It is usually a good indicator of an enjoyable read when you've read a book cover to cover within 24 hours. Such was the case for me with this book, The Last Englishman by Keith Foskett.
I heard about Keith (or Fozzie, to use his trail name), almost 2 years ago now, possibly via a Facebook group for the 2010 group of Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) thru-hikers. Every year for at least the last 5 I've been following the surge of interest from February through to May as intrepid hikers ready themselves for their adventure on the PCT. Discussion on the web and in forums tends to build up from late January and usually summits around the time of the ADZPCTKO, the Annual Day Zero Pacific Crest Trail Kick Off and during the heady weeks that follow.
Keith's story was all the more interesting to me, hailing from England and being a some time drinking buddy of someone I was at Uni with. When I found his blog and that he regularly posted YouTube videos during his hike, I was pretty much hooked.
Keith also writes pretty well and this, partnered with the PCT, has culminated in The Last Englishman, the second book he has published.
As you'll have appreciated from my opening line, I enjoyed this book, vividly describing how, even before he set off from England, his thru-hike was in jeopardy from the volcanic ash of Eyjafjallajokull which obscured the skies above the UK resulting in many transatlantic flights being cancelled. Just what you need when you are about to embark on a 2650 mile hike from Mexico to Canada!
In the book Keith kept up a great pace, depicting places, people and more than just the odd problem. Much of the content was already familiar to me from his videos, and, in a similar way to how Jorgen Johansson's Smarter Backpacking is interwoven with his web page, I enjoyed how the videos Keith had posted while on the trail could be related to (and watched) as I read through his book. I think this is particularly valuable given that there aren't any photographs in the book, although there are plenty of very good ones on Keith's site. The book stands on it's own, but the extra layer of media gives an extra level of intimacy to the read and it is nice to be able to put faces to the names, see some of the views they see, examine what gear they carry and to be able to wander off in my own mind, thinking about what it will be like when I do the PCT too! I also enjoyed the last part of the book, describing his and some other hikers' experiences of returning to 'normal' life.
Keith also included excerpts of his trail journals in a few places. At the start of the book I found these to often contain much the same content as the chapter I'd just read. However, the entries from the middle of the book onward seemed much deeper; you could feel the writing to be much more direct and vibrant, conveying his experience and feelings about the trail and environment with much more passion. I think I enjoyed these passages most of all.
For those not familiar with Keith's story there will be the question of "Did he make it?". Part of the deal of such a long north-bound walk is managing your progress against the progress of the seasons. With the race against the oncoming winter and dealing with gear, fitness, injury, sickness and motivation, the story is gripping and entertaining. 85% of people who set out fail. Would Fozzie be one of them?
All in all I would thoroughly recommend this as an entertaining read for people who have done or aspire to hike the PCT or other trail, armchair adventurers, or simply to understand the lure of these big walks to 'normal' people. Keith writes well, has a great story to tell, met some fabulous people and relays this with enthusiasm. I'll look forward to a book about the Appalachian Trail in about 18 months time, hopefully!
Hopefully, having read this review you'll hop over to Lulu and go buy this book. It's $15.40 at the time of writing, a bargain (and no, I bought the book and am not affiliated by any other means other than that I enjoyed it)! What are you waiting for?