The Earth Beneath My Feet: A 7,000-Mile Walk of Discovery into the Heart of Wild Nature (A 7,000 Walk of Discovery into the Heart of Wild Nature)

by Andrew Terrill

Description

The Earth Beneath My Feet is the first of two books that describe an epic 7,000-mile wilderness walk across an entire continent. Like millions of people, Andrew Terrill grew up on the edge of a big city. But for Terrill, suburban life felt predictable and crowded - the days lacked purpose and meaning. What he craved was a life of freedom, adventure and simplicity, and after nearly dying in the Swiss Alps that was the life he chose. In May 1997 he left his London home and travelled to the show more southernmost point of Calabria, Italy. Once there, he turned north and began walking, headed for Norway's North Cape. Leaving civilisation behind, Terrill journeyed deep into the 'other Europe', the hidden wilderness Europe that still exists beyond road's end. Hiking from the Apennine mountain range - a wild side of Italy few outsiders ever know - to the vast northern wildernesses of Arctic Norway, Terrill immersed himself in the natural world, forever seeking a deeper connection with it. The 18-month journey became a voyage of discovery, unveiling the secrets and treasures of Europe's least-known places. The miles brought hardships and struggles, pushed Terrill to his limits, but ultimately led to unimaginable rewards. The Earth Beneath My Feet covers the journey's first eight months, taking readers the entire length of Italy during a searing-hot summer, and across Austria into the depths of an Alpine winter. It is a compelling tale of adventure told with freshness, optimism, wonder and youthful enthusiasm - an inspiring true story of a young man who chose to embrace life and live it to the full. show less

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Ignatius777 60 reviews

Before the era of self publishing and 'I've just done something that 100's of other folk have done but it's all about me, and even though I can't write, I'll still clog up Kindle Unlimited with my poor written and uninspiring claptrap' (cynical me, never ..) there were a handful of writers that did epic walks and could make them interesting (Chris Townsend , Nick Crane in particular).

This wholeheartedly deserves to stand along side them. I wish it had been written or published before the era of Kindles as sadly it may get lost in the drivel out there. This stands out above the pack for many reasons - the author's genuine love of nature/solitude/wild places and communicated across, bringing the reader into his world and for want of a show more better word 'quest'. It would be a challenging undertaking now, but back then before internet access and GPS, you could understand his parents concern about the dangers involved.

The starting of his journey - in the South of Italy - is particularly impressive for various reasons, the reader will need to discover these for themselves. This is the first half and it's still a long book, but only at times - towards the end - did I wish it to hurry along. However the Appenines section is travel/nature writing at it's best and I don't say that lightly. show less

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