When by-the-book meets good-ol-boy. And you thought this only happened in the South! Mangieri's book is not over-the-top,it involves real police work in real police situations (and everything that involves).
Honest men are hard to find, but you've found one here. I can't wait to see the movie!

Mangieri's account of crime and corruption in the Far North, circa mid 1970s, is compelling. This book brings to mind the nonfiction of Peter Maas, author of Serpico and The Valachi Papers. However, Mangieri's work has a sharper edge, simply by virtue of the fact that it is based on his personal experiences and is told in his own words.

The Alaska State Troopers are involved in the bugging of home, and business computers, killings of innocent individuals, (including tourist), buggings of telephones-public, and private, disappearances of individuals in many areas of the state, and other criminal activities, to name a few. I know a friend who turned his badge in because of these illegal activities. Because he did not want to be a part of these illegal activities.

Bill Hess is a very gifted photographer, who works almost exclusively in black and white. He has spent a great deal of time with the people the people of the North Slope whose lives are shared in this book. For a number of years he was under contract to the North Slope Borough to produce a magazine about life on the North Slope (Uinniq-The Open Lead, which makes it clear that the people of the North Slope felt that he represents them clearly and fairly.

One could enjoy this book for the photography alone, but it is so much more than that. Whaling is a central focus of North Slope Inupiat culture; it is an inextricable part. People here know that; and the whalers carry it out as a sacred trust on behalf of the whole community.

This is a stunning visual presentation combined with a moving, unpretentious text. The drama of the three grey whales, the search for footprints . . . it is all powerful stuff. I have only been living in Barrow for nine months but so far there isn't a word that doesn't ring true.

I have done a great deal of reading in my life, yet never have I been more absorbed in a book than I have in 'Gift of the Whale'. I highly recommend this elegant, enjoyable and informative piece of work.

I have read other articles by Alan Poyner, but nothing can compare with having so much of his writing in one handy place. When ever I need a pick me up and a laugh, all I have to do is read a chapter and I'm set.
Luv ya Alan!!!!!!!!! Keep up the good work. I'm ready for the next one!

Very nice reading for anytime, especially if a few chuckles are needed. I liked the short story layout, and it made for a great read whenever I wanted to smile. I would recommend this to anyone who likes humor delivered in a delightfully dry yet enjoyable manner! Good reading for all ages. Where is Volume II?

lots of humor and altogether enjoyable reading. I prarticur enjoyed the chapter where the moose stalked school kids on their way to the bus stop

I read about "Charlie" Minshall's Alaska adventures twice through and couldn't resist going myself. I traveled in Alaska (by car)and included many of the places I enjoyed in her book, finding delightful tiny villages and friendly Alaskans like she wrote about. My trip was unforgetable.

Whether you're an "armchair traveler" or you're planning to visit Alaska, this book is a MUST. I give it five stars!

Sue in Virginia

I typically read reference books, not storybooks, picking through them for bits and pieces of helpful information. I couldn't do that with Charlie's book about RVing in Alaska. I tried, but it just didn't work. I'd try to look up some particular thing - and a half hour later I'd be just reading along - absorbed in her adventure.

RVing Alaska! (and Canada) is Charlie's story. It's a true and fascinating story of her ventures into the Alaskan wilderness, her partaking of typical tourist attractions, her mingling and interacting with the Alaskan locals, and her descriptions of how she combines daily life as a working, full-time RVer with having a fantastic time.

If you'd love to go to Alaska, but think you can't - read this book. Charlie will have you there in a matter of minutes.

If you are planning a trip to Alaska - read this book. You need it to help you plan and prepare. It can serve as your travel planner and guidebook. It can save you grief over not knowing what to expect, what to take, how to get where you are going, etc.

If you are already in Alaska - read this book. You will find things you would never find otherwise - everything from peaceful campgrounds to scrumptious clam chowder.

This was the first book I read when planning our RV trip to Alaska. It was a fun and informative read, after which I went on to other books. The interesting thing is that when I got down to the nitty-gritty of planning I found myself referring to it more than I ever thought I would. I took it with us and...guess what? I referred to it quite often.

