Many thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this new work!

This was terrific. I have read many AT books and this is now my favorite! The writing was very good. It was a joy to tag along on the personal journey that the writer went through while on this AT hike. Highly recommend this. Many of the AT books get a little stale after a while but not this one. Worth the read!

As a 2010 AT hiker I really appreciated this book and the excellent writing from the author. So many hiking memoirs do not have good editing and the story can run a bit dry. I was hooked from the start and appreciated the perspectives he offered, both from his years in the military and as a hiker on the trail. An must read for for anyone interested in thru-hiking.

I've read a number of books about walking the Appalachian trail and other long distance walks and I really enjoy hearing about the experiences of the trips, ups and downs both physically and metaphorically and some of the nitty gritty involved.
This book separates itself from similar walking experience books with the inclusion of the authors experience in Iraq and these sections are excellent, really insightful and fascinating. My only criticism really is that I would have liked more of them. I guess the idea is that he is using his walk to move on/process and perhaps move away from his was experiences so the 'flashbacks' to this time become less as the book progresses but this seems a shame as both aspects are equally interesting to the reader. Whilst he becomes more and more disillusioned by life in the army, this change would be worth exploring further as there must be others out there who had experienced similar rather than just juxtaposing this with his time on the trail lifting his mood and spirit and suggesting this as a solution.
Great to see the brotherly relationship develop throughout and again I would have loved to hear his brother's views on the opposite angle - Iraq etc.
Really enjoyable as a read and overall definitely a book I would recommend to anyone interested in walking, challenging yourself or making changes in life.

A very enjoyable read! I've read some other books about long hikes and it really amazes me what people are capable of, I'm not really an outdoor kind of person, not that kind anyway!, so it's good we have people like N.B. Hankes write about their adventures, so we can enjoy them too!

Engaging, enlightening and brilliant. It is well written and follows the inner journey of an Iraq war veteran after returning home.

Let me start by saying I have read close to 50 books about thru hikes and this is definitely in the top 3. It goes way beyond a recounting of each mile hiked and explore how two brothers, Nate and Ben and a friend they picked up along the way, Dylan come to grips with questions of life as they hike Southbound on the Appalachian trail. I have always wanted to hike the AT and life got in the way but I can experience the hike through these books. I has some of the day to day grind in the book but the author doesnt give the name brand of each item he hikes with and the specifics that I can do without that are in most thru hiking stories. This book explores the bigger picture of what the author and his brother hoped to gain from this hike and I was glad to be along for the ride.
Thank you Netgalley, N. B. Hankes and BooksGoSocial for the ARC for my honest review.

I enjoyed Nate's story of his hike along the Appalachian trail with his brother. Nate, aged 23, has recently returned from a time serving the American army in Iraq and his brother had recently finished college. I didn't have much in common with the two brothers, apart from the hiking and the need to question my life but it was a lovely refreshing, insight into his life and his journey.

Thank you netgalley and Booksgosocial for access to this arc.

Looking for something different, I picked up this memoir of a veteran and his brother hiking the Appalachian Trail from Maine to Georgia (SOBOs in trail parlance). Nathan is fresh out of a four year tour in the Army while his older brother finished a college degree he now knows is useless to him. Though it’s supposed to be a bonding experience for the two, it also serves as time for both to figure out what they want in life and (more importantly) for Nathan to try and reconcile his experiences in and reasons for joining the Army.

Parts of the book I found funny and fascinating. Much of the narrative is spent on the day to day experiences of hiking over 2000 miles in all kinds of weather – both beautiful and dreadful. Ben and Nathan meet with generous and lovely people who give of what they have and offer the blessings of home cooked meals, washing machines, showers, and nights on sofas. They also end up spending over half the trail with Dylan, a counter culture, toking, philosophical hippie who schools Nathan in the horrors of modern American consumerism, privilege, greed, and the military-industrial complex. Nathan’s seeming naivete is at times staggering.

I would have liked to have learned more about Nathan’s time in the service and spent less time listening to Dylan. I also thought the book shortchanged us in telling one incident that appears to have been the dealbreaker for Nathan staying in the Army. There are hints of how badly this affected him then a little is told only for it to fade to black. Some of the book is profound, some is funny, but a lot strains credulity and it went on too long. C

Waking Up on The Appalachian Trail: A Story of War, Brotherhood, and The Pursuit of Truth by N.B Hankes is a memoir detailing the intellectual and spiritual awaking of Nate Hankes, a young, bewildered and troubled war veteran as he and his brother hike the entirety of the Appalachian Trail over five months.

Hankes, a drone operator during the Iraq War, chose to hike the trail with his brother after his return and details their trip with writing that belies his youth. Hankes has written a memoir that grows along with his insights as the miles of the trail fall away. Intermingled with segments of their hiking, Hankes also provides flashback segments of his military experience and time in Iraq.

