Last Frontier Books

I had never really read anything like this book before, but for some reason the story's unique setting, the Arctic, drew me in. The main character is so endearing, hard-working, honest, and lovable that you cheer for him throughout all his challenges and problems. He is a good example of how we could all learn from other cultures with respect and compassion. I was sad when I had finished because I wanted to know more about the rest of his life. Well worth your time and effort!!!!!

Of the many, many books I've read involving Arctic expeditions and experiences, this one is one of the best, among the ranks of Gontran De Poncins' 'Kabloona' and Vladimir Albanov's 'In The Land of the White Death.' I found it to have a lot in common with 'Kabloona': while the locations are rather far, the experiences are similar. 'The Last Gentleman Adventurer' also provides a lot of information about the Hudson's Bay Company, which is a fascinating chapter in northern Canadian history.

At the time of the documented experiences, this young man was essentially alone (in the beginning among 2 others) in one of the most remote outposts on earth. His interest and respect for Inuit life develops and broadens throughout the book, and in his adventures he meets many different characters. What is delightful about this character is that he sees the Inuit with respect to his own morals, ethics and upbringing, but without judging them. He spends a number of years in Pangnirtung and moves down to Frobisher Bay. Curiously, his last year (alluded to in the novel to be spent at Southampton Island) was not documented in the book, and I am unsure of why.

I found his relationships with the Inuit people in this book to be very inspiring; his encounters with the often harsh world around him allowed him to grow and adapt. While frustration was often present with one situation or another, he left his post at Ward Inlet with an incredible love and respect for his Inuit friends; while warned in the beginning not to become too wrapped up with "those people," it is the curiosity and willingness to learn that makes this novel, 'Kabloona' and also the adventures of Stefansson incredibly interesting. While whaling and exploration often exploited the talents of the Arctic people, there are few memoirs of people who sought to learn and survive with their knowledge.

This was an amazing story of the early years of the Hudson Bay Company and a year of young mans life at a trading post in the Arctic. I couldn't stop reading. I only wish the author had not stopped his story writing.

Fascinating story. Written in very genuine, matter of fact style. Author was completely open to learning all he could about Inuit culture, and this comes through in the book. A must read if you want to understand the culture and ecology of the arctic. Read this, then go watch "The Naked Runner."

In this beautifully written book, Edward Beauclerk Maurice takes the reader to a distant, cold land to experience heartwarming stories of adventure, love and loss.

Maurice spent five years living with Eskimos (Inuit) on Baffin Island in northern Canada as a representative of the Hudson's Bay Company. He came of age there, starting as naive 16-year-old and growing to become an experienced leader by 21.

Maurice tells his stories in an understated and humble manner. When he falls in the water, he makes a joke. When he nearly plummets to his death off a cliff, he blames his own clumsiness. When Eskimo women express interest in him, you can almost feel him blushing. You really can't help but like him.

There's danger and adventure here, too. Maurice confronts wolves and polar bears. Storms tear the roof off buildings and threaten to swamp boats. Eskimos die tragic deaths.

Particularly well-written is a story near the middle of the book where Maurice and an Eskimo come to the rescue of a village where people are dying from a contagious disease. It's a grim scene, and I could feel myself there through Maurice's writing.

As a I read "The Last Gentleman Adventurer," I was somewhat wistful that neither I, nor anyone else, will ever get a chance to experience this sort of life again. It was an isolated existence, and Maurice and the Eskimos had to completely depend on each other and to live off the land. There was almost no communication with the outside world; a supply boat came just once a year.

The book is divided into two parts -- the first includes highlights of Maurice's first few years on Baffin Island. The second is a more detailed description of his life at a base where he was the only non-Eskimo for one year.

If you're wondering why I give this four stars, not five, it's only because in the second half of the book there are some flat parts where Maurice could have perhaps summarized and moved on. I also wish the book had a map.

Despite those small complaints, I'd love to see someone turn this into a movie. It's not a big blockbuster story that would interest major studios, but I could see the BBC or PBS adapting this for TV.

Readers who enjoy this book would also enjoy "Alaska Wilderness" by Robert Marshall.

