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American Ramble: A Walk of Memory and Renewal
“American Ramble is a dazzling mixture of travelogue, memoir, and history. At times profound, funny, and heartbreaking, this is the story of a traveler intoxicated by life. I couldn’t put it down.” — Nathaniel Philbrick A stunning, revelatory memoir about a 330-mile walk from Washington, D.C., to New York City—an unforgettable pilgrimage to the heart of America across some of our oldest common ground. Neil King Jr.’s desire to walk from Washington, D.C., to New York City began as a whim and soon became an obsession. By the spring of 2021, events had intervened that gave his desire greater urgency. His neighborhood still reeled from the January 6th insurrection. Covid lockdowns and a rancorous election had deepened America’s divides. Neil himself bore the imprints of a long battle with cancer. Determined to rediscover what matters in life and to see our national story with new eyes, Neil turned north with a small satchel on his back and one mission in To pay close attention to the land he crossed and the people he met. What followed is an extraordinary 26-day journey through historic battlefields and cemeteries, over the Mason-Dixon line, past Quaker and Amish farms, along Valley Forge stream beds, atop a New Jersey trash mound, across New York Harbor, and finally, to his ultimate the Ramble, where a tangle of pathways converges in Central Park. The journey travels deep into America’s past and present, uncovering forgotten pockets and overlooked people. At a time of mounting disunity, the trip reveals the profound power of our shared ground. By turns amusing, inspiring, and sublime, American Ramble offers an exquisite account of personal and national renewal—an indelible study of our country as we’ve never seen it before.
368 pages, Paperback
Published March 12, 2024
424 people are currently reading
5277 people want to read
About the author
Neil King Jr.
2 books29 followersNeil Caldwell King Jr. was an American journalist and author. He shared in the Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Reporting in 2002. His first book, American Ramble: A Walk of Memory and Renewal, was published by HarperCollins in 2023.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 352 reviews
May 20, 2023
Educational and entertaining are two objectives that are often difficult to pull off, but Neil King manages to do it. A cancer survivor, later in life with an appreciation for history, an ability to do deep research and an ability to transform his experiences and findings into an excellent story, Neil sets out from Washington, D.C. with an objective of walking to New York City, stopping along the way to explore historical sites that have piqued his interest. I used the audio version and the narrator did such an excellent job I thought it was the author. Not exactly roughing it, he stays in motels and B&Bs, eating at restaurants or as a guest of the folks he encounters along the way.
I was surprised that a number of folks only awarded a one star rating and when I examined their reviews it seems they were complaining that he lets his liberal politics interfere with his reporting. Really, thinks I, an ex reporter for the Wall St. Journal a flaming liberal? Not likely. So reviewing the story I remembered that he engaged a couple of Trump fans and I guess they way you make them look bad is the same way you make Trump look bad - quote them!
I felt he was pretty even handed with the folks he met and frankly, part of the charm of the book is his even handed approach to folks of different beliefs, styles and circumstances. A great read, especially if you occasionally get a case of wanderlust. It is an interesting world out there.
I was surprised that a number of folks only awarded a one star rating and when I examined their reviews it seems they were complaining that he lets his liberal politics interfere with his reporting. Really, thinks I, an ex reporter for the Wall St. Journal a flaming liberal? Not likely. So reviewing the story I remembered that he engaged a couple of Trump fans and I guess they way you make them look bad is the same way you make Trump look bad - quote them!
I felt he was pretty even handed with the folks he met and frankly, part of the charm of the book is his even handed approach to folks of different beliefs, styles and circumstances. A great read, especially if you occasionally get a case of wanderlust. It is an interesting world out there.
January 20, 2023
A journalist seeking healing after treatment for cancer walks from Washington, DC to New York City. Along the way, he discovers the pleasures of actually seeing what's in front of him as he makes this pilgrimage. He meets Amish farmers, visits historical sites, struggles to find someone to give him water, and sleeps in both charming and icky B&Bs.
I enjoyed this book more than any I've read in a long time. The book is thoughtful and interesting, introduced me to history I didn't know, and made for excellent bedtime reading. I was glad the author made it to New York, but I'll miss reading about his wanderings.
Highly recommended.
I enjoyed this book more than any I've read in a long time. The book is thoughtful and interesting, introduced me to history I didn't know, and made for excellent bedtime reading. I was glad the author made it to New York, but I'll miss reading about his wanderings.
