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Hobo: A Young Man's Thoughts on Trains and Tramping in America | 
 enlarge | Author: Eddy Joe Cotton
Publisher: Harmony
Category: Book
List Price: $22.00
Buy New: $6.95
You Save: $15.05 (68%)
New (7) Used (22) Collectible (5) from $1.68
Avg. Customer Rating:  31 reviews
Sales Rank: 1177312
Media: Paperback
Edition: 1st
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 320
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 8.5 x 5.7 x 1.1
ISBN: 0609607383
Dewey Decimal Number: 917.30492
EAN: 9780609607381
ASIN: 0609607383
Publication Date: June 11, 2002
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: H13
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Product Description
With an arresting mix of homespun wisdom, gritty realism, and poignant self-examination, and set against the backdrop of a young man’s coming of age, Hobo is a modern examination of one of America’s oldest and most revered folk heroes.
A free spirit, Zebu Recchia’s mother set out on her own when her son was only two years old. Left behind, the tight family unit of father and son grew up to be more like brothers than parent and child. Such an intense relationship created struggles and pain—but also a form of independence that gave both men the mettle to face life alone when necessary. When Zebu was nineteen, he left behind his “hippie on a Harley” father in a brickyard on a cold winter day in Denver, Colorado, and set out with three things he knew he could rely on: strong boots, a warm coat, and a will to roam.
He took off down the road at sunset with his thumb out and a keen desire to see the world on his own terms. His goal was to end up in Mexico. It had always been his father’s mecca of personal freedom and absolute beauty, and so it became his, too. When Zebu jumped his first train, he was forever changed. His passion for the rails and the hobo way of life transformed him into Eddy Joe Cotton, a young hobo-in-training.
Crisscrossing the countryside with a motley band of companions and mentors, Eddy Joe learns both the dark and the beautiful sides of life on the road. Always headed vaguely toward Mexico, Eddy Joe slowly realizes that the experience of the journey is far more important than the thrill of reaching the destination.
Hobo is a celebration of the cultural and historical significance of the hobo in American society. It’s also the story of what Eddy Joe learned on the rails, and of the fascinating, worldly-wise men who became his teachers. Eddy Joe Cotton paints a multilayered portrait of this strangely enduring lifestyle—of the men who ride the trains, the tricks of the trade, the vocabulary they use, the places they camp, the train yards they avoid, the gear they are sure to carry, and the stories and lessons each one imparts. Told in Eddy Joe’s infectious and original voice, Hobo is a heartfelt exploration of a fascinating subculture, and of one man’s place in a world that has all but been forgotten.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 26 more reviews...
 its a fun read, dont read much into it August 16, 2008
this book is not a look into the life of a hobo. its just a story of one trip and his views from it. its a good quick read if you are a tramp or hobo, even if just at heart.
 Started Out Great But.. April 26, 2008
I loved the way the book started. It had great potential, but then he began to sound as if he were writing from examples he read in Kerouac 101. I wish it would have been a little better, but it was still a good beach read.
Would Zebu Recchia please make himself known June 6, 2007
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I started this book hoping that I'd read about what it's really like to ride the rails. I finished it with a sense that I'd been told what 'Eddy Joe Cotton' wants riding the rails to be like and that history had been airbrushed to fit the hobo myth.
This includes the author's choosing to take a 'nom de plume'. Eddy Joe Cotton, why didn't you write as 'Zebu Recchia'?
The book is strongest right at the beginning when he describes growing up with his Dad in Denver. This bit rang true to me. I lived there and Mr. Cotton/Recchia does a nice job of bringing the area around Colfax and Broadway to life.
There's another book I'm sure in the transition from life on the road to published author and somewhere I'd be interested to hear about how the Yard Dogs Roadshow came into existence.
What are you doing now Eddie Joe Cotton/Zebu Recchia?
For a less idealized picture of 'riding the rails', read Ted Conover's book 'Rolling Nowhere'.
 Artistic and poetic adventure story April 6, 2007
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
I really loved reading this book. Like the photos that accompany it, this story is grainy and blurred but at the same time artistically brilliant. Eddy Joe Cotton's unique talent to weave his poetry into a first class adventure story is magical.
Eddy Joe took me back 30 years to relive the best times of my life when as a teenager I spent 3 years off and on tramping around the western states before I joined the 400. It made me nostalgic for those good old days, but at the same time reminded me of how the road can wear you down and make you bone weary.
Put J.J. Cale's "travelog" and Lou Reed's "New York" in your CD player to set the mood and settle in for a good read of a story you won't be able to put down until you've turned the last page. I hope to see more books coming from Eddy Joe Cotton. He has a rare gift for creating an atmosphere in his story telling that left a lasting impression on me.
 Unimpressive April 21, 2006
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
The author managed to keep my attention for most of the book, but at times his train of thought was very hard to follow. At other times,it was difficult to remember where exactly he was, geographically. This wasn't because he was travelling on a train, but because he'd say he was in Las Vegas, yet then talk about being in Mexico. A little bit too much introspection & "a hobo is this" and "a man is that" type of advice.
The portion of the book where he's actually living among other hobo's is interesting. Unfortunately about 1/3 is devoted otherwise. (including the Glossary)
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