story of a 1909 Cross-Country Journey from New York to San Francisco - Historical Adventure Book for Travel Enthusiasts & American History Buffs | Perfect for Road Trip Inspiration & US History Studies
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SKU:77691398
Product Description
In 1909, Edward Payson Weston walked from New York to San Francisco, covering around 40 miles a day and greeted by wildly cheering audiences in every city. The New York Times called it the "first bona-fide walk . . . across the American continent," and eagerly chronicled a journey in which Weston was beset by fatigue, mosquitos, vicious headwinds, and brutal heat. He was 70 years old.In The Last Great Walk, journalist Wayne Curtis uses the framework of Weston's fascinating and surprising story, and investigates exactly what we lost when we turned away from foot travel, and what we could potentially regain with America's new embrace of pedestrianism. From how our brains and legs evolved to accommodate our ancient traveling needs to the way that American cities have been designed to cater to cars and discourage pedestrians, Curtis guides readers through an engaging, intelligent exploration of how something as simple as the way we get from one place to another continues to shape our health, our environment, and even our national identity.Not walking, he argues, may be one of the most radical things humans have ever done.
Customer Reviews
Following in the footsteps (pun intended!) of his ridiculously well researched book, "and a Bottle of Rum," Wayne Curtis tells the story of 70 year old Edward Payson Weston who walked from New York to San Francisco in 1909. As Wayne recounts in his Introduction:..."Huh?!" Not only is this astounding in and of itself, and a tale well worth telling and reading, but Wayne then applies the story to, "Why it matters today."And he really does. And not just today: how 'bout the Dawn of Man? And, believe it or not, it is all relevant to, and actually compliments, the story of Weston's journey. Why we began to walk upright, the advent of the automobile, the evolution of cities: it's all here. Fascinating.This is a great book to pick-up if you are either dig quirky history (i.e. the Walk itself) or history that contributed to why we are, literally, the way we are today. Not all of these changes are for our betterment. We evolved as walking creatures. We are at our healthiest when we walk--and walk regularly. Our present sedentary lifestyle does not help in this regard. As at least one other reviewer pointed out, I have begun to walk more. What Mr. Curtis shares with us here is well researched, well written and very convincing.
