If you plan to hike the AT and are on a tight budget, save some money by buying an older edition of the Data Book. It changes very little from year to year. I have this book, and it is virtually identical to the 2003 edition.

This is an necessity for hiking the Appalachian Trail- whether you're a section hiker or a thru-hiker. Crucial information- incredibly informative, and helpful in planning the long trek!

Appalachian Trail Guide to Central Virginia is a good general guide which consist of a 4 X 6 inches packable book and three maps in a waterproof bag. The maps are double-sided and give adequate detail of the covered areas. The book starts out with general information which I found fairly basic. Most of this info was of little value to me, but a green hiker might find it useful.The actual meat of the trail descriptions is very good, giving mile by mile directions as to what to expect and where to turn. An interesting feature of this book is the small horizon sketches which show different mountain peaks and valley with their names. I don't think I have every seen this done before, but I can't wait to see if it will actual help me locate and identify the surrounding landscape. This is a series of books so the complete collection (11 books)would weigh down a thru hiker. For the weekend ender or week long hiker, this book and maps should be worth it's weight in his pack.

If the reader is really serious about hiking the A.T., specifically the N.Y. /N.J. section, this book, along with the 6 very detailed maps that come with it, will be a tremendous help, with all the relevant information all packed into a (large)pocket-sized paperback.
In addition to very interesting facts behind the history and the beginnings of the AT, the information found in this book will guide you, almost hold your hand along the trail and, it will then be up to you to listen to the wisdom, advice and warnings found here or, ignore them and find out -the hard way- why only 10% of the people who attempt to hike the Appalachian Trail will finish it in a year.
Where can you find water?; where are you not allowed to camp?; is it safe to hike alone?;can you take your dog with you? (NO!). Statistically speaking, did you know that you will be safer hiking the entire A.T., than walking the streets of most large american cities?
These and many other topics, too numerous to mention here, are dealt with in this volume.
Having all of that information ahead of time will make it (just a little) easier to put on your backpack, lug your 3 liters of water needed daily, consume the 4000 calories of food needed every day and.....in about 6 months time you will have arrived at your destination, very tired, much thinner and, much wiser.

What an enlightening perspective on the magnificent joys of trekking in the north woods of the great state of Georgia. I read it nightly to cleanse my soul in preparation for a pleasant night's sleep. My family and I exalt the book and its detailed maps adorn our living room walls. Our most heartfelt appreciation to the man who composed this mighty work.

The definitive guide to the AT that you can buy. Extremely detailed directions. Great waterproof maps with side trails and elevations. If you get lost using this guide, you're just plain stupid.

Having lived in the county and worked as a community organizer while George was completing his work in Little Laurel, I can vouch for the accuracy and sensitivity of his account. For years I used the original edition in my courses in Appalachian Social institutions and identified it as the single best community study on the Region. Particularly helpful is the chapter on the "ethic of neutrality" which not only provides insight to students and "outsiders" but also to native Appalachians who wish to reflect on their own culture. Glad to see it back in print!

This book is a warm and truthful view of the people of rural Appalachia. I myself found it full of information and photographs that were very useful. A good read!

If you love making baskets, or just enjoy looking at them or maybe even collecting them, then this book is a must have book. Law and Taylor have put together the definative book on white oak basket making ( as well as some baskets of other materials). For the accomplished basket maker the photographs and illustrations can serve as inspiration as well as pattern. Reading this book will make you want to grab your ax and head for the woods, and if that isn't possible you will want to get to your local basketry material supplier as soon as possible. This is the best book of its kind that I have seen, the perfect blend of art and history.

Eliot Porter's beautiful photographs of wildflowers, trees, and mountain streams are an interesting juxtaposition to the often caustic prose of Edward Abbey, who writes the main body of the text, and Harry Caudill, who writes the epilogue. This book is Abbey at his best, showing that he can write well about a landscape other than the American southwest. He describes the landscape of the Southern Appalachians in their stark reality: the billboards and phony saloons of industrial tourism, the abandoned stores and churches, the paved roads catering to the rich and sedentary, the forsaken Cherokees. His story is a truthful and compassionate account of the tragedies of the region, as well as a powerful argument that capitalism has failed. This is not the place to start with Abbey--"Desert Solitaire" or "Abbey's Road" would be a better choice--but for those who are already familiar with him, this book will not be a disappointment.

This is an excellent book for the layman and the expert. It continues the work done by Dr. Grady McWhiney and Dr. Forrest McDonald on the Celtic influence on the South, but is based on independent research. The original title was much better, Apples on the Flood: The Southern Mountain Experience. It is written from not just a historical point of view, but also uses mythology, literature, sociology, and psychology to make its point. It is the single best synthesis of the impact of the Celtic peoples, especially the Scots-Irish, on the Appalachians. The next step is to do for the whole South what Dr. Cunningham did for the Mountains. He is a difficult person to find, as I have tried to track him down, but been unsuccessful thus far. The college he taught at closed down. I myself am researching this fascinating subject in graduate school now. I heartily recommend this book to any who is tired of the old "evil" South histories. If you want to really understand the culture of Southerners, READ THIS BOOK!