American Nomads

Richard Grant (2003)

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THE A5 BOOK REVIEW

American Nomads is a book that explores the wandering life. British journalist Richard Grant spent fifteen years roaming around the wide-open spaces in the western United States, drawn to a segment of society that was doing the same thing. He meets truckers, flea market traders, RV-living retirees and hitchhikers, all united by this lifestyle and the freedom that comes by being on the road. Grant also weaves in some well-researched history of those who explored this area before, with vivid accounts of the lives of American Indians, frontiersman, and fur trappers. Finally, the book also is a memoir for Grant, a journey of discovery for himself that is filled with some hilarious stories and an insightful examination into what is like to truly hit the road.

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OTHER A5 RECOMMENDED TRAVEL BOOKS - RICHARD GRANT

Richard Grant is a superb freelance English travel writer who now lives in Mississippi, best known for his writing on exploration and culture. He has published a number of books including two travelogues: God's Middle Finger (2008) recounting travels in a dangerous part of Mexico and a truly crazy travelogue called Crazy River: Exploration and Folly in East Africa (2011). Click here to learn more about Richard Grant and his work.

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GREAT QUOTES FROM AMERICAN NOMADS

“Looking back at my own American wanderings, they seem to flow together as one: memories strung out on a single cord of highway, fourteen years long and headed no where in particular. I like to think I have tasted freedom, but I also recognize the signs and snares of addiction. After a while, wandering creates its own momentum, its own set of cravings, phobias and justifications. I like to think of it as an adventure, a perpetual seeking out of new horizons and adventures, but like so many endeavors of this kind, it also has been an act of flight - away from a point in space and time, away from routines and responsibilities, away from a state of mind."

INTERESTING LINKS:

Listen to book critic David Kipen's NPR review on American Nomads.
Richard Grant later turned the book into a documentary film for the BBC. Find out more by visiting his website, or by seeing the preview below.