The 50 Greatest Walks of the World

by Barry Stone

Barry Stone, author of 1,001 Walks You Must Experience Before You Die, delves into some of the lesser-known aspects of the world's most famous — and not-quite-famous-yet — trails.

In this perfect accompaniment to practical guidebooks, Stone relates how slings and carabiners kept him from falling headlong off the Sydney Harbour Bridge, and reports on the progress of the continental-wide monster, the Trans Canada Trail, which has gaps still being filled by countless grass-roots communities.

With walks that will appeal to everyone regardless of ability, The 50 Greatest Walks of the World includes American classics such as the Appalachian Trail, Buckskin Gulch, and the Bright Angel Trail to Phantom Ranch, as well as personal favorites such as Italy's Cinque Terre Classic and the Isle of Skye's Trotternish Ridge, one of Britain's finest ridge traverses with almost 2,500m of ascents. Whether it's a climb, a stroll, or a life-changing slog, this book has the walk for you.

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction, Adventure

304 pages, Paperback

Published April 7, 2016

Reviews

[P.H. Wilson]

Real rating: 2.2
Like most "insert numeral" greatest "insert topic" books no one is going to agree with all that is listed, however this piece of nonfiction goes out of its way to oversell its premise. there are 50 walks but 34 of them are in Britain, one of the smallest areas in the world contains almost all of the most beautiful walks in the world and giant patches of the rest of the world are completely unlisted.

[Nenya]

I couldn't rate this book for the simple reason that I treat it as a mere list that meets my current needs. I don't believe that 75% of the greatest walks of the world are to be found only in Britain but the book is a useful starting point, personally, for planning long weekends. It could have been more engaging and a much better travel guide than it really is.

[Jade Louise]

I do like nature, the outdoors and a good walk, however I should maybe preface this review by saying I didn't pick up this book (or read other such types of books) as a research tool with the hopes of enjoying one of these many walks... Quite the opposite. I'm no long distance walker - honestly, my body probably wouldn't withstand that - but I do love reading and learning about walks, travels and adventures. I find all that the world encompasses to be an amazing thing, and so I love to read about it. That's why I read these types of books... To learn and to explore, through words.

In this book, I found Barry Stone's writing style to be perfect for the reasons why I picked up this book - it was informative and knowledgeable, whilst remaining engaging and personable.

Of course this book is Barry Stone's words and experiences, and with that in mind, it is worth mentioning that over 30 of the 50 walks featured are actually in the UK. Personally, I had anticipated a little more variety location wise, but obviously this book is the work of one individual and their experiences.

All in all, an enjoyable read - especially if you like to read nonfiction writing regarding travel/outdoors, and are looking to learn a little bit of history surrounding some of the most traversed places in the world.

[Lorraine]

As others have pointed out, this is the authors opinion on the 50 greatest walks and is very U.K. focused. But it was a good armchair travel book during social isolation. Certainly not a guidebook to plan a major trip around, but a brief introduction to many trails around the world, some familiar and some not so. It was a good book to read before bed, as each walk is a short chapter.