I found this book to be very informative about the land and extream weather of Alaska but it ran a little dry quickly. This is a journal of around 9 months of Rockwell kents life while in Alaska. I have read other books that were written from journals and Kents does fair better then most. I can understand that a journal in Alsaka can run out of new and interesting things to write about and this book seemed to try to fill in the gaps with Kents thoughts and many philosophies. All in all I do recomend this book to anyone who really want a real veiw of what Alaska is actually like.

You can pick this book off your library shelf any time, open it to any page, start at any paragraph and begin to feel a mantle of peace settle over your jangled nerves. "Wilderness" is the record of artist Rockwell Kent and his 9-year-old son spending a winter in Alaska on Fox Island in Resurrection Bay, near Seward, with only one elderly Swede as a neighbor. This "journal of quiet adventure" nonetheless is exciting in the relationships between father and son and old Olson and between the Kents and the harsh winter weather. Beautifuly and profusely illustrated by Rockwell and Rockwell, Jr.

Of the many wilderness adventures that flood our view on the television or in movies, with dramatic, life-risking events, we can become weary of the slick presentations. Rockwell Kent tells of us of another type of adventure, the day to day living on remote Fox Island off Seward, in Alaska. The small pleasures, the difficult trips in an open boat to get supplies, the child's sweetness in his friendship with a magpie, all these and more stories are told in a daily journal. And illustrated as Kent always does, with insight and style. Kent as a writer is equal to Kent as an artist, intellectual and candid in his telling a story and sharing impressions. If this is your first reading of a Kent book, you have a long list of other books ahead for this was his first book done as a "first person" storyteller. His desire for remote and wild landscapes to paint took him, and then takes us, through his work, to many other places over many decades. But none are any more delightful and majestic than this trip to Alaska. To check out the validity of this remote place, I took a trip to Fox Island several years ago, and though I didn't see it in the winter as Rockwell and his son did, it was dramatic, beautiful and matched the feeling I'd gotten when I first read the book years ago. The nice touch of this edition is that the editor, Doug Capra, has a very fine introduction to the book and Capra knows his subject. He has been researching Kent for years, but more than that, he has something to say and says it well. Few Kent editors do. But the book--it makes a wonderful Christmas gift because it has a really fine description of what a meaningful Christmas celebration can be in a remote place, shared with a hermit on the island, the father and little boy. There are some delightful details in this story: the food taken for the trip; the books for father and son; the rigerous baths when the bay freezes and the ice cold waters no longer are available. Kent is no ordinary artist, writer or father. And this is no ordinary adventure. It makes you wish, even yearn, for that place, that time, those people. I knew Rockwell Kent in the final few years of his life and he still carried that energtic view of life, that love of beauty and nature that comes alive in this small work. And three cheers to Doug Capra for bringing this new edition to life for it is of the quality for which Kent was famous in his published books. (A wretched edition of this treasure of a story was published a few years before and this edition puts to rest a Kent lover's dispair about having a bad edition of a Kent work on the shelves, any shelves. I almost never throw books away but this earlier paperback with bad design from cover to cover merits polluting a garbage pail.) So, invest in some good reading, some laughs and some wistful thoughts about what a wilderness adventure could be. And for those who have courage, still can be.

This title is of note as it is one of the few books written by a male about his experience teaching in the bush. The author lived among the Yupik Eskimos of Wales and Scammon Bay on the Northwest Coast of Alaska. The author speaks warmly of his experience with the villagers, however there are a few passages that could be perceived as negative towards Alaska natives. In addition even though the author gets along well with the community, like so many bush teachers, he leaves after only a few short years. Although the meat of this book is the author's adventures with his new friends, there are several comments on bush schools in the first chapter and several more sprinkled throughout. This book is a quick, smooth, and easy read and there is plenty to be learned from this book. Photos are interesting but too small and dark.

I just finished this book moments ago, and was so moved that I jumped on the computer to write this review. I loved the book. I feel like I came to know the author personally. I bought the book in North Carolina during Christmas tree time, and had I known he had a farm, I would have driven down just to see him. I learned so much about primitive Alaska during this time period. I was on the edge of my seat waiting for his next "everyday" adventure of living in remote Alaska. I crave a chance to visit an area such as this. I recommend this to anyone that enjoys great non-fiction.

