Neil King Jr. - American Ramble: A Walk Of Memory And Renewal

In this episode, we explore Neil King Jr.'s stunning memoir, American Ramble, which recounts his 26-day journey from Washington, D.C., to New York City, and the insights he gained about America's shared ground and personal renewal along the way.

Neil King Jr. is a former national security reporter and editor for the Wall Street Journal He was deeply involved in the coverage of 9/11 that won the JournalNew York Times, The Atlantic, The Wall Street Journal and many others. American Ramble is his first book. He lives in New York City and Washington, D.C.

ABOUT AMERICAN RAMBLE

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 mind: 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 destination: 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. King says of his memoir, "I couldn't be prouder of American Ramble as a book that revives a faded tradition In American travel writing that weaves travelogue with memoir and history and, yes, even some philosophy. It is a quiet, very personal book, but at the same time wide open and welcoming to any reader. It says: 'Come on a long walk with me. Let's talk.'"

American Ramble: A Walk of Memory and Renewal available on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/American-Ramble-Walk-Memory-Renewal/dp/035870149X

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