Highly recommended.
January 27, 2023
Do you know of a living person who has actually walked from Washington, DC to the Central Park in Manhattan, New York? For most people, the answer is no. If you dare to read an adventurous book titled, American Ramble, A Walk of Memory and Renewal, you will meet its author, Neil King Jr., who actually has accomplished such a feat in 26 days!
Yes, reading the book, you will get to know the founding heartland of America, his purpose, and revealing tidbits about its author too—that he went to Columbia University, that he studied philosophy, that he worked as a taxi driver, that he was an inveterate traveler, that he almost vowed to be a monk, but thought better of it and became a journalist—with an appreciation for literature and history.
As if reporting is not an all consuming job, at one time, he also thought of doing what the likes of Alexis de Tocqueville had done, see a bit of America on foot—one step at a time.
Along the way, many things happen to him, here is what stuck with me: Neil meets a Mennonite teacher called Neal who quotes him a line from Saint Paul, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by renewing of your mind.” Neil likes the line. Ditto for me. I think Holden Caulfield would have liked it too.
There is more. Benjamin Lay, a Quaker character out of America’s less honored past, delights you with his vision of an America without slaves before the American Revolution—think of the lives that could have been saved if the country had followed his vision. Albert Einstein, an immigrant, warms your heart with his humanity when he offers lodging to an African-American singer, Marian Anderson, because Princeton, where she sang, has no hotels for Blacks in its precincts at the time.
You are in for a treat—a wonderful book with the power to transform you for the better. You may even decide to emulate Mr. King—start walking a bit of America yourself! Your body will thank you for it—your doctor too! Your spirit will be renewed as well—that personally dealing with the real world, as generations of humans had done before the advent of fast vehicles, offers inimitable beauty and it is all chronicled in the pages of this tome.
Yes, reading the book, you will get to know the founding heartland of America, his purpose, and revealing tidbits about its author too—that he went to Columbia University, that he studied philosophy, that he worked as a taxi driver, that he was an inveterate traveler, that he almost vowed to be a monk, but thought better of it and became a journalist—with an appreciation for literature and history.
As if reporting is not an all consuming job, at one time, he also thought of doing what the likes of Alexis de Tocqueville had done, see a bit of America on foot—one step at a time.
Along the way, many things happen to him, here is what stuck with me: Neil meets a Mennonite teacher called Neal who quotes him a line from Saint Paul, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by renewing of your mind.” Neil likes the line. Ditto for me. I think Holden Caulfield would have liked it too.
There is more. Benjamin Lay, a Quaker character out of America’s less honored past, delights you with his vision of an America without slaves before the American Revolution—think of the lives that could have been saved if the country had followed his vision. Albert Einstein, an immigrant, warms your heart with his humanity when he offers lodging to an African-American singer, Marian Anderson, because Princeton, where she sang, has no hotels for Blacks in its precincts at the time.
You are in for a treat—a wonderful book with the power to transform you for the better. You may even decide to emulate Mr. King—start walking a bit of America yourself! Your body will thank you for it—your doctor too! Your spirit will be renewed as well—that personally dealing with the real world, as generations of humans had done before the advent of fast vehicles, offers inimitable beauty and it is all chronicled in the pages of this tome.
August 9, 2023
While I learned some new things about American history and I was intrigued by the author's journey and purpose, I failed to capture my attention and I found myself anxious to just finish it.
October 19, 2024
I thoroughly enjoyed this memoir of a walk over a section of America that is not usually thought of as “walkable.” I learned a lot about parts of our history as a nation and felt like I had met many of the people the author encountered along the way. This was a perfect book to sit down to by flashlight during our two weeks of no power and our days of hard work after Hurricane Helene. It kept me grounded outside of my own life at a time when I needed reminding of the bigger world and of happier days.
January 4, 2024
The walk itself is a cool premise for a story, and King seems like a likable guy, but en masse this reads mostly like a diary that isn’t all that interesting. I didn’t really learn anything from it, it’s short on any kind of interesting insight or perspective, and the historical references are often niche and unimportant.