The reason I found it so useful was that I got a real feeling for what places were like. Other Alaska travel books give a lot of information on campgrounds and places of interest, but Charlie's book was like having a friend tell you what things are REALLY like. An example: Charlie says, "I stayed at Centennial Park just outside of Anchorage. Some pleasant big campground, with all the amenities plus, exist within the city limits, but their prices are not as pleasant as the Centennial Park. It is a dry camp park for $13/night. They have showers, dump station, and telephone. I like it because it is in a wooded area, and convenient." Compare that to a popular guide book: "Centennial Camper Park - 83 spaces w/o hookups; 3 pull-throughs; sewage dump station; flush toilets; drinking water...separate tenting area; 14 day limit."

Yes, Rving Alaska is not a guide book but one person's traveling experience. But with the author's practical advice, positive attitude and true love of adventure you can't help but love this book. Like the back cover says, "This book explains the practical 'How to' and the bold 'Why not'".

By the way, when parking in an area described in the book, I noticed a familiar looking RV. I couldn't believe it but it was her...the silver gypsy! (Picture in my personal profile.) As we talked I realized how alive and vivacious she really was. This woman has a lot of spirit and she's a kick to be around.

Alaska, despite its many cities and roads, is still a land with large vistas of wild, untamed territory. Kaniut's book is a collection of several dozen Alaskan tales of death and survival, ranging from plane crashes in poor weather to bear attacks, climbing accidents, entrapment in mudflats as the tidewater poured in, winter stranding on ice floes, badger mauling, frostbite on hunting forays gone wrong, and many other true dramas. While the book is rather limited in its straightforward, no-nonsense approach (one could, without being disrespectful, call the style prosaic), it does make for good bedtime reading before drifting off to sleep. The wildness of nature that demonstrates the numinous aspect of God's creation in the last few chapters of Job can be seen in these stories, reminding us that man is not the master of everything he surveys. Nature is wild, dangerous, and commands attention and respect. Ignore this and you might die or be severely crippled (as some of these stories demonstrate.) Overall, this was not a great book, but a good one, a decent selection to take along on a camping trip.

READING THESE REAL LIFE ACCOUNTS WILL LEAVE YOU MARVELING AT THE POWER OF THE HUMAN SPIRIT AND THE WILLPOWER SOME MEN HAVE TO LIVE. YOU WILL SEE HOW TRADGEDY CAN STRIKE EVEN THE WELL PREPARED AND HOW NATURE CAN PUSH MAN TO UNTHINKABLE LIMITS. BY FAR, LARRY KANIUT'S BEST BOOK.

As a long time Alaskan, I enjoyed the true to life tales shared by the adventurers within the covers of the book. I found myself pacing the floor as I scanned the pages of this book. Not only was I unable to put it down, I was unable to sit down and read it. Good, book, Mr. Kaniut and contributors.

Bill Zeddies

This is a neat little package that gives a wealth of info about slugs. It was a little less technical than I had hoped. If you're looking to answer specific biology questions or have the hopes of a key, this is not the answer.

What on earth am I doing reviewing a book about slugs? Because I live in Slugland & I want to know more about those slithery slimers who mug my lettuces & ravish my sprouts. This little book is a gem, a must for anyone living among gastropods. This book inspired me to write a poem about these critters who have been around far longer than we! Still don't like 'em, I'll tolerate them because David George Gordon has written a funny, informative, charming book about a subject most would rather stomp on! So there!

I found this book to be a concise, thorough discussion of the subject of garden slugs. Every gardener has had to deal with them in some form or another and this little book is the perfect addition to your gardening library on the subject. Excellent artwork and drawings, also.

Having been there to see Alaska only whets the appetite. Do you have imagination? Then, whether you've never been, only cruised thru, or passed thru via Anchorage, don't wait to purchase this the finest collection of stories of the true Alaska you will find. Feel what it's like to freeze to death, hunt the Great Whale, live the ways of the original Alaskans...without having to. Immerse yourself in poetry only a great land and great people could create. In short, enjoy this collection. Savor it. Send it to friends as I have. And, pick it up again and again and again.

