All Gone to Look for America: Riding the Iron Horse Across a Continent

by Peter Millar

At the age of 52, with a shoestring budget, a backpack, and an open mind, Peter Millar set about rediscovering the U.S. by following the ravaged and reduced railroad network. He traversed the continent, talking to people, taking in their stories and their concerns, shaking stereotypes, and challenging preconceptions, while watching the vast American landscape unfold in slow motion. In the tradition of Bill Bryson and Paul Theroux, this inland empire' offers a wry, witty, and intelligent look at America. Peter Millar is a journalist who was named Foreign Correspondent of the Year for his coverage of the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. He is the author of two novels, three translations from the German, and one book of oral history.

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction

336 pages, Paperback

First published January 8, 2009

About the author

Peter Millar is an award-winning British journalist, author and translator, and has been a correspondent for Reuters, Sunday Times and Sunday Telegraph. He was named Foreign Correspondent of the Year for his reporting on the dying stages of the Cold War, his account of which – 1989: The Berlin Wall, My Part in its Downfall – was named ‘best read’ by The Economist. An inveterate wanderer since his youth, Peter Millar grew up in Northern Ireland and studied at Magdalen College, Oxford. Before and during his university years, he hitchhiked and travelled by train throughout most of Europe, including behind the Iron Curtain to Moscow and Leningrad, as well as hitchhiking barefoot from Dubrovnik to Belfast after being robbed in the former Yugoslavia. He has had his eyelashes frozen in the coldest inhabited place on Earth - Oymyakon, eastern Siberia, where temperatures reach minus 71ºC, was fried at 48ºC in Turkmenistan, dipped his toes in the Mississippi, the Mekong and the Nile, the Dniepr and the Danube, the Rhine and the Rhone, the Seine and the Spree. He crisscrossed the USA by rail for his book All Gone To Look for America and rattled down the spine of Cuba for Slow Train to Guantanamo. He has lived and worked in Paris, Brussels, Berlin, Warsaw and Moscow, attended the funerals of two Soviet leaders, been blessed six times by Pope John Paul II (which would have his staunch Protestant ancestors spinning in their graves), and he has survived multiple visits to the Munich Oktoberfest and the enduring agony of supporting Charlton Athletic. Peter speaks French, German, Russian and Spanish, and is married with two grown-up sons. He splits his time between Oxfordshire and London, and anywhere else that will have him.

Reviews

[Vicki · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book I really did, after all I love America, I like train rides and the author quoted my very favourite Simon and Garfunkel song in the title. But ultimately I felt it was poorly researched, contained quite a few spelling mistakes/typos and left me feeling sorry for the author as he seemed to have a fairly large chip on his shoulder about America and the American lifestyle. As a fellow Brit I can understand the author's love for a beer or two but by the end of the book I felt like that all he did was lurch from pub to pub during his journey without ever trying to get to know the towns in which he was staying.

[Dan McLaughlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a Yankophile, I love picking up travel books about the United States. It was fascinating to follow Peter travelling across the US on the train. It is a witty and honest account, chronicling the highs and lows of the journey. His dry humour and occasionally scathing remarks are refreshingly honest and entertaining. His love of real ale and beer, making an appearance throughout, makes him a man after my own heart. It does not shy away from the downs of the trip, and it makes you wish other travel writers would not gloss over the negatives they experience. The best way to describe Peter Millar is a Northern Irish Bill Bryson.

[David Canford · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some good descriptive writing and interesting facts and history I never knew as he writes of his journey around America by train. I wasn't so keen on the micro brewery visits which he sought out in the cities he visited as I much prefer cold American "beer" to the warm English stuff but that definitely puts me in a minority in England.

[Chrissy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A glimpse back at the US nearly 20 years ago. Amusing and accurate in his observations of the US destroying much of its heritage in certain cities, for vacant car lots and faceless malls. Also very good on the difficulties of being a pedestrian in many US cities.