A fascinating account of not only life in Alaska but life in the 50's as well. Mr. Corbin's writing makes you feel as if you are living there with him; you feel as if you know the different villagers and you come away with a deeper appreciation for the Eskimo way of life, beliefs, and values.

I read this book not long after I'd read "Influenza", an account of the flu epidemics the world has seen, and noticed a lot of congruencies in the descriptions of Alaska and the native peoples between this book and "A World Apart". Another interesting comparison is with "1000 White Women", a fictional story of 1800's American Indians' attempt to begin to blend their race with the Americans of European descent by taking white women as their brides. In this story, as in "A World Apart", you begin to understand not only HOW the described cultures differ but WHY, and thus both books reinforce the lesson that you can't impose your values on a people with different circumstances and beliefs. Come to think of it, "Poisonwood Bible" also taught anti-ethnocentrism as well. If you enjoyed any of these other books, you will find "A World Apart" difficult to put down.

They all say, "a book you can't put down." Usually, you put the book down pretty quick! Well, "Alaska Incident" IS a book you'll race right through. I read it in a day, whereas a book usually takes me a week.This book does not just appeal to science-fiction types -- you'll like it even more if you're a "Mystery type." But this story will make you wonder whether the HAARP/ military catastrophe that's the book'c centerpiece HAS actually happened. Or will?A great read...PS: Do have suggestions for the author, if he interested :-))

Mr. Bird's book was an easy read...meaning a constant flow. Believable and facinating characters. Being a "believer" of UFO's, I was drawn to his book by his web site content. The ending was wonderfuly unexpected and left you feeling satisfied. The government's cover-up in this book was highly believable.

It seems hard to believe that as recently as the 1930s large chunks of American territory were completely unexplored. These uncharted regions were in northern Alaska, and for Robert Marshall the chance to be the first to set foot in them was irresistable.

"Alaska Wilderness" is the surprisingly engaging story of Marshall's visits into the unknown reaches of the Alaska's Brooks Range.

On the face of it, this book doesn't seem to have a whole lot going for it. There are only a few moments of peril and drama, and just a sprinking of humor. Marshall's descriptions of the people he meets and travels with are fairly one-dimensional. Mostly, the book is a chronological account of Marshall's hikes and boat trips, with the author spending a lot of time describing in detail the mountains and landscape he discovers. It seems like this should be dull.

But Marshall is such a likeable guy and his enthusiasm for nature is so genuine that you can't help but enjoy going along with him on his explorations. Before long, the reader is just as eager as Marshall to find out what is over the next ridge or around the next bend. The book's good maps help the reader follow Marshall's travels.

Marshall valued exploration just for the sake of exploration and his plain-spoken opinions on the subject are refreshing. For example:

"There is something glorious is traveling beyong the ends of the earth, in cutting loose from the bonds of world-wide civilization. Such life holds a joy and an exhilaration which most explorers today cannot understand, with their radios and aeroplanes which make the remotest corners of the world just a few days or even hours away in distance. Modern mechanical ingenuity has brought many good things to the world, but in the long list of high values which it has ruined, one of the greatest is the value of isolation."

Or:

"As I see it, Peary's discovery of the North Pole, Amundsen's journey to the South Pole, Byrd's junketing in Antarctica, or the impending ascent of Mount Everest do not make the road of humanity as a whole the least bit happier. In fact, one could argue, the net result of these activities is to make mankind a little poorer because when an exploration is made there is that much less possibility left in the world for others to experience the joy of exploration in hitherto unknown regions. The justification, if one is needed, for present-day exploration, therefore is almost exclusively the selfish one of giving oneself the exhiliration of that most glorious of all pastimes, setting foot where no human being has ever trod before."

We are lucky that one of the first men to explore the Brooks Range was such an able writer as Robert Marshall, and that he so honestly shares the experience with us.

This is Marshall's account of exploring the area which is now Gates of the Arctic National Park. Marshall was the first to systematically explore and describe it, in the 1930s. Introductions by his brother George update the information to 1970. There are wonderful, hilarious anecdotes. I read this to help plan my first trip there (summer 2000); can't imagine going without it.