August 11, 2023
Let’s call it 4.5. I liked this one quite a lot, and I think it will stick with me for awhile. It had some of the best attributes of both Timothy Egan’s A Pilgrimage to Eternity and Bill Bryson’s The Road to Little Dribbling (or Notes from a Small Island). For me the book was at its best when the author (the walker?) focused on the walk, the people he met, and reflections on his life. It’s about a type of pilgrimage, and of course a sense of place and time matters, and he did a nice job of giving you a sense of that along his path from DC to NYC — the couple out for a walk, the Amish kids playing softball, the topography of the Maryland and New Jersey countryside, etc. What I struggled with was the very extended historical lessons, which seemed unnecessary or perhaps out of proportion and discordant with the tale of the journey. Same for some of the labored connections to current politics and tribalism. But it was his journey not mine, and if the walk made him ponder 18th century Pennsylvania prisons or the tortured history of the Valley Forge national park, so be it. From my perspective, however, the reflections on his cancer battles, his friendships over time, the moments with various hosts, strangers, and shopkeepers, and even his fondness for his pack and worn out walking shoes were far more interesting and profound.
February 3, 2024
A fine book that I thoroughly enjoyed reading. I can't recall how I ran across it, but I'm glad I did. Maybe it was accidentally in an actual bookstore (Scuppernong?).
Unlike a walk of the Appalachian Trail A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail, this was as much about the people and the history as it was about the nature. The author had done considerable research of the history and geography of his possible routes from DC to NYC and chose his way accordingly. (And there is a lot of US history along that corridor.) But he was also open to the people he met and the things he learned along the way. This was also unlike The Rings of Saturn which focused not on the people along the way but on the destruction, disintegration, degradation and devastation in his walking tour of Eastern England. While the author acknowledged some of that, he also was open to the creation, growth, and variety of life. An intelligent, uplifting but tempered book.
Unlike a walk of the Appalachian Trail A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail, this was as much about the people and the history as it was about the nature. The author had done considerable research of the history and geography of his possible routes from DC to NYC and chose his way accordingly. (And there is a lot of US history along that corridor.) But he was also open to the people he met and the things he learned along the way. This was also unlike The Rings of Saturn which focused not on the people along the way but on the destruction, disintegration, degradation and devastation in his walking tour of Eastern England. While the author acknowledged some of that, he also was open to the creation, growth, and variety of life. An intelligent, uplifting but tempered book.
February 9, 2024
I drove through the town roads and wandered on the streets of cities covered here so enjoyed hearing King’s ramblings. If you like travelogues or memoirs you might enjoy the American Rambler as well. Just keep in mind that you’ll be walking through a segment of the eastern US. It is not a pilgrimage of first colonies nor full history or socioeconomics of the current states, still gives you a good glimpse of actual america behind glimmers of the skyscrapers.
January 2, 2026
I read this because the author decided to walk through a part of Pennsylvania that I am curious about. And since I will never be able to do that walk, which I agree with him is probably the best way to get to know an area, I thought I would see what he had to say.
He walked from Washington, D.C. through York County, PA, through Lancaster County, through Chester County to Philadelphia. In York he met farmers that weren't as curious about him as they probably should have been and in Lancaster County, he spent plenty of time talking with Amish or Amish-adjacent folks. Again, he seemed to have little impact on them, at least the way he tells it. I mean, if I met someone walking from D,C. to Philly, I'd want to know quite a lot about him to figure out why.
Anyway, it sort of drooped off into a shrug.
He walked from Washington, D.C. through York County, PA, through Lancaster County, through Chester County to Philadelphia. In York he met farmers that weren't as curious about him as they probably should have been and in Lancaster County, he spent plenty of time talking with Amish or Amish-adjacent folks. Again, he seemed to have little impact on them, at least the way he tells it. I mean, if I met someone walking from D,C. to Philly, I'd want to know quite a lot about him to figure out why.
Anyway, it sort of drooped off into a shrug.
September 10, 2023
4.5*
I am a big fan of this book. Really enjoyed the writing, the pace, and the overall messages. The book and story have applicability for me and for my friends which is helpful. I am also a fan of Emerson and Thoreau whose interests in walking and nature were also noted. If you are an American history fan, you will be a fan of this book, too. I'm not really but the way the author wove it in, I'm a fan.
Here are some moments:
- I returned to the main highway a different person in the same shoes.
- As soon as you defeat your enemy you turn back to your differences. [Not a happy commentary, but a logical statement.]
