Posts Tagged ‘Alaska’
Spirit of the Wind, by Lew Freedman
In 1958, no one in the Fur Rendezvous World Championship Sled Dog Race knew the Athabascan Indian from Huslia who limped to the starting line in Anchorage. But when he finished with the winning time, George Attla opened a new chapter in the history of sprint mushing. For decades, Attla, the “Huslia Hustler,” reined as…
Read MoreOne Second to Glory, by Lew Freedman
In 1978, Dick Mackey claimed the most dramatic victory ever in the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, crossing the finish line in Nome a mere one second ahead of Rick Swenson after a two-week, 1,149 mile-run from Anchorage. Many years later Alaskans still shake their heads in amazement. In One Second to Glory (228 pages),…
Read MoreOur Alaska, by Mike Doogan
Our Alaska (192 pages) is a collection of personal stories about Life in Alaska. From the mountains and waterways of the Southeast to the flat tundra of western Alaska, from cities and villages, from established writers and new voices, comes a wonderful collection of personal stories-both whimsical and contemplative-in which the writers open their hearts…
Read MoreMurder at 40 Below, by Tom Brennan
Murder at 40 Below (192 pages) is a gritty yet fascinating account of many of Alaska’s most notorious and unusual murder cases. Drawn from police files, eyewitness accounts, and news reports, these stories introduce extreme criminals in an extreme land. Meet church-going big-game hunter Robert Hanson, who stalked topless dancers for more than a decade, and…
Read MoreArctic Bush Pilot, by James Anderson and Jim Rearden
Backed by Wien Airlines, former Navy combat pilot “Andy” Anderson pioneered post-World War II bush service to Alaska’s vast Koyokuk River region serving miners, Natives, sportsmen, geologists, adventurers, and assorted bush rats. He flew mining equipment, gold, live wolves and sled dogs, you name it–anything needed for life in the bush. He sweated out dozens…
Read MoreMoose Dropping and Other Crimes Against Nature, by Tom Brennan
In these one-liners, practical jokes, and funny stories, Tom Brennan shares hilarious and engaging tales of people, animals, and politicians of the Far North. It was a dream assignment! Collect wit, one-liners, tall tales, practical jokes, and funny stories for a book about Alaska humor. In Moose Dropping and Other Crimes Against Nature (96 pages), author…
Read MoreDiamonds in the Rough, by Lew Freedman
After winning statehood in 1959, Alaska attracted thousands of collegiate stars who played for colorful teams such as the Fairbanks Goldpanners, Alaska Glacier Pilots, Peninsula Oilers, North Pole Nicks, and Anchorage Bucs. Hundreds went on to major leagues, including Hall of Famer Tom Seaver, home-run king Mark McGwire, and fireball pitcher Randy Johnson. Diamonds in…
Read MoreHonest Dogs, by Brian Patrick O’Donaghue
It had been six years since newspaper reporter Brian Patrick O’Donoghue mushed to a last place finish in the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. Yearning to challenge himself anew, he enters the Yukon Quest, a more brutal 1,000-mile run between Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, and Fairbanks, Alaska. With wry humor and diminishing expectations, O’Donoghue shares the…
Read MoreGood Time Girls, by Lael Morgan
In the boomtowns of the Alaska-Yukon stampedes, where gold dust was common currency, the rarest commodity was an attractive woman, and her company could be costly. Author Lael Morgan takes you into the heart of the gold rush demimonde, that “half world” of prostitutes, dance hall girls, and entertainers who lived on the outskirts of…
Read MoreCrude Dreams, by Jack Roderick
In February 1968, the rumors became reality: An ARCO drilling rig has struck oil — lots of oil — on Alaska’s remote North Slope. Jack Roderick’s Crude Dreams: A Personal History of Oil and Politics in Alaska (448 pages) reads like a novel as he tells of the risky, expensive, and mostly frustrating search for…
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