The Maine Woods

With Abnaki guides, Thoreau climbed Mt. Katahdin and hiked deep into the Maine woods to places where one "might live and die and never hear of the United States". His accurate, evocative descriptions still reflect his belief that man himself is a part of the natural world.

Paul Theroux is a novelist and travel writer. His most recent book is The Stranger at the Palazzo d'Oro and Other Stories. Among his other books are the novels Chicago Loop and Mosquito Coast. He lives on Cape Cod and in Hawaii.