- The feeling that you belong where you are is the ultimate human priveledge - the state we all yearn to achieve as we go forward. That sense of being at east in the place you stand.
- The days and all those steps had pried open a part of the human spirit that magnifies the potency of otherwise simple things and grants the commonplace a touch of the divine.
Recommend.
I am a big fan of this book. Really enjoyed the writing, the pace, and the overall messages. The book and story have applicability for me and for my friends which is helpful. I am also a fan of Emerson and Thoreau whose interests in walking and nature were also noted. If you are an American history fan, you will be a fan of this book, too. I'm not really but the way the author wove it in, I'm a fan.
Here are some moments:
- I returned to the main highway a different person in the same shoes.
- As soon as you defeat your enemy you turn back to your differences. [Not a happy commentary, but a logical statement.]
- The feeling that you belong where you are is the ultimate human priveledge - the state we all yearn to achieve as we go forward. That sense of being at east in the place you stand.
- The days and all those steps had pried open a part of the human spirit that magnifies the potency of otherwise simple things and grants the commonplace a touch of the divine.
Recommend.
June 9, 2024
This was a wonderful read. It is a great travel story but it is also filled with spiritual musings and curious tales of obscure American history. The premise is that Neil King Jr. has received a cancer diagnosis and his brother is also dying. He gets it treated and it goes into remission, but his brother is less lucky. These experiences, along with the Covid pandemic, inspires him to walk from Baltimore to New York during the Spring of 2021. I can't quite determine the exact dates of his walk, but it seems like he departs in late Winter/early Spring and walks for over a month, through April and early May. There are several interesting encounters with people and places related. I picked this up because I was having a season of enthusiasm for hiking, and this really inspired me. King's book restores a sense of wonder to the humdrum world. Books like this give force to the idea that the created have been formed to bear witness to the wonder of creation.
January 2, 2023
Many thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!
Following a cancer diagnosis, a WSJ reporter walks from NYC to Washington DC. Wonderfully written and a joy to read. As you'd guess, this is not a "typical read", of course. The reporter talks and listens to America during his journey. If you like to hear what America is really like (now), or enjoy travel writing, or love to hear a personal diary, you will love this. I'm glad that I took the 300+ mile journey with Mr. King. Highly recommended.
Following a cancer diagnosis, a WSJ reporter walks from NYC to Washington DC. Wonderfully written and a joy to read. As you'd guess, this is not a "typical read", of course. The reporter talks and listens to America during his journey. If you like to hear what America is really like (now), or enjoy travel writing, or love to hear a personal diary, you will love this. I'm glad that I took the 300+ mile journey with Mr. King. Highly recommended.
June 7, 2023
Hoped it would be better. Not enough personal information to feel like a memoir; not enough writing about place and route to feel like a travelogue; not enough detail on the places he visits to feel like a historical book.
April 20, 2023
On the heels of a cancer diagnosis, the pandemic and January 6th, author Neil King sets out on a quest to see what America is all about. Can simple kindness and searching for common ground help reunite us? In Spring 2021 King took a well-planned, 26-day trek from his home in DC to NYC (roughly following the route Washington took from Mt. Vernon to Manhattan for his first inauguration.) More than just a hike in the woods, King plods through mid-Atlantic neighborhoods, down city streets, along country roads and up a monumental trash dump all the while interacting with everyday folks and sharing his musings. There are also some pre-planned meet ups with local experts who contribute on a variety of topics from Native American petroglyphs in the Susquehanna to an Anababtist book of martyrs. As a travel guide King is great fun! He’s also a fine writer, indeed a Pulitzer Prize winner. He's smart, introspective, and has a knack for weaving history with the present. I enjoyed his thoughts about James Buchanan, Thaddeus Stevens and their place in history. It was cool to recognize specific areas King tramped through, so adventures in Lancaster and Bucks counties were among my favorites. Yes, there are plenty of other walking/hiking tales from Thoreau to Bryson to Grandma Gatewood, but Neil King’s ramble is uniquely uplifting and a balm for the soul! As divided as our country appears, American Ramble offers a ray of hope.