I bought this book at a book-signing Marilyn was having at Mendenhall Glacier Visitors Center in Alaska. I was was there on a side trip from a cruise ship, and it was my lucky day. Marilyn autographed it for me, and I took it back to the ship - where it hardly left my hands for the balance of the cruise, and on the plane home. What a great book! Reading this account of Marilyn's early life with her husband in Alaska is like becoming a part of her family. You suffer with them when they don't find fish, and rejoice with them when the year is good. You see in your mind's eye the beauty of Alaskan waters, and can almost smell the salty air as they hunt the elusive salmon. You rejoice in the birth of each child, and marvel at their life aboard a small fishing boat. You live with them in the tiny cabin they build on land. Written in the first person, Marilyn brings you to Alaska and into her family with a wealth of details, and with a skill and honesty to be admired. The book deserves every one of it's Five Stars rating. Do yourself a favor and buy it for some long weekend when you want a really good read. You will not regret it!

Besides telling the not-to-be-put-down story of her life, the author has created a historical document of southeastern Alaska, including the changes that occured during her many years there. The book is also a source of inspirational quotations which embody the Alaskan spirit. Marilyn Jordan George is a multitalented person; I am glad she penned her life story.

Marilyn literally takes you aboard with her and her family. I almost got sea sick. LOL Marilyn is articulate and tells it like it is. She doesn't sugar coat the unfortunate happenings. You will laugh, you will cry and you will get angry at certain characters. All in all a wonderful read.

My husband and I had just spent a number of fascinating days exploring The Pan Handle of Alaska (Southeast Alaska)-Which included-a number of communities that are only reached by boat or plane, as well as gliding among the ice floats in an area called Tracy's Arm to view a large glacier. When we landed in Petersberg we visited the museum and met Marilyn Jordan George. We could not resist buying her book; Following The Alaskan Dream.
We have both read it and have both thoroughly enjoyed it. The author gives you a detailed account of how life was lived during her days of salmon trolling in Southeast Alaska. Marilyn recounts the good-times and the trials of raising a family living on a boat, while salmon trolling with her husband, Skip Jordan.
It was most gratifying to read and enjoy a book that represents how positive thinking and a zest for life can give you such great pleasure. I was very sorry it ended---and hoped that there will be a sequel. Eliot Marshall/Klatzkin-Yardley, Pa.

Vivid portrayal of southeast Alaska's vanishing fishing industry. Sharing the author's lifetime of experiences I could almost feel salt spray in my face. A must-read for anyone who has lived in this beautiful country, has visited there, or dreams of Alaska.

My wife visited the area of Canada described by the book when she was a child, and we plan a return visit this summer. The book is an essential prerequisite, and a very enjoyable read!

Here I am ordering another copy of this book. I keep "loaning" them. I received my first copy in the mid-1950s as a horse/cowboy-loving teenager in Indiana. My USFS Ranger uncle sent it to me because he knew....!!! Knew it would be another huge nudge in getting me out to the Great Pacific Northwest other than just for visits. I made it in 1968 and my husband and I have visited the area depicted in the book countless times. I will soon turn 70 and have enjoyed reading this book every few years throughout my life. It is most compelling. The reviews of others are definitely right on. What more can I say other than, read it?

A personal look in living real life in a land that little is known

Pan Phillips had the "Pan Phillips International Airport" at his fishing camp beyond Anahim Lake B.C. For several years, we flew into his little airport between 2 lakes. Pan told us some of the same stories that are in this book. Louis Soukup was one of the first pilots to the area. Louis would fly in, any equipment that Pan needed, on the pontoons of his airplane. This book gives the stories as though you were sitting at the feet of the men who were the first settlers in this area of British Colombia. It is really an adventure to read.

We own the Legacy Ranch high in the mountains of Northeastern Utah. For years we have loved the beauty of the unspoiled wilderness. Nursing newborn elk calves, watching Canadian Lynx outside their lairs, and many other adventures have cast us in the mold of lovers of the wilderness. To read the adventures of true cowboys, who started with nothing else but their "grit" and ended up with lives spent plumbing the depths of fun and hard work was one of the top literary experiences of our lives. This book, far better than the sequels, will be part o four Christmas giving this year.

