The Appalachian Trail: Celebrating America’s Hiking Trail was recently named 2012 Book of the Year in the adult nonfiction/nature category by ForeWord Reviews. Published in celebration of the 75th anniversary of the Appalachian Trail (A.T.), the book documents the significance of the A.T with historical essays and full-color photos. The Appalachian Trail: Celebrating America’s Hiking Trail, published by Rizzoli International, explores America’s best known hiking path in detail and includes 300 contemporary photos of scenes on the Trail as well as previously unpublished historical photos, documents, and maps from the Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) archives. The ForeWord Reviews Book of the Year award is an effort to celebrate the best independently published books each year. The Book of the Year awards process asks a jury of readers, librarians and booksellers to select and review titles in areas of their personal expertise. Their decisions take into consideration editorial excellence, professional production, originality of the narrative, author credentials relative to the book, and the value the title adds to its genre. Other accolades awarded to the book include being named number one among the 2012 holiday season’s book picks by Parade magazine, listed among Publisher’s Weekly’s top ten travel books of fall 2012, and named a best book of the month by Amazon.com. Author Brian B. King has worked for the Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) in a number of roles since 1987, most frequently as publisher and director of public affairs. King’s extensive research and knowledge of the Trail were integral to the creation of the book. “The story behind the Appalachian Trail’s development is little-known but encompasses nine decades of work by hundreds of people in private life and public service, from legislative clerks up to presidents and their families. The editors, designers, and executives at Rizzoli did a magnificent job in helping the Appalachian Trail Conservancy bring this story to broader public attention,” said King. The book includes a full-sized map of the A.T. and a foreword by best-selling author Bill Bryson, who recounted his 1996 attempt to hike the Trail in his book, A Walk in the Woods. For more information or to purchase a copy of the book, visit www.atctrailstore.org.