November 3, 2023
This wasn't as good as I hoped. At times the writing was very pretentious and philosophical. I did like that he was aware that being a white older man allowed him to do a lot of things on this walk that a person of color would not be able to, or at least with his level of safety. I enjoyed a lot of the history he discussed. His trip to the landfill seemed out of place with the theme of the rest of the walk. Overall this just didn't speak to me all the way through.
May 27, 2025
There was less things happening in this book and more talking about things happening. King’s dime store philosophizing didn’t impress me much. He’d try about once every three pages to extrapolate some grand, deep meaning from the most mundane thing and it got old pretty quick. He grants his whole walk this punchy spiritual heft like he’s on the cusp of entering fucking nirvana and it’s like dude, you are just walking with a pack every day then paying for a hotel room and ordering chick parm?? Hardly the journey of a pilgrim or an ascetic as he seems to style himself. Fast food bad, gas guzzling cars bad, phones bad, come people, follow me Neil King who has discovered the truth!! Turn off phone and listen to brook for five minutes and all your problems will be solved!! I sympathize with this view. I love nature. But come on man. This shit is so trite at this point.
I was ready to give it a better review at the beginning and it slipped in my graces. But the writing was good enough, and I enjoy travel stories as a rule, because they’re fun to imagine.
I was ready to give it a better review at the beginning and it slipped in my graces. But the writing was good enough, and I enjoy travel stories as a rule, because they’re fun to imagine.
June 26, 2024
Good history, polished prose.
December 13, 2025
Neil King Jr. sets off on a walk he has been planning for years making a trek from Washington D.C. to New York City. It's been delayed due his journalistic career, having a family, having cancer, and the Covid epidemic, but the day finally arrives when it can finally happen; it must happen.
Extensive study of the route had King pouring over old maps along with researching and familiarizing himself with not only prominent figures in United States history but also lesser known individuals who nonetheless impacted the development of the area between the nation's first capital and our current capital. His overall goal, especially with the current populace being so politically divided, was to find what still binds us together as a people. Although the walk had to be highly structured in some ways to get around busy highways and across bodies of water, King made sure his daily walk allowed him the time necessary to talk with people, visit little known historic sites, and meet with historians and experts along the way that enriched his experience even further. The book includes a fair amount of not only political musings, but also addresses philosophical and religious aspects as well. If you love United States history, especially the founding period and the Revolutionary War along with the history of the Amish, Quakers, and Shakers, you'll enjoy this book. You'll also see through King's eyes what we have built, what we have lost, what we should cherish, and what we should consider striving for in the future. This book may not inspire you to put on your hiking boots, but to at least slow down and take a closer look at things and give our nation's past its due.
It took me awhile to read this book for a variety of reasons that I won't go into. Although I put it down at times for weeks on end, I was able to savor or ponder it and and easily rejoin King on his journey.
Extensive study of the route had King pouring over old maps along with researching and familiarizing himself with not only prominent figures in United States history but also lesser known individuals who nonetheless impacted the development of the area between the nation's first capital and our current capital. His overall goal, especially with the current populace being so politically divided, was to find what still binds us together as a people. Although the walk had to be highly structured in some ways to get around busy highways and across bodies of water, King made sure his daily walk allowed him the time necessary to talk with people, visit little known historic sites, and meet with historians and experts along the way that enriched his experience even further. The book includes a fair amount of not only political musings, but also addresses philosophical and religious aspects as well. If you love United States history, especially the founding period and the Revolutionary War along with the history of the Amish, Quakers, and Shakers, you'll enjoy this book. You'll also see through King's eyes what we have built, what we have lost, what we should cherish, and what we should consider striving for in the future. This book may not inspire you to put on your hiking boots, but to at least slow down and take a closer look at things and give our nation's past its due.
It took me awhile to read this book for a variety of reasons that I won't go into. Although I put it down at times for weeks on end, I was able to savor or ponder it and and easily rejoin King on his journey.
April 27, 2024
I listened to this book while jogging, and I was enjoying it so much that on the rare occasions when my surroundings distracted me from hearing about his journey, I backed up the audio and repeated. I didn't want to miss a step.
He describes in really precise detail a journey from his home in Washington D.C. to New York City, ending at the Ramble in Central Park. I'll leave it to the book blurb to tell you why he went, how long it took, and how he fared along the way. I'll just say that what he found along the way astonished me. He was walking in historic places, and at times met up with people who could tell him all about them--Valley Forge; unknown graves; peoples and places gone by. But he was also walking through the modern world, and some of the people he met up with were very much in that world.
