A walk along the spectacularly wooded eastern coastline of the United States? Sounds like a doddle - until you pause to consider the bears, rattlesnakes, poison ivy, lightning, fire ants, wolves and enough infectious diseases to fill two pages of a respectable dictionary which have been known to attack hikers brave enough to attempt the 2,000-plus miles of the Appalachian Trail. And then of course there's the equipment. No self-respecting hiker would take to the woods today without a self-inflating sleeping pad, a water purifier, insulated underwear, a designer groundcloth and a set of bungee cords. Add in an infuriating companion who has considerably more interest in alcohol and carbohydrates than in striding fearlessly into the sunset, and the stage is set for a seriously funny book which, unlike the Appalachian Trail itself, is over all too soon.
Arminta Wallace