Winner of the 2014 National Outdoor Book Awards for History/Biography Emma Gatewood told her family she was going on a walk and left her small Ohio hometown with a change of clothes and less than two hundred dollars. The next anybody heard from her; this genteel; farm-reared; 67-year-old great-grandmother had walked 800 miles along the 2;050-mile Appalachian Trail. And in September 1955; having survived a rattlesnake strike; two hurricanes; and a run-in with gangsters from Harlem; she stood atop Maine’s Mount Katahdin. There she sang the first verse of “America; the Beautiful†and proclaimed; “I said I’ll do it; and I’ve done it.â€Grandma Gatewood; as the reporters called her; became the first woman to hike the entire Appalachian Trail alone; as well as the first person—man or woman—to walk it twice and three times. Gatewood became a hiking celebrity and appeared on TV and in the pages of Sports Illustrated. The public attention she brought to the little-known footpath was unprecedented. Her vocal criticism of the lousy; difficult stretches led to bolstered maintenance; and very likely saved the trail from extinction.Author Ben Montgomery was given unprecedented access to Gatewood’s own diaries; trail journals; and correspondence; and interviewed surviving family members and those she met along her hike; all to answer the question so many asked: Why did she do it? The story of Grandma Gatewood will inspire readers of all ages by illustrating the full power of human spirit and determination. Even those who know of Gatewood don’t know the full story—a story of triumph from pain; rebellion from brutality; hope from suffering.
#1179244 in Books 2011-05-28 2011-06-11Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.97 x .62 x 6.30l; 1.02 #File Name: 1612000096234 pages
Review
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful. Interesting Tid Bit of History.By A.BodhiI enjoy reading and collecting old combat/military manuals. Sometimes I have to settle for reproduction of old manuals as the old ones are just too beaten up or rare to come by. I keep such historical records in proper perspective and yet; usually locate certain truths confirmed; that I don't find in modern academic pieces about warfare.This is an interesting Soviet perspective from the common people of WWII after having been invaded by Nazi Germany. The book reads as something quickly put together to help guide the common partisan--male or female--in a genuine struggle for survival against a brutal and merciless regime.As with all printed material and all historical documents; keep the data in proper perspective and attempt to study the data from the cultural and psychological time frame and context in which such a manual is written. Also be aware that modern reproductions can alter; censor or even fabricate existing data from the original information.I really loved reading this book and found nothing novel; new or spectacular; just confirming. The book offers the solid references I expected to find in a manual to its people needing to keep up the good fight over the invading demon nation. It is an excellent tid bit of WWII combat preparation; along partisan lines.A. Bodhi0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. How to fight Nazi's; in fifteen easy lessonsBy E. M. Van CourtIt does what it says on the cover.This is a translation of a World War II Soviet book for partisans; irregular troops who were trying to push the Nazis out of Mother Russia.To that end; this is a thorough introduction to basic infantry tactics; with an emphasis on reconnaissance and scouting; and basic instructions on enemy weapons as well as Soviet weapons. The section on arctic warfare is worth looking at even today; as this is something Russians understand bettter than most.The glaring absence in this book is map reading and updating (Note that Alberto Bayo's "150 Questions For A Guerrilla" spends considerable time on that topic). Part of the reason for this is that partisans operated on their home field; and didn't need training on operating through terrain they had never seen before. The other part may be the Russian aversion to letting people know how to move around.Of special interest to history folks would be the transcript of a speech by Stalin; along with motivational essays from other Soviet leaders. Stalin's words are powerful; and; if you know the context; have some dark subtext.Good work on the partisan perspective and needs; and some great historic material.E.M. Van Court11 of 11 people found the following review helpful. Very niceBy Double DubsTo be short; a great manual. It has many improvements over the earlier edition such as tactics and weapons specs. A very detailed manual; better than most. So good the Germans copied large amounts of it for their own guerrilla manuals. If your a history buff who enjoys WWII or alternate forms of combat; a great buy. Heck if you own a German or Russian gun from WWII you would likel benefit from owning this.