He approached them all with what I'd term the "journalist's" mind--he listened or questioned or argued but all without expressing his own strong opinions. I came away not knowing much about his own politics, religion, or environmentalist views, but I did experience a delightfully diverse cross-section of other people's.
Delightful--it's a lovely word. And it's how I'd describe this book.
He describes in really precise detail a journey from his home in Washington D.C. to New York City, ending at the Ramble in Central Park. I'll leave it to the book blurb to tell you why he went, how long it took, and how he fared along the way. I'll just say that what he found along the way astonished me. He was walking in historic places, and at times met up with people who could tell him all about them--Valley Forge; unknown graves; peoples and places gone by. But he was also walking through the modern world, and some of the people he met up with were very much in that world.
He approached them all with what I'd term the "journalist's" mind--he listened or questioned or argued but all without expressing his own strong opinions. I came away not knowing much about his own politics, religion, or environmentalist views, but I did experience a delightfully diverse cross-section of other people's.
Delightful--it's a lovely word. And it's how I'd describe this book.
December 8, 2024
I'm predisposed to enjoying books on expeditions, through-hikes and walks, so Neil King Jr.'s journal of his amble from his home in Washington DC to NYC's Central Park was a draw for me. At times I Google-mapped his progress; oddly enough one of his stops in Amish country showed a location photo of Mennonite teens playing softball very similar to his illustration in the book (but it was not a copy of that, but of a photo posted to his IG account of the walk.)
What I didn't expect was to be so fascinated by all the American history he relates on his journey, from (not chronologically but during the course of his progress) crossing the Mason-Dixon line, following in George Washington's footsteps and river crossings, unearthing and revealing aspects of metropolitan NYC's industrial and societal past, among some more.
An interesting road trip read, but written in a deliberative and almost meditative way, as fits taking that trip at a walking pace, and describing each encounter moment by moment.
What I didn't expect was to be so fascinated by all the American history he relates on his journey, from (not chronologically but during the course of his progress) crossing the Mason-Dixon line, following in George Washington's footsteps and river crossings, unearthing and revealing aspects of metropolitan NYC's industrial and societal past, among some more.
An interesting road trip read, but written in a deliberative and almost meditative way, as fits taking that trip at a walking pace, and describing each encounter moment by moment.
February 8, 2025
Probably closer to 3.5 stars, but goshdarnit, I love a good story about a long walk. Except On the Road. What an overrated peace of slop.
How would I describe King as a writer? He's a journalist. And not just any journalist. He wrote for the Wall Street Journal. So King's writing is informative and detailed and better than mine. But you never get the joviality of Bill Bryson, or the passion of Susan Strayed. Naw, this guy is on a walk, and he has planned every step. Which makes for a much safer walk. And allows him to enjoy the scenery more, rather than constantly checking Google Maps. And creates opportunities to see sites of historical import.
But, King has very little spontaneity. Everything unexpected that happens is the result of someone else. He gets some surprising encounters. No celebrities or bear sightings- just people who change his perspective while he walks. King is respectfully aware of walking as a 60 year old white man. He knows that many of the doors that are open would not be open to other people, even if they were respected journalists. I appreciated that. I'm not sure it would have dawned on me in some places.
If you are from the Mid-Atlantic/Northeast, there will be 50 places within a reasonable drive, and that is always appealing. I would recommend this to your friend with the wanderlust. I'm not sure this holds a ton of appeal for a traditional reader.
How would I describe King as a writer? He's a journalist. And not just any journalist. He wrote for the Wall Street Journal. So King's writing is informative and detailed and better than mine. But you never get the joviality of Bill Bryson, or the passion of Susan Strayed. Naw, this guy is on a walk, and he has planned every step. Which makes for a much safer walk. And allows him to enjoy the scenery more, rather than constantly checking Google Maps. And creates opportunities to see sites of historical import.
But, King has very little spontaneity. Everything unexpected that happens is the result of someone else. He gets some surprising encounters. No celebrities or bear sightings- just people who change his perspective while he walks. King is respectfully aware of walking as a 60 year old white man. He knows that many of the doors that are open would not be open to other people, even if they were respected journalists. I appreciated that. I'm not sure it would have dawned on me in some places.
