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Last American Man
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'It is almost impossible not to fall under the spell of Eustace Conway his accomplishments, his joy and vigor, seem almost miraculous' New York Times Review of Books 'A vigorous, engaging book Elizabeth Gilbert presents a warts-and-all portrait of Mr. Conway and a sophisticated understanding of why those warts are only natural' The New York Times 'A vivid, nuanced portrait of an endlessly complicated man' San Francisco Chronicle 'Gilbert artfully taps into this unique life to create a fascinating, deeply-thought-out and enthralling narrative' Los Angeles Times
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At the age of seventeen, Eustace Conway ditched the comforts of his suburban existence to escape to the wild. Away from the crushing disapproval of his father, he lived alone in a teepee in the mountains. Everything he needed he built, grew or killed. He made his clothes from deer he killed and skinned before using their sinew as sewing thread. But he didn't stop there. In the years that followed, he stopped at nothing in pursuit of bigger, bolder challenges. He travelled the Mississippi in a handmade wooden canoe; he walked the two-thousand-mile Appalachian Trail; he hiked across the German Alps in trainers; he scaled cliffs in New Zealand. One Christmas, he finished dinner with his family and promptly upped and left - to ride his horse across America. From South Carolina to the Pacific, with his little brother in tow, they dodged cars on the highways, ate road kill and slept on the hard ground. Now, more than twenty years on, Eustace is still in the mountains, residing in a thousand-acre forest where he teaches survival skills and attempts to instil in people a deeper appreciation of nature. But over time he has had to reconcile his ambitious dreams with the sobering realities of modernity. Told with Elizabeth Gilbert's trademark wit and spirit, this is a fascinating, intimate portrait of an endlessly complicated man: a visionary, a narcissist, a brilliant but flawed modern hero. The Last American Man is an unforgettable adventure story of an irrepressible life lived to the extreme. The Last American Man is a New York Times Notable Book and National Book Critics Circle Award Finalist.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
24 of 24 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I have read 'Eat, Pray, Love' from Elizabeth Gilbert twice and adored her witty, endearing ways of describing a very emotional time in her life (having been through a painful divorce myself, I could really relate!). I was therefore very eager to read another of her offerings and as I am an American (living in the UK but from the deep south originally), it made sense that the next book should be 'The Last American Man'. I can not praise this book highly enough.
Eustace Conway is one of the most fascinating real-life characters I have read in a non-fiction work in a VERY long time. Although compared to Davey Crockett, Daniel Boone and even a young Roosevelt, he is definitely a unique individual who's charismatic ways pull you in from the first few pages. It's especially interesting to witness an almost 'evolution of man' in the last several hundred years spread out before you in between the covers of the book.
Elizabeth Gilbert has captured his very essence and has told his story brilliantly (at least to this point in his life, as he's only 48 and I doubt his exciting adventuring around the world is over). After reading it I am ready to start planning a summer camp trip to Turtle Island for my youngest 2 sons when they are a bit older. My eldest son (who's 20) was an active member of the Scouts growing up and has pretty good survivalist skills, but having a summer camp like the one Eustace organises would have been invaluable in his education.
If you only read one non-fiction book this year, this should be the one :) 10/10
Eustace Conway is one of the most fascinating real-life characters I have read in a non-fiction work in a VERY long time. Although compared to Davey Crockett, Daniel Boone and even a young Roosevelt, he is definitely a unique individual who's charismatic ways pull you in from the first few pages. It's especially interesting to witness an almost 'evolution of man' in the last several hundred years spread out before you in between the covers of the book.
Elizabeth Gilbert has captured his very essence and has told his story brilliantly (at least to this point in his life, as he's only 48 and I doubt his exciting adventuring around the world is over). After reading it I am ready to start planning a summer camp trip to Turtle Island for my youngest 2 sons when they are a bit older. My eldest son (who's 20) was an active member of the Scouts growing up and has pretty good survivalist skills, but having a summer camp like the one Eustace organises would have been invaluable in his education.
If you only read one non-fiction book this year, this should be the one :) 10/10
11 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Like a previous reviewer I have been reading Eat, Pray & Love, which my wife also loved. Looking for a birthday present for her, I came across this one. It is certainly not easy to give books, but I am convinced she is going to like it.
Elisabeth Gilbert style of writing is very fluid and focused, so I was neither bored nor distracted reading her account of the life of an extraordinary man, Eustace Conway and his many adventures in Americas wilderness. Here is somebody who has taken self sufficiency to an extreme, not a mere dreamer but a survivor. Very inspiring.
Elisabeth Gilbert style of writing is very fluid and focused, so I was neither bored nor distracted reading her account of the life of an extraordinary man, Eustace Conway and his many adventures in Americas wilderness. Here is somebody who has taken self sufficiency to an extreme, not a mere dreamer but a survivor. Very inspiring.
Format:Paperback
The Last American Man is the first non-fiction book by Elizabeth Gilbert, written four years before her highly-successful memoir, Eat, Pray, Love. It tells the story of Eustace Conway, an American Man who believes his mission in life is to show the American population that they can be strong and resourceful, grow their own food, fabricate their own clothes, make fire with 2 sticks, and save the planet. Eustace was taught and encouraged to learn the survival skills he needed to be able to live in the woods by his supportive mother whilst being constantly denigrated and ridiculed by his cruel and mentally abusive father. It is therefore a great wonder that he survived these opposing influences, that he was self-assured enough to become the living metaphor: the rugged frontiersman, explorer, pioneer that Americans could idolise. Gilbert describes a man who is passionate about what he believes to the point of having an uncompromising personality that fails to appreciate and encourage the efforts of good people around him. She does this with humour and insight, and the book is quite fascinating in places, even if the end is a bit light on. This is certainly a much better read than her later, hugely self-indulgent Eat, Pray, Love.
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