This book should be read on a cold and rainy night with a fire going in the fireplace, When I read it I had the air conditioner on full blast because it was 106 degrees outside. The beginning was especially good as Kate prepares for a long cold winter on her isolated Alaskan homestead. She then travels to Anchorage at the request of her grandmother. The politics of the tribal council was a little dull, but then the story picks up again toward the end. Ms. Stabenow is definitely worth reading. I'll be looking forward to future books from her

This story begins with the quandry of coming out of the outhouse and finding a moose nearby.Kate Shugak solves this problem and stocks up on meat for an Alaskan winter.As the story continues she goes with her grandmother to Anchorage to help with tribal politics,family matters and corruption. Kate does a wonderful job on her boyfriend's ex-wife and gets talked into going to a party all dressed up.It is a mystery and a story of a women finding her identity. The end is quite a surprise and may bring tears. This series is terrific,informative, and most of all-well written.

With her eloquent writing style, Dana Stabenow gives you a connectedness with the main character (Kate Shugak) that many authors attempt but fall short. A well thought out story with an amazing ending.

I didn't realize that this was the second book in a trilogy when I started it (My fault. It was clearly stated on the front of the book). That may be why I found the numerous characters a bit confusing at first. But there is a list of characters and the villages they come from at the back of the book and that was a big help. I also appreciated the glossary of plants and herbs that were mentioned in the story. Despite the fact that I was unfamiliar with these characters and their past history with each other, the story was easy to follow. I found the details of life in primitive times, in the wilds of Alaska, mesmerizing. The suspense of what was going to happen to these characters kept me turning pages well into the wee hours. It isn't often that I find a book that so involves me, that the rest of the world just disappears for awhile. This is one of those books.

As with the previous books I have read by this author, she has the ability to keep your attention and spin out an interesting tale and leave you waiting for her next publication.

As with the other books by this author that I have read, she continues to spell bind and "spin" a good yarn. She has the ability to make you feel as if your in the story looking on.

George Dyson has written such diverse books as Baidarka, Darwin among the Machines and Project Orion. "Baidarka" with its wonderful photographs lets us look over George Dyson's shoulder.

Into history: Old sketches and lithographs show the "white man's" perception of the aleut kayak and kayaking life. Well chosen excerpts take you back in time.

At the "Dyson Baidarka": Information on materials and tantalizing scattered bits on how to build an ancient style kayak with space age materials. The Aleuts used the best possible materials, didn't they? A "how to" manual it is not, but it is essential if you want to build one. And if you build one you are rewarded with a sturdy, elegant boat.

At his own life: The he spent living in a tree house high up in a douglas fir :-) And of course ... he was building baidarkas. I love the images of the aluminum skin on frame boat in the tree house. By the way, many believe that George Dyson single-handedly revived the home-built kayak. "He who has a baidarka is rich" (Gavriil Davydov, 1804) - Thank you George, for making our lives so much richer.

This book looks like a coffee table book, but it is a lot more. It covers history of the Aleut kayak builders, documents the experiences of a free spirit, and demonstrates an innovative method for building a beautiful kayak. The pictures are interesting, beautiful and inspiring. I don't know how this book got published, it does not fit well into any one catagory.

Well, this book is the one I set aside when my brother gave me a pack of books to read. I didn't get the idea of aluminum baidarkas; so I read all that other stuff until there was nothing left but this book. Until then, Sea Kayaking still was no option for me. George Dyson got it started, as for so many others. I'm glad I got across his book, for all the good time I spent with his ideas. If you like living your dream, this book is for You.