Interesting snippets of history unearthed on Peter Millar's train travels from eastern to western USA and back again via the south.

Some of the horrors of a country that has long been capitalism on steroids are captured well, alongside the vastness and natural beauty that just about survives.

The author, a British journalist (beware though, he used to write for the right wing Times and Telegraph), is described by some as being in the mould of a Bill Bryson, Paul Theroux style of travel writer.

Witty and informative and I enjoyed reading this whilst travelling round the US myself.

One star docked for Millar's casual sexism which nearly stopped me from reading any further ("the wife", "girls" when referring to women).

[Esi_70 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed hearing from first hand experience about the US as I'm very interested in that country. Sadly, it has confirmed my concerns and I won't go there unless I get to know someone and feel safe travelling that troubled, brutal and highly dysfunctional country.

[David]

I got bored with it, I might go back to it at a later date. I was quite interested with his description of the cities and towns stops that he made, but I lost interest when he went of with the palaeontologist looking for dinosaur bones.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was okay. He doesn't seem to like Americans (fair) and really doesn't like fat people. He spent more time in bars over the first half of the book than I have in my life, so he's not really seeing interesting things on this trip.

[Judith Rich · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was slightly disappointed by this - I love reading about train travel, but being allergic to alcohol, I'm not massively interested in microbreweries. It was also a bit depressing in places, reading how older town centres have become neglected in favour of out of town shopping malls, historic buildings left to decay, etc - I get the feeling this is a warning from the author to city councils in our own native UK. Overall, though, it was a fairly interesting portrait of the country from a different viewpoint.

My edition had a few typos and a few clangers - Dahomey & Benin aren't two separate countries, it was Christian Slater who replaced River Phoenix in "Interview With The Vampire" and I think he may have confused "Siddhartha" with "Steppenwolf" (although I could be wrong on that). Also the print was really tiny, making it hard to read even with my glasses. So thumbs down to the proofreader / editor and publisher.

[Greg · Rating 4 out of 5]

The greatest asset of this book is that it was written by an Englishman. Armed with his experiences of efficient public transportation and compact walkable cities from his homeland, Millar gives insightful commentary on the American cities he visits. Going beyond the simple observations that every American downtown is run-down and unwalkable (which are true), he points out simple American oddities that can only be noticed by a foreigner. Of course, as an Englishman, he tends to enjoy American food and drink.

[Michael Dodd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Given America’s history with the railroad it seems a crying shame that only about 10% of rail journeys nowadays are made by passengers – all the rest is freight. In writing All Gone to Look for America, Peter Millar has given us a beer- and music-fuelled insight into the America of today as seen from the windows of the Hiawatha, the California Zephyr and the Empire Builder, grand old dames of the American railroad.

See the full review at http://trackofwords.wordpress.com/201...

[Michael Castro · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting account of the authors travels by train around the United States. His witty and sometimes hilarious comments reminded me of Bill Bryson's view of the English in 'Notes from a Small Island' He did seem to have a bit of a chip on his shoulder regarding his view of America and Americans and this was negatively reflected in his writing.

Not one of my favorite travel books compared to Bill Bryson or Paul Theroux. He did seem to find solace in the form of a good micro-brew.

[Alison · Rating 1 out of 5]

I had high hopes but felt that the author lost his way a bit. It seemed as though he got bored with the trip, as happens in many travel books I feel. Struggled to stay positive and finish it.

PS-Buffalo is an amazing city, as I'd imagine most of the other cities he didn't speak to highly off are. Sometimes you just have to give a place a chance-a little more than 24 hours would help!

[Isabelle]

I really enjoyed the first few chapters, and found it fascinating. However the format and style of the text is really hard to read, so I am going to see if I can get hold of a different copy. Brilliant start to I am sure what will be a great book...

[Robert Williams · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not bad but lacks the humour of Bill Bryson. Would I read anything else by him, probably not. Think there are better travel writers out there. Hoped for so much more.