Along the way, Hankes and his brother encounter a hippie-esque, sage-like figure named Dylan that pushes Hankes to question more and more with gentle, interesting prodding that shows Hankes there is more to life than just the highlights.

As the memoir unfolds, as Hankes continues to ask questions of himself, his self-inquisitiveness allows him to find his answers and share them with the reader.

Hankes' descriptions of the trail, Iraq, and experiences of two novice trail hikers, later labeled with the honorific title of "thru-hikers" are compelling and captivating. Insights sprinkled throughout the book by Hankes are poignant and revelatory.

One thing that would have complimented the digital format of the memoir would have been images of Hankes, his brother, and the trail (I do not know if images are included in the print version of the memoir). Still, the writing and tale told was interesting and stands on its own.

Waking Up On The Appalachian Trail is highly recommended to those that enjoy adventure type tales with self-discovery and growth.

This memoir was provided by NetGalley upon the promise of a fair review.

I loved this book!! I live close to the Smoky Mountains, so I have an
interest in hiking, especially when I was younger. The book is interesting
like all the other popular trail hiking books.
The book was well written by the number of days and their milage tracked.

Thank you to NetGalley, NB Hanks, and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.

Loved it!!! I was so impressed with the story telling in this book! Every page was amazing. It’s one you want to read again.

I chose this book as I am very interested in stories of long distance hiking and wanted to know more about the Appalachian Trail. I enjoyed Nate, Ben and Dylan’s journey. The joy and hardships they faced were well described.

I wasn’t expecting the political angle and a lot of it was unfamiliar to me. However it was very relevant especially during the current unrest and worries about COVID-19 and the economy.

For more reviews and bookish posts please visit: http://manoflabook.com/wp/book-review-waking-up-on-the-appalachian-trail-by-n-b-hankes/

Waking Up On the Appalachian Trail: A Story of War, Brotherhood, and the Pursuit of Truth by N. B. Hankes is a non-fiction account of the author’s hike on this national scenic landmark, along with his brother. Mr. Hankes is a US Army veteran, who has served overseas, this is his first book.

I enjoy good travelogues, they are difficult to write, and when they’re good, they’re very good. I did not know what to expect from Waking Up On the Appalachian Trail: A Story of War, Brotherhood, and the Pursuit of Truth by N. B. Hankes, but it sounded interesting and I thought I’d give it a shot.

The narrative follows the author and his brother, an Army veteran and a college graduate, who decided to hike the Appalachian Trail from north to south over five months. The pair goes through their own revelations while trudging through physical difficulties which the trail offers.

One of my favorite things about traveling and hiking, especially for long periods of time, is the people you meet. There are people who do not run in the same circles, geographical or social, as you which otherwise you’d never know. These people give you a different perspective on established views, or share their own life experience and how it shaped their opinions. I think there is a missed opportunity with books such as these, especially on an eBook where at no, or little, cost the author can either add or link passages to maps and/or pictures they took.

The author finds this experience of meeting people enlightening as well, especially with another “thru-hiker” who joined the pair of brothers for much of the hike. Having time to reflect, deflect, and the patience to listen to others helped the author deal with the trauma he got during his wartime service, as well as reconcile his spirit.

Mr. Hankes goes into a deep analysis of the “why” behind his service, his upbringing, and his understanding and philosophy of life. He manages to come to terms with his service, and get a better, more profound understanding of geopolitics, and national politics.

The book concentrates more on being an introspective, personal journey of a soldier coming home from war to a peaceful country. It is a daunting experience where everyone seems to be in a dream state, not known they’re dreaming and only you are aware of what’s real. This is where the book shines, as a travelogue it works somewhat, there aren’t many descriptions of the trail – but as I said before the really interesting aspects of every travelogue are personal growth and people you meet on the way.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.

Nate Hankes has returned from a tour of duty in Iraq. He is planning on hiking the 2,180 mile Appalachian Trail with his brother Ben. As I was reading this book, my mind kept drifting back to Cheryl Strayed's WILD. While the stories (and locales) are completely different, I couldn't help but feel a pull that the two were looking for the same end---peace. Peace with their decisions in life.

This book is very well written and draws the reader onto Nate's journey. I found my mind wandering at times though, some scenes seemed to repeat themselves. Overall, it's a moving story that many readers will relate to.

Having returned from home from a tour of duty in Iraq, Nate Hankes is now embarking on a trek through the 2,180 mile Appalachian Trail, with his brother Ben. While enduring the numerous challenges that the infamous trail will throw at them, Hankes is attempting to answer a question that has been plaguing him since he arrived back in the US: Had his mission overseas been honourable?
Hankes carefully interweaves the narrative of their time on the trail with his memories of Iraq and his reflections on the mechanism of war and capitalism, along with the long-term impacts for the US. He does not shy aware from his concerns and the trauma of settling back into life in the ‘real world’.
Although, I commend Hankes for his honesty, I did find some aspects of his reflections difficult to read of he referred to the dropping of drones and the deaths of civilians and comrades.
For me, the most noteworthy part of the narrative came as he depicted their time on the Appalachian Trail, attempting to find both peace for himself and develop a deeper relationship with Ben.
All in all, a worth while and thought-provoking read. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for an honest review

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for an honest review*

It was impossible for me not to compare this book to Cheryl Strayed's "Wild" and, I admit, Bill Bryson's "A Walk in the Woods". Ultimately, while there are whispers of both those books in this one, I didn't find it quite as profound as I'd hoped - but I still enjoyed reading it!

