author

Claude P. (Claude Powell) Fordyce

b. 1883

Best known for lively early-20th-century books on hiking and trail life, this Nebraska-connected writer brought practical outdoor know-how together with a real enthusiasm for walking as recreation. His work helped introduce readers to camping and touring on foot as healthy, rewarding ways to travel.

1 Audiobook

Touring Afoot

Touring Afoot

by Claude P. (Claude Powell) Fordyce

About the author

Born in McLean County, Illinois, on March 6, 1883, Claude Powell Fordyce later lived in places including Lincoln and Falls City, Nebraska, as well as New York and Chicago. Records from Nebraska Authors list him as Dr. Claude Powell Fordyce and note that he died on August 18, 1953, in St. Joseph, Missouri.

Fordyce is remembered today mainly for his outdoor books, especially Touring Afoot and Trail Craft. Those works present walking, camping, and backcountry travel in a friendly, practical way, blending advice on equipment and trail habits with a strong belief in the physical and mental benefits of time outdoors.

A contemporary review described him as well known among outdoor-minded readers in the Pacific Northwest and said his writing was drawn from real experience in the open. That sense of firsthand knowledge still comes through, which helps explain why his books continue to be reprinted and read as classic guides to hiking and simple travel.