David B. Field, a retired University of Maine professor of forest resources, has written a book about Maine’s Appalachian Trail, a part of the state he knows very well.

He should after maintaining six miles of the scenic trail for 54 years and serving as an officer of the Maine Appalachian Trail Club and on the board of managers of the Appalachian Trail Conference.

The Appalachian Trail was extended through Maine, thanks to Maine native Myron H. Avery who brought together friends from Washington, D.C., personnel with the Maine forest and warden servic, guides and sporting camp operators and the Civilian Conservation Corps. This happened, despite questions of whether it would be possible to carve a trail through the state’s wildlands.

Volunteers of Maine’s Appalachian Trail Club, created by Avery in 1935, have since maintained the trail, built shelters, relocated more than half of the original hastily constructed route and taken on the task of managing the trail’s protection corridor.

“Images of America: Along Maine’s Appalachian Trail” illustrates the rich history of the trail’s rugged mountains and vast forests. Black-and-white images in the book come primarily from the MATC archives, the Maine State Library and the author’s personal files.

The 126-page book published by Arcadia Publishing of Charleston, S.C., sells for $21.99.

The book is also available through the Maine Appalachian Trail Club, which will use the proceeds for trail work. Go to www.matc.org or write to MATC, PO Box 55, Gray ME 04039. The cost, including tax and shipping, is $28 for a single copy; MATC members get 15 percent discount. Multiple copies to the same address are somewhat less because shipping cost is less per book.