Having lived many years among the Yupik in Southwestern Alaska, James Barker does an exceptional job of accurately portraying the cyclical nature of life in rural Alaska. The changing of the seasons and how they affect the gathering and subsistence activities of the Yupik comes across clearly in the photographs. This book is important in the documentation of a way of life that is rapidly being subversed by the global economy which involves oil, stocks, and money.

James Barker tells a story in pictures and words so richly that either of those media may have sufficed. The photos are powerful -- I was awestruct by the originals when I had the chance to see them in an Alaskan art museum --and they tell a story of an ancient culture in transition. The words are mostly the old stories and traditions that are still being passed down to the next generation.

Thanks Tom for making me snort laugh through my nose. I'll be searching out your other work now.

A passport is a really necessary item -- most of the time -- but as this book shows, you don't need one all the time. And, for certain places, a passport is not needed at all. But, how far can you go without one? This book gives you details on that and more. It will make your passport even more valuable, and, significantly, it will give you the lowdown on where you should go -- passport or not. Highly recommended.

With the huge number of books that are available on the Klondike Gold Rush, it's always a pleasure to see a new viewpoint being used. There are now several books dealing with the part played in the development of the North by women, but this is the first time that children have been the focus. I've heard this book referred to as a children's book (and in fact Amazon has it listed as reading level 9-12), but I consider it to be suitable fare for anyone with an interest in Northern history. The first aspect of the book that impressed me was the production - from cover to cover it is beautifully laid out, and graphics and photographs are used extensively throughout its 82 pages. While some are common images (the Chilkoot and gold camps), the majority are ones that I have seldom or never seen. The introduction to the book serves its purpose well - describing the conditions that families had to endure both en route to the North, and while living there. Cold, the hard work and the usual lack of schools were significant elements in most children's lives in the Yukon and Alaska, and often forged the types of personality traits important in later successes. Contrary to modern theories that growing up too quickly can be bad for a child's development, Murphy and Haigh argue that "Learning to work hard at a very young age may have been their best lesson of all." With stories in the book ranging from sad and introspective to comical, "Children of the Gold Rush" will make a worthwhile addition to the library of anyone who wants a more rounded perspective on the development of the Northern frontier.

This was another great book by Jane Haigh and Claire Rudolf Murphy! It was great to hear about how tough children were in the goldrush! This book takes you into the world of many small children in a gold oriented society. It really showed how easy most of us have it now! This is a "must read" for any one who wants to learn about the goldrush, is a goldrush fan, or is just looking for a good book.

Route's guide gives a manageable list of flies along with a good amount of reasoning behind each. The timing/species charts are excellent in themselves. This volume is worthwhile for all fly anglers, even non-tyers. In addition to providing a guide for tying/buying flies for Alaska, it gives a good bit of how-to and even a hint of where-to. I used it prior to my most recent Alaskan venture and it was most useful. One question: Why no marabout spiders?

This handy book provides a detailed instructions for tying a wide variety of flies that will be useful when flyfishing in Alaska. The book is organized into chapters devoted to a particular type of fishing (i.e., still water, streamers, saltwater, etc.). A set of handy tables matching up fly to species and time of the year is provided. Also included is information on how to fish the various flies.

Another two related books of interest are "Flyfishing Alaska" by Route and "Fly Patterns of Alaska" by the Alaska Flyfishers.

The book was shipped to me in very good condition and was here in 7 days. I find it very informative and am anxious to see Alaska. We have cruised before and Royal Caribbean is our cruise line of choice. I was interested in the book more for the suggestions for excursions, what the weather would be and what to pack. I would definitely order through amazon again.

Wow, this is a great book! My wife and I are planning a trip and this book has been worth every penny we spent. It gives you tremendous insight into the various cruise lines, what to expect, do's and don'ts, excursion planning etc.

If you're spending the money to go on an Alaskan cruise, buy this book, it will help you pick the right one for you.

The story is sweet and the illustrations are fun. This very short book is great to have on hand for visiting kids.

Long ago I purchased the original run of these books when I was a kid (1974) - then, they carried a cover price of $1.00... Now, my son, aged 2 1/2 loves them and we read Morgan and Me, Wheedle on the Needle, Gnome from Nome and Serendipity.

I am SO DELIGHTED that these books are still in print and available for all to have. Mr. Cosgrove and Mrs. James have written and illustrated some wonderful books. I look forward to other books.