After a recent trip from Seattle to Juneau on a small cruise ship (100 passengers) I read this book, which is based upon a true story, upon the recommendation of a fellow passenger. It was the perfect post script to a modern day cruise up the coast of British Columbia and Alaska's "inside passage" (along its southeast coast). Author Voig's four Swedes, all indentured servants escaping from the the Russians, take a similar route, but they do it in 1860 (when Alaska was "Russian America") and they head South from Sitka to Astoria, Oregon. They travel in a twenty foot open dugout canoe stolen from the "Kaloshes", a sect of Northwest Indians (Tlingit). The Swedes experience the same unpredictable weather, seas and coastline as they modern day traveler, but they have no cablin, dining room or tour director. And they have to paddle all the way - a distance of over one thousand miles. The tale is a tribute to the human spirit. Ivan Voig knows this part of the world, and he enabled me to relive my fabulous trip as high adventure from my living room chair.

This is a stellar example of how beautiful prose writing can be. Story telling is an art, a skill, and this is as good as it gets.

So much more than an adventure tale. Doig captures the threatening beauty and drama of this coast and gives a strong sense of the time period. As is the case with all his books you can reach out and touch the characters. Their interactions and relationships couldn't be more realistic.

I was steered to this book through contacts with several alumni of the former Williamsport Technical Institute(predecessor of my employer, Pennsylvania College of Technology), where Don Sheldon received his airframe and powerplant license. The only appropriate word to describe his exploits is "amazing." It seems as if every time he stepped into his airplane, he stepped into the jaws of death, and it's hard to believe that he died (in 1975) from an illness, not a crash. Don Sheldon's courage and dedication should serve as examples to us all. A must-read for anyone who likes adventure.

The true story of Don Sheldon, one of Alaska's great bush pilots. You will fly with Don as he rescues people stranded in the bush, lands on glaciers on the flanks of Mount McKinley, lands on rapids in a float plane to rescue military personnel and yes the occasional crash landing. You also learn about some of the mountain climbing expeditions and geographic surveys which Don flew support for. The descriptions of the land, the people and wildlife of Alaska are fantastic. You will come away feeling you have been there. A great story not just about aviation but about how one man made his dream of living on a frontier come true

To Aviators, this story portrays the outstanding performance of a pilot, who understood the limits of himself, and his airplane. This story was often about the upper limits of both, man and, machine, in terrain, ever changing weather, and landing sites, on and around a mountain where most of us would fear to tread. To non-aviators, it is a picture into the understanding of a pilot, whose passion for flying went beyond the boundless freedom of going anywhere, at most anytime, but to a commitment, of using, and improving, his talents, often at risk to his life, in the quest to save the lives of others. What piece of mind to the Adventurers in that territory of Alaska, to know if help was needed, Don Sheldon would put forth his best to come to their aid.

We took this book with us to each port that we went to and were able to find a number of little off-the-beaten-path treasures as a result. The book gives detailed directions that even the directionally-impaired (like myself) can follow, and offers street names, landmarks, and amounts of walking time in order to assist you in getting from place to place.

In our case, our scheduled shore excursion in Juneau was canceled, so we just set out with the book. We got to see parts of Juneau that nobody else on our tour saw, and really enjoyed getting to know the city better. Some of the port towns in Alaska are very touristy, and this allowed us to plot out our own routes that would take us away from the crowds to see some of the lesser-known but just as fun landmarks. In both Juneau and Ketchikan, we found this book invaluable. I highly recommend it for anyone planning a cruise to Alaska - and especially for those who are doing it on a budget. By touring Juneau on our own instead of through a ship-planned shore excursion, we saved nearly five hundred dollars. Great book.

Not too much, not too little and good fun.

This cute little book is easy to read, and full of all the right kinds of stuff. I didn't have to waste time sussing things out on my own. I knew what to expect before I got to each location, and when I did arrive I knew what to do every step of the way.

Good on ya, Julianne Chase .. great book!

This book is so handy for the way it fit nicely into my, well, hand while I was walking around. I was able to refer to it so easily, letting it guide or remind me what I wanted to see and do. But I also read it before I went on my trip and loved the historical and hands on information like trail permits that helped me plan ahead. And I liked the fact that the author grew up in Juneau and she writes like a local with insider's knowledge and so you get more personal tidbits of info, easy to read, like a friend at your elbow.

