Trained as a pilot during World War I, Russel Merrill was determined to spend his life flying. His love of flight lured him from Oregon to Alaska, the far frontier of aviation, where Merrill piloted the first airplanes to fly into Petersburg, Wrangell, Kodiak, and Anchorage. FLYING COLD chronicles Merrill's daring 750-mile journey across the Gulf of Alaska in a flying boat with a single small motor, his first rescue mission by air, crash landings, and strandings. In 1928, Merrill nearly died after being forced down in the Arctic, showing up weeks later, half dead, but still carrying a cup of rice he had saved for an "emergency." Many photos. A great read.

Heroic account of how Russell Hyde Merrill brought aviation to Anchorage Alaska. This book is a must read for pilots and anyone interested in Alaskan History and bush pilots. Merrill was an ex Navy pilot who was the fist man to fly into Petrsburg,Wrangell.Kodiak and Anchorage. He discovered Merrill Pass in the Alaska Range and put Anchorage on the map as the "Tranportation Hub of Alaska" He brought aviation to Anchorage in 1927 the same year that Lindberg crossed the Atlantic.He faced incredible hardships and pioneered air routes all over Alaska that are still used today. He was a true hero and a very thoughtfull and kind man whose mark on aviation and Alaska is still very evident even today. He was lost over Cook inlet on 9/16/29. He was never found, but it is evident he went down and perished in the frigid water off Tyonek Alaska. Merrill Field(very busy general aviation airport in Anchorage) and Merrill Pass(important pass to the west through the Alaska Range)bear his name.In Alaska we all stand on the shoulders of this great man.

I was planning a cruise to Alaska. I chose "Fodor's 2001 Alaska" as a guidebook and was so impressed, I purchased two more of them for my cruise travelmates. This book went with me wherever I traveled in the "land of the midnight sun". Not only did Fodor's guidebook describe the cruise ships to the inth, but all of the activities, etc. Every bit of the text was accurate to my experiences. This was my first cruise, and my first trip to Alaska. I found this book to be indispensible! The data on Alaska, the facts, the figures, the special places to see, things to do, walks, hikes, eats, animals, and people...all here in crisp detail for you to enjoy. Upon my return to the "lower 48", I even narrated my Alaska photo albums with information I retrieved from this book. History, indiginous peoples, it's all here. Do get this book if you are thinking of going to Alaska, or returning to Alaska. All text is up to date, with maps, etc. Excellent resource! From the Inside Passage to Denali National Park I traveled, and I learned much more about this great land we call Alaska because of Fodor's book. I am now planning on going back to this beautiful place in great part due to reading this guidebook.

This book contains a great list of places to stay and eat with prices. Some of my favorite sections of book include the following: Listing of Best Unspoiled Small Towns, which include Kodiak, Petersburg, and Cordova; Listing of Strange Comunity Events which include Cordova's Ice Worm Festival, Fairbanks' Midnight Sun Baseball Game nad Nomes Polar Bear Swim/Bathtub Race. If you are going to Alaska's number 1 destination, Denali National Park, make sure you pick up a copy of Discovering Denali.

This book contains a great list of places to stay and eat with prices. Some of my favorite sections of book include the following: Listing of Best Unspoiled Small Towns, which include Kodiak, Petersburg, and Cordova; Listing of Strange Comunity Events which include Cordova's Ice Worm Festival, Fairbanks' Midnight Sun Baseball Game nad Nomes Polar Bear Swim/Bathtub Race. If you are going to Alaska's number one destination, Denali National Park, make sure you pick up a copy of Discovering Denali.

This guide book contains a great list of places to stay and eat with prices. Some of my favorite sections of book include the following: Listing of Best Unspoiled Small Towns, which include Kodiak, Petersburg, and Cordova; Listing of Strange Comunity Events which include Cordova's Ice Worm Festival, Fairbanks' Midnight Sun Baseball Game nad Nomes Polar Bear Swim/Bathtub Race. If you are going to Alaska's number one destination, Denali National Park, make sure you pick up a copy of Discovering Denali.

This book is a great resource for planning an Alaskan adventure. Area by area recommendations and descriptions are given to help the reader determine how best to meet his/her vacation goals.

Especially helpful are the web addresses for individual services and locations, as well as the recommendations for the slightly-lesser known and (in the author's opinion) less crowded activities and the corresponding suggestions for how to beat crowds and how to plan ahead to have the experience you want.

The general over-view information of each area also helps give the reader a good impression of the area and what the overall experience of the area would be like.

A very thorough book.

Of all the travel books we have used, this one of Frommers is the best. Its appeal, however, is for people who like recommendations of the best items - like best places to visit, best B&B's, etc. We find it saves us a great deal of planning time to FIRST focus on the section at the start of the book when we start organizing a trip. Later, we add items which we want to do which may not be as popular with everyone.

Starting with a 36,000-year-old bison mummy washed out of ancient permafrost by a gold miner, zoologist and paleontologist R. Dale Guthrie discusses the events that led to Blue Babe's death and the preservation of his carcass.

That's what a bare-bones summary of this book would be, but that doesn't do it justice. In a clear, readable (but not grammar-school) style, Guthrie wanders through related subjects such as frozen mammoths, the ecology and behavior of "Ice-Age" steppe bison, wild horses, mammoths and even Alaskan lions, and how Blue Babe probably looked in life -- and makes them fascinating.