If you are from the Mid-Atlantic/Northeast, there will be 50 places within a reasonable drive, and that is always appealing. I would recommend this to your friend with the wanderlust. I'm not sure this holds a ton of appeal for a traditional reader.
April 27, 2025
Nonfiction, in general, is not often a sector of literature that I am drawn to. However, a recent obsession with journalism and a recommendation from my father led me to this book—and I am quite appreciative. I’ve thought in the last few days that it’s taken me too long to finish this, and while that’s partly true, I think I may have enjoyed it more by allowing it to sit with me for spans between chapters. American Ramble contains a philosophy that I’m increasingly attracted to: one of slowing down and experiencing the world—opposing the accepted fast pace of the modern world. This work is a great reflection on history, culture, and America as a diverse, evolving place. At the very least, I think I will be moved in the future to read other similar books—to get more out of my comfort zone. Recommend for those who enjoy a good walk.
July 18, 2023
I thoroughly enjoyed this pleasant walk of 330 miles from Washington D. C to New York City. He rambled through small towns, stopped and talked with folks, and had carefully planned destinations along the way. He visited ruins, museums, historical places like Valley Forge and Crossing the Delaware, even a garbage landfill. He got to know Amish, Quakers, and some rather eccentric historians and hosts where he spent nights. He also used phrases like: bolts of beauty, stricken with joy, flashes of enlightenment and intense thereness. What a good writer!
July 8, 2024
The author Neil King Jr. set out to walk from his home in Washington DC to Central Park in NYC. The trek took him 26 days. It also took him through parts of American history, from petroglyphs and mounds left behind by early native Americans to Valley Forge to the twin towers of the World Trade Center to Olmsted-designed Central Park--and slices of Americana in between. This is in part a pensive memoir on the meaning of the human condition and in part an examination of the checkered past of the American experiment in self-government. In all ways, it is brilliant and thought-provoking poetic prose.
August 8, 2025
Adventurous book told by the eyes and senses of Neil King Jr. At times, his journey from DC to NYC by foot made me want to follow suit and something of that caliber. The way he described all the places he passed through and all the people he met made this book that much more enjoyable and truly captivated my attention. Definitely made me feel like I was part of his journey in spirit. If you enjoy a little history of our country, then this book should surely be added to your list.
March 13, 2024
Neil King Jr.’s American Ramble is all the observation and education you would expect from a good Bill Bryson read with an added twist. King sees, gives the back story, and then walks the reader forward in time to understand how what he encounters relates to divisions in our country today. That’s a unique perspective.
My favorite sections included his ruminations on conformity as they relate to Paul’s advice in Romans, as well as King’s thoughts on his bout with cancer, “I like to say that I am in a clearing…not in the clear, but just in a wide clearing with the forest too far to see. I may be out of the woods, but I never know for how long.
I’m a walker. I appreciated King sharing his "saunter" with me.
My favorite sections included his ruminations on conformity as they relate to Paul’s advice in Romans, as well as King’s thoughts on his bout with cancer, “I like to say that I am in a clearing…not in the clear, but just in a wide clearing with the forest too far to see. I may be out of the woods, but I never know for how long.
I’m a walker. I appreciated King sharing his "saunter" with me.
February 18, 2025
Neil King, a well known journalist, decides that it is time for him to take a 25 day walking trip through parts of Northeastern America. There are many reasons for this: he is battling cancer, Covid lock down has ended, and the political climate of DC is fraught with a lot of anger. With only his backpack and a map, he leaves his home in Washington DC, travels through Maryland, the Amish country, New Jersey and finally ends up in New York City. This book is about his encounters and his reflections on history. It is an insightful book revealing the different faces of America.
February 24, 2024
I love a good walking memoir of a story & this was no exception! King eloquently recounts his walk from DC to NYC in musing thoughts & stirring detail along with encounters with strangers, personal realizations & a unique historical perspective on the roads we take & then forget about.
I have family of storytellers & the writing here feels like them telling stories to & about each other.
I have family of storytellers & the writing here feels like them telling stories to & about each other.
January 30, 2025
The idea of walking out your front door and exploring the world around you is one that is innate to the American character. Neil King Jr. not only did that, he also delved into the history of each place he rambled through. This is a remarkable book, an entertaining and enlightening read.
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