It is not surprising that an enterprise as monumental as a 2,190-mile hiking trail would be fraught with challenges: conceptual, physical, political, and financial. Blend in strong personalities, deeply held beliefs, and competing interests, and you’ve got yourself quite a story. Jeffrey Ryan has written a tightly researched, well-crafted book that will interest both hiking enthusiasts and history buffs, while also satisfying readers who like their sagas spicy and their heroes flawed.
— Lucille Stott, Appalachia Magazine, Winter/Spring 2018
Appalachia, America’s longest-running journal of mountaineering and conservation, recently published a wonderful review of my book, Blazing Ahead: Benton MacKaye, Myron Avery and the Rivalry that Built the Appalachian Trail (of which the above excerpt is merely the first paragraph). Thank you, Lucille, for providing such a well considered and well-crafted review.