The Last Englishman

A real-life adventurer. A demanding pan-American trek. Will one Englishman dare to face his fears?

Short-listed for Outdoor Book of the Year by The Great Outdoors magazine.

Born wanderer Keith Foskett had thousands of miles of thru-hiking experience when he prepared for his toughest challenge yet: a punishing 2,640-mile hike from Mexico to Canada. In a six-month journey along America’s Pacific Crest Trail, he battled the arid expanses of California’s deserts, the towering peaks of Oregon’s volcanic landscape, and the dense forests of Washington.

Battling phobias of bears, snakes, critters and camping in the woods after dark, can Foskett find new ways to achieve his ultimate goal when the worst winter in years bears down?

Shortlisted for The Great Outdoors magazine Outdoor Personality of the Year and Book of the Year multiple times, veteran storyteller Keith Foskett invites you for a trek across the greatest long-distance hiking trail on Earth. With astute observations, wit, and a delightful cast of characters, you’ll discover a compelling narrative that turns the travelogue formula on its head.

The Last Englishman is an extraordinary travel memoir by an experienced long-distance hiker. If you believe there’s more to life than work, yearn for new horizons and challenges, and believe in overcoming adversity, then you’ll love Keith Foskett’s tale of exploration.

Discover The Last Englishman and embark on your adventure.

Editorial reviews:

'I’m not sure if Keith Foskett knows it but he has penned a hiking classic. I just wanted to pack up my bags and head off into the wilderness.'
– Spencer Vignes (The Observer).

'Telling the true story of a six-month PCT hike from Mexico to Canada, crossing wild desert, mountain and meeting everything from eccentric hikers to rattlesnakes along the way. Easy to read and at times laugh-out-loud funny, it will make you want to pack your rucksack and go.'
– Rosie Fuller (Adventure Travel magazine).

'Long-distance hiking is tragically romantic: it’s not all about fresh air, aesthetic majesty, and great company. This book is refreshingly honest about the difficulties and day-to-day monotony. But it also captures the rewards of this oversized effort to hike the United States end to end.'
– Andrew Skurka (National Geographic Adventure's Adventurer of the Year).

‘The Pacific Crest Trail is one of the most beautiful and diverse long-distance trails in the world. The Last Englishman allows you to experience this amazing trail through the eyes of a thru-hiker. If you cannot take the time to hike the trail, then you should definitely take the time to read about it.’
– Jennifer Pharr Davis (Previous record holder for the fastest thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail)

What Amazon readers are saying:

★★★★★ A stand-out story in a sea of options. A great adventure shared in a beautifully written style and tone. Looking forward to reading more of Keith's writings.
★★★★★ You don't have to be a distance walker to love a Keith Foskett book. It’s not just a truly great outdoor book but also a mindfulness or even a self-help / discovery book.
★★★★★ I didn’t want the experience to end, and yet I felt satisfied by its completion.
★★★★★ Great entertainment and well written. It's one of the best of the many books that I've read about the PCT experience.
★★★★★ By the far the best PCT thru-hike trail book I have read. Witty, pragmatic and useful info on the trail itself.

Hundreds more five-star reviews. Thousands of copies sold. Find out why readers fall for Keith Foskett's adventure memoirs!

For those who hear the call of the wild - a lifetime of wonder and danger await. It is one of the last great callings of the outdoorsman that keeps the passion for exploration alive in this day and age. Keith Foskett is no stranger to its sprawling song, having grown up against a backdrop of rolling hills in the English countryside. His passion for hiking and the outdoors was nurtured in this place, leading to a lifetime of exploration and discovery that his taken him across thousands of open miles across the planet.

Beginning with three hikes of El Camino de Santiago in Spain, Keith’s appetite for long-distance hiking evolved. Since then he has completed all 2640 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail in America as well as 2200 miles of the famous Appalachian Trail.

His deep respect for the natural wonders of the world has left him in awe, and ever vigilant for the next great adventure.

Perhaps it is a combination of his early years fostering a love and deep connection to the world around him and his later travels that spoke to the storyteller within. For Keith has found success and acclaim off the trail as well, sharing his stories and his knack for narrative in both books and outdoor publications. In recent years, two of his titles have been shortlisted for Outdoor Book of the Year and his blog was voted #1 of the year. Always hands-on in all that he does, Keith finds time to bare his wandering soul with other nature lovers on his blog.

Nurturing a strange fascination with down sleeping bags and woollen underwear, Keith knows that for all the adventure that await there is no place like home - the rolling green hills of West Sussex, England.