This book is a delight. Well chosen and skillfully edited material covers all aspects of the Alaska experience -- from native myths to the burly Alaska of the wild. This is a perfect book to read before your first trip to Alaska. If you have visited Alaska, reading this book will help you savor the Alaska experience. There are also several short pieces which make great bedtime reading for young children. One of my best purchases in years.

Although many great literary minds have been inspired to write about Alaska, it is impossible to find a single work that can completely describe the "Alaskan Experience". This great land is simply too vast in size, and rich in history and cultures to be described by any one author at any one time. In his anthology, Wayne Mergler selected excerpts from classical stories of Alaska, along with modern works and Native lore. He transports the reader through time and culture to give a fuller view of what it is to be "Alaskan".

Lisa Tawn Bergren has done an excellent job of wrapping up all the lives we learned to love (and some we didn't!) in the first two of this trilogy. CAPTIAN'S BRIDE and DEEP HARBOR kept you on the edge of your chair and at times exclaiming - "she can't do that to that character!". In MIDNIGHT SUN, you can relax a little more while reading, but for me it was still a "stay up and read until it's finished" wonderful, satisfying ending. The author may state this is the end to this series, but I wonder if she would consider another book with the children all grown up? Does Alaska have to be the final frontier for these wonderful characters? Read all three books, you will laugh and cry with the rest of us!

This is an awesome ending! Midnight Sun is a definite must read for anyone who has read The Captain's Bride and Deep Harbor. When I finished the first two, I felt like I was in the middle of a great movie and the electricity went out! I couldn't wait to see how things ended with Karl, Elsa, Kaatje, Tora and Trent. I only wish that Karl has resolved things with his father. Overall, an excellent book. I'm looking forward to her next book.

If you read The Captain's Bride and Deep Harbor then this is a must. I only regret that this is the last book in the series. I will truly miss the characters! Lisa, another book well written!

The third time I read this book, I was even more moved than before. I looked forward to the bare bones writing style---saw a bear---shot him. The most poignant moment was when he asked the cashier at the bowling alley how to tell his daughter that her mother had died. His respect for the eskimo and other native Americans was a measure of the man. I would not want to live his life, but I feel blessed that he did.

Although I read this book a few years ago, I am still awed by the emotions felt while thinking about it. The author writes as though you are there with him throughout every adventure, and you quickly become aware that you are in very good hands. Who wouldn't want to venture to Alaska with Fred Hatfield at your side? I have nothing but praise for this incredible story about the life of a "not so ordinary" man...

This is an awe-inspiring, moving book, well-written, fast-paced, and short. I know nothing about Alaska, but the picture that Fred paints is vivid. The candidness with which he tells his unusual tale is itself unusual. His prose is crystal clear, a model for even experienced writers, which he is not. As far as I know, this was his first and only book. Everyone I have recommended it to has loved it. I would love to hear back from other readers of this book.

Ellie Somers is living her dreams thousand miles above the earth. She works for the Alaska Coast Guard on the helicopter Rescue Squad. She loves playing the role of hero but still has a thrill streak in her. When one dangerous mission almost grounds her wings, she agrees to play by the rules. She does good for a while and then the thrill is aching inside of her. This time she isn't a hero but a grounded pilot. She becomes despondent and her reckless behavior has her in Las Vegas. Her friends believe she didn't nothing wrong and set out to clear her name and find in the lower 48. When they do, she is involved in a plan she cannot
escape from and this plan may cost her everything she believes in and the honor of her friends. Morgenroth had me spellbound with the details given to the rescue missions. But when Ellie is grounded and main setting is switch to Las Vegas it lost something. It does pick up momentum again but the way she tries to switch tactics between plots were choppy but in the end I still find this a good read.

This book had so many unexpected twists and turns that I practically read it in one sitting. I also loved the unique premise of a female helicopter rescue pilot. Very smart, with lots of action and a romantic element, too. I can't wait to read Kate Morgenroth's other book ("Kill Me First"). If it's anything like this one, she's got a loyal fan!

just finished this book and loved it - morgenroth is a rare, gifted storyteller... this is a page turner, crisply written, with a bunch of heart-stopping thrills, some great characters, and an astonishing plot twist at the end. i'm giving it to my wife next - the lead character is a woman punching her way thru a man's world... very cool summer read.