Hankes provides a really honest account of his experience hiking the AT, sprinkled with a few memories from his time serving in Iraq. Most of the word count is spent on the minutiae of hiking the AT - the sights, the food, the shelters and camping, the temperature, the clothing (the smell), the random acts of kindness, the physical toil - and what's not to like about that? For me, there's something hugely meditative about books like this, especially as someone who has had arthritis from a young age and knows this kind of journey will never be possible for her.

In between trail life, Hankes spent a very sizeable chunk of the book chewing over his fears and doubts about whether the Iraq war was a noble or corrupt endeavour, and whether capitalism will destroy America's environment and human society. I didn't mind this, although there was too much of it for me, and it was fairly repetitive and abstract. I kept waiting to get back to the trail, where my mind was happy to follow in Hankes' footsteps. Whether you dream of hiking the AT, or you want to live it vicariously, I recommend this book.

This book covers the lives and changes of two brothers hiking the Appalachia Trail and the people and places they meet on the way and their sense of greater understanding. The trek reminded me of similar stories such as Camino de Santiago trail in Europe. It was a little tough to get interested in, but When I did, I enjoyed it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.
I enjoy books written about these long journeys on mountain trails. The backpackers always seem to become enlightened on a personal level. This book is not just about the experience of the hike with the author's brother. It delves deeper into the "whys" of war and government. A couple of chapters give snippets of his experience in Iraq, which I found interesting and really pertinent to the overall book.

Waking Up supposedly chronicles an Army vet’s hike with his brother along the Appalachian Trail as the author looks for “time in the wilderness” to help provide “answers and clarity” regarding his time in Iraq, or… something.

But this isn't a hiking book or a trail tome. It's not even much of a "memoir." Most of Waking Up is just a convenient springboard for a slow roll into a slathering left-wing socio-economic harangue of Springer Mountain proportions. Indeed, a sizeable slice of the book is spent alternately blasting society for its alleged greed and corruption and blaming everyone else on planet earth for the author’s own lack of preparation, planning, and poor choices.

Just when you think this stroll into somnambulance can’t get any more tedious or tiresome, enter “counter culture Dylan.” He’s a hiking buddy and patron saint of weed, suds, and all things cynical and self-centric. This guy’s Pecksniffian sermonizing takes up pages and pages, straining credulity and attention to the breaking point.

Indeed, the story quickly spirals into a monotonous, monochrome rant. Think leaky faucet. Yawn.

The writing is also stilted and smarmy in places, to the point of maudlin. It chases the rim edge of rudderless and anchorless so often, you forget where you’re going or why. And you really don't care:

• “Pavlovian angst” and “imagines (sic) of pizza”?
• “Recreational negativity” and “patriotic arrogance”?
• “In my increasing moments of clarity, I observed myself attempting to be like everyone else- engaged and outgoing – not the reclusive bookworm perpetually straining to appear interested in the cultural vapidity around me.”

Seriously? (Like that’s not patronizing or anything.)

In the final analysis, this book isn’t a “wake up” call to anything. It’s as inspiring as an overcooked cabbage and makes watching paint peel look exciting.

It’s also mis-titled. A more accurate title would be 'Nate and Ben’s Excellent 'Pothead Adventure to Springer Mountain'. Or' Noam Chomsky, Lyme Disease and Too Much Ramen'. Maybe 'A Torturous Hiking History with Howard Zinn.'

I had to force myself to finish this snoozer. It’s not a hiking memoir. It’s a plywood bully pulpit for Saint Dylan, liberally coated with 2,000+ miles of trail dust, wildcat moonshine and tokes. It’s also political propaganda sprinkled with garrulous, insipid accounts of the physical hardship and discomfort of long distance backpacking when you’re woefully under-prepared and don’t have Clue 1 WTH you’re doing. (Edward Abbey? Really? Oh. In a moment of “cosmic revelation,” the author also decides he’s God. Good luck with that one.)

If I spent moola on this pile of horse hooey, I’d want a refund.

Finally, Waking Up may work as a private journal. But as a book? Well. Pass the No Doze. And don't waste your time.

I always like reading or watching about people who are back from the war.Seeing how their psychology is affected and the post trauma is something so fascinating to me.That's why I enjoyed reading this book.If you also like these tropes,you'll probably like reading this.