In spite of all the great reviews prior to this one, this book is not a complete guide to float hunting Alaska. I give the author credit for doing a lot of research and the book provides an incomplete but valuable list of phone numbers and some nice pictures. Other than that it reads like college term paper. It has a lot of words but not enough depth to plan much of anything. The maps are straight out of the hunting orders and no specifics are given on any river. There are inaccuracies throughout the book. For example, in the wildlife biology section it states mineral licks for sheep contain protein (p 97) and that sodium and magnesium are organic compounds, a different chemistry than what I learned. Some of the conclusions in the discussion of firearms and ballistics are irrational like including the 7mm(7x57?)and .308 in the list of calibers as good choices for moose and bears (brown and/or black it doesn't specify?). Besides, I hate to see sporting firearms referred to as weapons, we have enough problems with the media and anti-gun groups. If you are a novice hunter and didn't know much about the outdoors, you will find usefull information. Beyond that it covers everything from changing your socks to minimum impact camping. Unfortunately, none of it in enough detail to be of real benefit to any but the inexperienced. It would have been better to write a book on float hunting and concentrate on the basics in depth instead of trying to create the complete guide to everything in 205 short pages and missing the mark the title implies. Go to the AK Fish and Game web site and get a good floating Alaska rivers book, you will be ahead.

I have lived and hunted in Alaska for 20 years. During that time, I've
learned a lot about float hunting for Alaska's big game, but I still picked up new pointers from Larry's book.

He covers many of the basics which will be invaluable to first-time Alaska hunters and a
great refresher for veteran hunters. There's help with choosing equipment, packing your
raft, hunting Alaska's big game species, care of meat and trophies, and a host of other
important topics. Larry is clearly an experienced Alaska outdoorsman. An example of the
many tips I picked up from this book is to consider using the US Mail to save money in
shipping equipment to the point from which my bush flight will leave.

To me, the big drawback of this book is the lack of specific advice in choosing a river.
There are hundreds of rivers in Alaska, but the vast majority are poor choices due to
navigability or access problems or lack of game along them. The information in this
book did me little good in discovering new rivers to float.

The bottom line though, is whether or not it is worthwhile to buy this book. In my
opinion, if you are planning a float hunt in Alaska and are interested enough to read these
reviews, you ought to buy this book! For me, it was definitely worth it for the photos and
the good new tips I picked up along the way. Good Luck!

Bruce Nelson, Producer of "Alaska Hunting Adventure: 700 Miles Alone by Backpack and Raft"

I have known Larry on and off for the last ten years and was very excited to hear of this book. Most of my experience in hunting was for white tail in Michigan. I always dreamed of hunting big game but had no clue where to begin. This book does it all from what to bring, what to expect, and how it is done. I personally have read the book three times and learned something new each time. I am looking foward to my first float trip next year. The book list so many references that it is impossible to go wrong on planning and executing a sucessful float trip. Outstanding work.

I completely agree with one of the previous reviewers that the writing style detracts substantially from the joy of reading this book. The story is a wonderful accounting of an historic event, and the authors have researched the diphtheria epidemic, the serum run, and Alaska well. However, as stated before, the frequent digressions are frustrating and make it difficult to stay engrossed. Further, there are numerous typos and mistakes in the book. It is seldom that I find *any* mistakes in a book, yet I have found at least five in this one and I am not yet finished. More careful proofreading is needed. Nevertheless, dog lovers, history buffs, and adventure enthusiasts will all find this an enjoyable read.

The authors seem to want to put the brakes on an exciting tale, frequently digressing to tell a part of Alaska's history. While this is interesting, it also fragments the story and can be quite annoying. When the authors state "The serum had yet to face its greatest challenge - the crossing of Norton Sound", you just know you are going to have to hear the history of Norton Sound, when you'd rather stick with the dog race.
A little rearranging of the story elements would have improved this book greatly.

