In the Footsteps of Thoreau: 25 Historic & Nature Walks on Cape Cod - Softcover

Gamble, Adam

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0965328309 ISBN 13: 9780965328302

Publisher: On Cape Publications, 1997

Synopsis

This classic regional title is a practical hiking guide to one of America's most popular vacation destinations, a historical guide to 19th-century Cape Cod, and a literary guide to one of the world's most beloved writers and philosophers all in one. It includes walking routes—ranging from a quarter-mile to 14 miles, fascinating entries on many of the Cape's most famous historic cites, detailed hiking maps, illustrations of subjects Henry David Thoreau saw and wrote about while on Cape Cod, dozens of inspiring quotes from Thoreau on the "Art of Walking," and informative essays on Thoreau and 19th-century Cape Cod.

About this title

About the Author

Adam Gamble is a writer and photographer is the publisher of the regional book company On Cape Publications, where he has edited and overseen the production of dozens of books in a variety of genres. He is the author of A Public Betrayed and authored titles in the Good Night Our World series of boardbooks.

From the Inside Flap

- 25 Historic walking routes, ranging from a quarter of a mile to 14 miles. - 55 fascinating entries on many of the Cape s most famous historic sites. - 30 up-to-date, detailed hiking maps across Cape Cod. - 30 Superb illustrations of subjects Henry David Thoreau saw and wrote about while on Cape Cod. - Dozens of inspiring quotes from Thoreau on the Art of Walking . - Informative essays on Thoreau and the 19th Century Cape Cod he loved. - A user-friendly design that makes it easy to tailor this book to your walking needs and preferences.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

GETTING STARTED In the Footsteps of Thoreau. Henry David Thoreau was a dedicated walker with an unsurpassed passion for the outdoors. He was a gifted observer of the natural world and an accomplished surveyor who kept detailed records of where he went and what he saw. His nature Classic Cape Cod is widely considered to be the finest book ever written about this part of New England. Who could be a better Cape Cod walking guide and companion than Thoreau himself? In the Footsteps of Thoreau is based on the premise that by better understanding Thoreau s legendary experiences on Cape Cod, our own experiences on this precious peninsula can be greatly enriched. In 1854, one reviewer of Thoreau s recently-published Walden, or Life in the Woods, Wrote:

If men were to follow in Mr. Thoreau s steps, by being more obedient to their loftiest instincts, there would, indeed, be a falling off in the splendor of our houses, in the richness of our furniture and dress, in the luxury of our tables, but how poor are these things in comparison with the new grandeur and beauty which would appear in the souls of men... Such is the spirit in which In the footsteps of Thoreau has been Written nearly a century and a half later. All of the routes in this guide are based on Thoreau s actual walks as recorded in Cape Cod and Thoreau s Journal. They have been selected with the aid of 19th-Century maps of the area, Thoreau s own hand-made maps of the Cape, recent topographical maps, aerial photographs and a great deal of legwork in the field. In addition to the twenty-five walks in this book, the sites section includes fifty-five roads, rivers, lighthouses, windmills and other historic sites, most of which Thoreau wrote about and can still be visited today. Furthermore, this book features many illustrations of places, plants, and animals encountered by Thoreau that are still found on the Cape. Quotations are also used throughout this book as examples of what Thoreau though while he was here, and to serve as inspirations for each walkers own adventures. It should be emphasized that In the Footsteps of Thoreau was not conceived to help walkers imitate Thoreau or to re-enact his Cape Cod experiences. This book is designed as a tool to provide a new approach for understanding one of America s greatest writers, and to assist walkers in discovering the many wonders of Cape Cod for themselves. Thoreau once wrote: I desire that there be as many different persons in the world as possible; but I would have each one be very careful to find out and pursue his own way and not his father s or mother s or his neighbor s instead With this in mind, it is hoped that those who follow In the footsteps of Thoreau will come away with an enhanced appreciation of not only Thoreau s Cape Cod, but their own Cape Cod.

Edition details

• Publisher: On Cape Publications
• Publication date: 1997
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0965328309
• ISBN 13: 9780965328302
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 270