I have always loved the books of this wonderful travel writer. He combines a gift for elegant expression with a genuine interest in the people he meets and the places he visits. He is not opinionated and is always open and unprejudiced in his conclusions.
This book, written close to the end of his career, has an elegiac quality I feel, as in the following: '' I have to admit that New York isn't quite what it was to me years ago. for one thing, too many people I knew in the old days are dead; so it is a city too much full of ghosts. Nevertheless it still has it's magical moments, and it is certainly true that ' I like', as the Lorenz Hart song said, 'New York in June.'
This slightly melancholic tone does not dominate as Young embarks on a journey of homage to his literary heroes such as Melville, Jack London and Chandler, visits places ,important to America's history, and follows in the footsteps of General Sherman whom he rather reluctantly admires.
He has the gift of taking the reader into the scene he describes so intensely that one feels one is walking beside him, a gift granted to the best travel writers.
These fairly short pieces inspire this reader with the desire to know more about the Alamo or the American Civil War, and to repair the oversight of not yet having read ''Moby Dick.''
I found the most moving section of the book to be the final chapter. Young visits the Yukon, following the trail of Jack London. The snowy wilderness is a revelation to him as, staying with a friendly dog camp owner and his family, he drives a sled for the first time, and experiences the stillness and awesome quality of the place. ''I could see the meandering Yukon, white and solid, straggling tortuously south towards Dawson, invisible now behind one of the snow-flecked folds in the hills. Further east the Ogilvie Range ran north to south, and behind that the even more impressive outline of the Mackenzie Mountains completely blocked the eastern horizon. What could I say? I looked at the infinite sheets of snow, felt the clear bitter cold on my cheeks - and could only say 'Phew!' There were no comforting shadows here. There was only the silence. And, in awe, I spoke the phrase aloud: 'The White Silence.' '' One can only echo that 'Phew!' - what glorious writing, and what a privilege to read it. ( )

Distinctly different from Young’s other authored travel narratives From Sea to Shining Sea in that this trip is a readers journey. It is however, as distinctly well-crafted as the rest of his work and is a joyful read for any reader who shares this author’s taste in literature and fiction and travel. Young seems to be referencing his own favorite authors list as he explores America, from coast to coast, sea to sea. It is a long and enjoyable journey from Phillip Marlowe to Jack London (heel Fang!), hitching lifts from John Steinbeck (move over Charley) Melville in Sag Harbour (hang on Moby Dick) and following Sherman along in his efforts to ‘make Georgia’ howl’.

He explores the Alamo, and the history of the wild, heroic characters that fought there, wanders along Cannery Row down to shore where "Doc" wades in his rubber boots and floppy hat (with that horror of getting his head wet) and finds the best way to see Custer’s last stand is atop of one of Harry Real Bird’s horses.

Then he enters the Yukon, by-passing the onerous dangers of the Chilkoot Pass that London endured but similarly braving the climate, meeting the dogs and even returning in the real winter even further North to “mush” his own team, falling in love with the call of the wild silences.

There is, of course, as usual with Gavin Young and his total color, race and class blindness, a thread of friendships and admiration of the people he meets in his journey. and he descriptively brings them alive for us to admire and value too.

In addition to glorious descriptions of America, this book has wonderful pen-portraits of diverse peoples; Professor Norman Sherry, Duncan the barkeep of The Snake Pit, and ‘Uncle Cump” (Sherman) and – at the core of his story and route - all of Young’s favorite authors.

A wonderful book.