Wow! What a breathtaking read. The Salisburys have beautifully captured an exciting bit of American history. Except for one slim book years ago, nothing has been written -until now- about the race against time and weather to deliver medicine for a diphtheria epidemic to Nome, Alaska in 1925.

The writers take the reader on a wonderful adventure that later fostered the annual Iditerod race. They have expertly woven together the history of a nation, its people and the dogs that became such an integral part of Alaska's very existence. "The Cruelest Miles" captures the intimacy between man and animal in the same way "Seabiscuit" so successfully did.

In early 1999, I read the New York Times' obituary of the last surviving musher of that miraculous dog sled team. I noted it with interest. Gay Salisbury and Laney Salisbury went more than one step further. They created a fascinating, well written book. From the very first page, I could not put it down!

This book starts out with great promise only to quickly lose its way. Main character Jack and his buddy Burke, out of work journeyman carpenters, agree to venture to the wildest parts of Alaska to fetch back a daughter from an isolated commune or cult for her dying father. Or so it seems.

Soon enough, Jack can trust no one, and things get chilly. Winter's always looming in this book, and that's handled well by the author, as are the vivid scenery and sounds of a landscape bracing for the cold.

However, for much of the novel the northern camp itself is simply way too big a plot device. So much time is spent in so small a place, it's impossible not to wonder at the obvious: Why can't these people figure out who to trust and who not to? Why is it so hard for Jack to do something, anything? Why isn't the cult leader more convincingly charming or downright nasty? Why can't Jack, just once, wise up that something's rotten in Alaska?

Everything's just too slow, despite some genuinely nice writing. Nature (capital N) has its moments, but it's too clumsy overall to take its own place among the novel's odd playoff-sized roster of characters. Still, it's hard to shake the feeling this is Reid's first real stab at mystery writing, and a couple more tries to work out the kinks of plotting and the need for true suspense and he'll be skating down the river.

a riveting read... a cross between "heart of darkness" and john fowles' "the magus." captures the feeling of alaska in summer too.

I'm getting a little tired of hearing people say this is Reid's version of "Heart of Darkness." That implies (at least to me) as if Reid's book is less than Conrad's, when in reality - it is more. It's vibrant, entertaining, realistic.

The only comment I'll have to the negative is that I recently finished Reid's short story collection - What Salmon Know. Reid packs so much energy into those short tales that Midnight Sun is almost a watered down version of Reid at his best, as it would be impossible for him to pack so much power into every line of a book this size.

Both books are winners, but for me What Salmon Know was a "can't put it down" book, while Midnight Sun is a "looking forward to picking it up" book. It's a subtle difference, but one that fervent readers will be able to understand.

The two books I read last week both use the vast wilderness of Alaska as a backdrop. To me, "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer was a much better book. We are told on the jacket of "The Woman Who Married a Bear: An Alaska Mystery," that author John "Straley has studied poetry with Nelson Bentley at the University of Washington and fiction with James Welch." The result is a stilted, self-conscious writing style - trying too hard to write pretty and balance precariously between Raymond Chandler and Kent Haruf. The painfully obvious writing striations detract from the story flow. This is literature that just happens to be a murder mystery and not vice versa. Maybe the author mellows out in subsequent books?

The opening chapter of the book is an amazing evocation of Sitka. This man knows the town, and southeast Alaska very, very well.

Main character Cecil Younger is hard to follow at times, but it's worth the trip. Loved this book!

"The Woman Who Married A Bear" is an incredibly wonderful novel. It is filled with one-of-a-kind characters who mesh into a compelling, tangled story line. Add to that mix the uniqueness of Sitka, Alaska and and the craftsmanship of Straley as a writer, and you have a fine reading experience. I've ordered the other novels in the Cecil Younger series, and I can't wait to get at 'em.