The author recounts his experiences walking from Tierra del Fuego to Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, the entire length of the Western hemisphere

Longest Walk: An Odyssey of the Human Spirit

Meegan, George

Travel

Dodd, Mead

The Longest Walk

The Longest Walk: The Record of our World's First Crossing of the Entire Americas

Travel Writing

Xlibris

George Meegan is an adventurer, lecturer, school reformer, and world traveller. He holds eight Guinness World Records, the most official world records for any European. This includes “The Longest Unbroken March of All Time” that is described in this book. The epic journey he made from Tierra del Fuego, South America to Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, 19,019 miles, was completed in 2,425 days with 41 million steps while burning out 12 and-half pairs of hiking boots. He got shot at and chased by a one-legged gaucho, traversed the historically impassable Darien Gap, married his Japanese sweetheart, became a father...twice!, and visited President Jimmy Carter at his home. Arriving in New York, he was covered by “People” magazine, and every other popular media, with appearances on:\nLarry King Live 
Today Show (three times) 
CBS Morning News 
Good Morning America 
11 PM Show 
Studs Terkel Radio 
The Joe Franklin Show 
Phil Donahue 
Hugh Downs 
Across America, the World Walker was preceded town-to-town by media showings that George had discovered the ‘American Dream’! From New York, he proceeded through northern USA, into the Yukon, and on to the final step into the Arctic Circle. On the afternoon of September 18, 1983, he crossed frozen tundra to the edge of the Arctic Ocean, and dipped his hand into the cold, slivery water. It was done. He fell to his knees and wept. At age 31, George Meegan had walked 19,019 unbroken miles, and rose from the water’s edge to face a new challenge of dealing with new-found fame.\nThe Longest Walk took place between 1977 and 1983. In 2000, he completed almost 500km to reach Barrow, Alaska for the ultimate culmination, in the largest Eskimo settlement in the world. At the historic millennium, Meegan uniquely got the USA government, by order of the White House, to ‘fall down on knees’ and apologize before the media to the First Nations for legion historic travesties. At the time, no human had ever traversed the entire Americas, be it by vehicle or even aircraft; but of course, Meegan was on foot. Today, nearly three decades later, the feat remains unequaled.\nHis book is held at the USA Library of Congress, and he is pictured in the Guinness Book of World Records, Japan, GB and the USA. The adventure has been excerpted as an elective text for Japanese universities, and was judged as ‘inspirational’ and put into Japan’s National Curriculum. It has been converted into an audio version distributed nationwide in English speaking countries.

George Meegan is an adventurer, lecturer, school reformer, and world traveller. He holds eight Guinness World Records, the most official world records for any European. This includes “The Longest Unbroken March of All Time” that is described in this book. The epic journey he made from Tierra del Fuego, South America to Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, 19,019 miles, was completed in 2,425 days with 41 million steps while burning out 12 and-half pairs of hiking boots. He got shot at and chased by a one-legged gaucho, traversed the historically impassable Darien Gap, married his Japanese sweetheart, became a father...twice!, and visited President Jimmy Carter at his home. Arriving in New York, he was covered by “People” magazine, and every other popular media, with appearances on: <ul>
<li>Larry King Live</li> <li>Today Show (three times)</li> <li>CBS Morning News</li> <li>Good Morning America</li> <li>11 PM Show</li> <li>Studs Terkel Radio</li> <li>The Joe Franklin Show</li> <li>Phil Donahue</li> <li>Hugh Downs</li> </ul>
Across America, the World Walker was preceded town-to-town by media showings that George had discovered the ‘American Dream’! From New York, he proceeded through northern USA, into the Yukon, and on to the final step into the Arctic Circle. On the afternoon of September 18, 1983, he crossed frozen tundra to the edge of the Arctic Ocean, and dipped his hand into the cold, slivery water. It was done. He fell to his knees and wept. At age 31, George Meegan had walked 19,019 unbroken miles, and rose from the water’s edge to face a new challenge of dealing with new-found fame. 
The Longest Walk took place between 1977 and 1983. In 2000, he completed almost 500km to reach Barrow, Alaska for the ultimate culmination, in the largest Eskimo settlement in the world. At the historic millennium, Meegan uniquely got the USA government, by order of the White House, to ‘fall down on knees’ and apologize before the media to the First Nations for legion historic travesties. At the time, no human had ever traversed the entire Americas, be it by vehicle or even aircraft; but of course, Meegan was on foot. Today, nearly three decades later, the feat remains unequaled. 
His book is held at the USA Library of Congress, and he is pictured in the Guinness Book of World Records, Japan, GB and the USA. The adventure has been excerpted as an elective text for Japanese universities, and was judged as ‘inspirational’ and put into Japan’s National Curriculum. It has been converted into an audio version distributed nationwide in English speaking countries. 
The story The Longest Walk found its way to Dodd, Mead as Meegan arrived in New York. Just before publication, the book editor died, and then, after 199-years, Dodd, Mead slipped beneath the waves into bankruptcy. So, notwithstanding powered coverage, it was too late. The sunk publisher took the book down with them, after the author had been told it was bound to become a bestseller. In 1989, Paragon House pressed out a few thousand copies, but few saw it. Xlibris of Philadelphia resurrected it; all in all, not a success. Still, from time to time, Meegan received letters asking about the abrupt vanish of The Longest Walk. Now, the answer is the 2013 Third Edition. This is the original story, with unpublished photos, an extended appendix, and Yoshiko, his wife on the journey, makes an encore!

The Longest Walk: The Record of our World's First Crossing of the Entire Americas (2013 Edition)

Biographies & Memoirs

Travelers & Explorers

CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

The Longest Walk chronicles the epic unbroken walk of a British merchant seaman-turned-independent-adventurer, George Meegan, from the bottom of South America to the top of North America, which took place 1977-1983. Many Guinness Records were set on the 19,019-mile journey--he also got married and fathered two children during the hike--but the significance of his feat is found in the intrepid spirit of Mr. Meegan himself: One reviewer has called the story 'transcendent;' there is no better word to describe it. By pushing himself toward his dream, overcoming obstacles that boggle the mind, escaping grim death many times, enduring discomforts that are difficult even to read, interacting with innumerable people (many supportive and kind, many incredibly hostile), embracing presidents and pawns with the same cheerful countenance... George Meegan is the true-blue, real McCoy, all-American dreamer (for some unfathomable reason he adores and adopts America as his soul-country) who is a respected role model for everyone human--and an ET or two. This is an unforgettable story about an unforgettable journey of an unforgettable noble soul. It will stir you to the depths of your being. You will hate for the story to end. You will come away from the reading wanting to live up to the trite saying that we all heard a hundred times growing up--and which George's exploit embodies: "making this a far better world in which to live."

The Longest Walk: My epic trek from tip to tip of the Americas (1977-1983)

Specialty Travel

A personal account of the challenges, hardships, and people encountered on a record-making walk from the tip of South America to Alaska's northern coast

The Longest Walk: An Odyssey of the Human Spirit

Athena

Diamond Media Press Co.

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Books by Meegan, George

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Meegan, George. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Longest Walk: An Odyssey of the Human Spirit

The Longest Walk: The Record of our World's First Crossing of the Entire Americas

The Longest Walk

The Longest Walk: The Record of our World's First Crossing of the Entire Americas (2013 Edition)

The Longest Walk: My epic trek from tip to tip of the Americas (1977-1983)

The Longest Walk: An Odyssey of the Human Spirit

The Longest Walk