Readers may have trouble understanding chapters 8 and 9 of this book if they haven't read "Paleoecology of Beringia", another out-of-print gem which anthologizes the work of several paleontologists. Guthrie is a proponent of the "Mammoth Steppe" theory, which holds that during the Pleistocene most of Alaska and Siberia were not covered by soggy tundra or coniferous trees but by a cold, dry steppe or brushland that could support mammoths, horses, bison and other large grazers. In these two chapters, he turns away from Blue Babe to tackle and refute the objections raised by two other scientists in "Paleoecology..." (successfully, in my non-scientist opinion).

I suspect most readers will find this the dullest part of the book, but it's hard to discuss the big animals of the Pleistocene without talking about why they could exist then but are extinct or much rarer in our warmer modern world.

Written in a clear and enjoyable style, this book's description of the discovery, excavation, and the background of Blue Babe, a 35,000-year-old bison from Alaska's late Pleistocene is complete with many color and B&W photos as well as explanatory line-drawings. The discovery was made in 1979 about 15 miles north of Fairbanks, Alaska, at a goldmining operation. For the reader interested in ice-age mammals, how such specimens are found, recovered, and prepared for exhibition, this book is a good general guide through those stages. Dr. Guthrie has a long and outstanding career studying the Pleistocene mammals of Alaska, and his expertise and experience in explaining such topics to the lay-reader comes through well.

One of the best books I've ever read. I loved not only the story but the writing style. I am giving copy to my sister which I hopes she shares with my nieces as it deals a lot with the strength of women as well as it does with lifes journy

WHAT A WONDERFUL BOOK. YOU EXPERIENCE EVERY EMOTION YOU HAVE AND SOME. THIS IS A MUST READ FOR ANY BOOK ENTHUSIAST. THIS BOOK WILL TAKE YOU ON A JOURNEY FROM SEATTLE TO ALASKA DURING THE GOLD RUSH. SUSAN ARNOUT CAN PULL YOU INTO THIS BOOK LIKE NO OTHER AUTHOR CAN, YOU FEEL LIKE YOUR RIGHT THERE ON THE TRAIL. I COULDN'T PUT THE BOOK DOWN. WHEN I WAS DONE I WAS EXHAUSTED FROM THE FLOOD OF EMOTIONS THAT HIT ME. DO YOURSELF A FAVOR AND READ THE FROZEN LADY YOU WON'T REGRET IT.

This is a great book on the geology of the Denali National Park area and highly recommended. It is available and still in print; if you'd like a copy contact the Alaska Natural History Association to purchase one. The Denali branch would be the most expedient.

The geology of the Denali area is a fascinating mix where uplift from plate techtonics meet sharp glacially cut peaks. Mike Collier's book is the only one available for this area; and no, it is not out of print!

Dog lovers and history buffs alike will relish Gold Rush Dogs, a celebration of notable dogs of the Gold Rush era, from John Muir's Stikeen to Baldy of Nome. Black and white photos from Gold Rush days depict dog and man alike in this excellent blend of history and animal insights.

Gold Rush Dogs is a great book that shows just how loyal dogs can be. Not only that she tells about the history and shows the important role that dogs played in developing Alaska. Besides this, she tells nine amazing stories of dogs that are famous in the region of the state that they stayed at.

Sure, you probably know about Balto in the Dipheria run, but you may not know about Togo, who was equally vital in the relay. Then there is Patsy Ann, the friendly stray who's ability to always know when and where the ships were coming in earned her the titile of "Official Greeter of Juneau.

Whether your a dog lover, or just love stories about Alaska, this book is full of amazing stories that capture the grandure of Alaska and the heart of dogs.

Upon first opening this book, one is hit by a wonderful introduction which creates a promising beginning for the book. Unlike many books dealing with bears, this book contains good information and wonderful pictures that dazzle the eye. The ending brings all but the strong hearted to tears, as five years with Little Stony is ended abruptly. For anyone interested in letting their child read a good book about grizzly bears, with both pictures and excellent informational content, this would be the best one. The reader watches the bear grow from just a tiny cub to a large adult with the pictures allowing one to see the stages of development in a natural setting. Rick McIntyre weaves a breath taking story with his written words, letting the reader feel what Rick was feeling when those words were written. This book has truly made me interested in bears, visiting Yellowstone National Park and waiting silently at dawn in hopes that a bear would be spotted on one of the hillsides. Usually, my efforts pay off. This book makes one feel as if Little Stony and his mother were standing right in front of them, so detailed is the story and the pictures. A highly recommend book for anyone interested in seeing good pictures of grizzly bears in the wild and having good writing to accompany it. Buy this book now and I'm sure you won't be disappointed.

"It reads like a movie." -First grade student "Everyone should take time out to read this book." -Third grade student

Our class read Grizzly Cub: Five years in the Life of a Bear and absolutely loved it. It's a great source of information as well as an entertaining story. The photographs throughout the book are breathtaking and help tell the story of a curious bear named "Little Stony". -Multiage Class grades 1-3 Rainier Primary

Robert Armstrong is an incredibly fine and thorough researcher! His books are not only understandably written and informative, but beautiful as well. Every photograph pictures the birds in full color, often showing both the male and female, which adds to the usefulness and value of this book. Definitely a Bible for any nature lover.

This is *the* book for Alaska birding, and it's well-written enough to serve as pleasure reading even for those outside the state. The birds are organized logically, with detailed descriptions of habitat, similar species, and markings. Each description is accompanied by excellent all-color photos, many showing female and male and sometimes seasonal variations. Unlike other large bird guides, this one's easy to use in the field.