Takes you back to times I wish I'd live. Also great action hero's, I love books that can let me forget about the real world we live in, it's fun!!!!

I enjoyed the book very much. I find William Johnstone is one of the best writers there is. He alway get my attention from the first page to the last.

In a story line that grabs your attention and holds it is a hero that exemplifies the tough and proud western man. Action and drama packed with more gun play than seems possible and a touch of humor that makes for an interesting read. A true western.
Beverly J Scott author of Righteous Revenge

I was just as pleased with this book as with others in the last gunfighter series. I congratulate J.A. JOHNSTONE on completing the books left unfinished by William W. Johnstone in his own inimitable style. Zane Grey's heirs have been equally successful in their approach. I only wish the heirs of Ralph Compton (another of my favourite western authors) had been so careful. The Johnstone and Grey families are a shining example for other heirs of great popular authors to follow.

great book-I have most of them. Only improvement that I would like is for the books be numbered in order that they are written so you know what the next book is.. Capt Keith

Since my husband is from Marche, I enjoyed reading this cookbook with the side descriptions of life in the province. Some of the recipes would be difficult to make here due to ingredients, but there are some Marche favorites that are delicious.

This book is based in large part upon the story of the Familia Trabocci,
That story gives the reader/cook some real insight into the spirit of the food which is made with the excellent recipes. This is not really a cookbook for the beginner because, although it has very fine illustrations of dishes on the table, there are few procedural illustrations and many of the regional ingredients may be difficlt to obtain. It is a fine book of the cooking and customs of a region of Italy. Buy it and read it, you will enjoy it! You should also try to reproduce the cooking through some of the recipes in the spirit of the region.

I love Fabio's cooking. It's Inspired and exploding with amazing flavor. Fof over a year and a half worling in Maestro, I didn't always understood where the genious came from. This book has allowed me to understand a lot about him.

The recipes in the book are not your typical italian fare, it's a rustic, culinary treasure from a relatively undiscovered region of Italy. Very recomendable.

Part travelogue, part cookbook, Cucina of Le Marche intersperses its recipes with family memories and great storytelling. This is not just a cookbook to quickly consult over the stove; it's a book you'll want to curl up with and really read. Some of the recipes are fairly involved, but the writing is easy to follow and what I've made so far has been delicious. The rice and spinach soup with prosciutto and parmesan is heavenly, and the Le Marche risotto is easy to make but super yummy (the secret ingredient is cinnamon). Beginner cooks, advanced chefs and avid readers should all find something to love here.

Even with all the amazing restaurants in New York, I still crave the delicious food at Trabocchi's restaurant at the Ritz-Carlton in VA. With this cookbook I can bring a little bit of his cuisine to my own kitchen. Bravo!

As an avid cookbook collector, this is my favorite 2006 acquisition. I have been a devoted fan of Maestro, Chef Trabocchi's marvelous DC area restaurant and have been eagerly awaiting the publication of this book to learn more about his inspirations and bring some of the magic into my own kitchen.

Even if you haven't had the privilege of dining at Maestro, this book is a must-own for anyone who appreciates authenticity and a unique take on a traditional cuisine.

Buy this book and be prepared to fall in love with Le Marche!

A friend had this cookbook and made the Chili Verde recipe. It was excellent. So I had to find it and I was able to order it on Amazon. I have made several of the other recipes now and all of them I would make again. I would recommend this cookbook to anyone.

This cookbook is interesting to read and the recipes sound delicious. The one I have tried, the bruschetta at the beginning of the book, was very successful. I should have expected, but was surprised to see, recipes with so many different cultural influences. "Exotic" ingredients might be a draw back for Alaska bush cooks.

I bought this cookbook while I was in Ketchikan. It has fabulous recipes that showcase the freshness of AK wildlife, seafood and berries. Wonderful!!!

Alaskan restaurant critic and food writer Kim Severson, with the assistance of restaurant chef Glenn Denkler, has compile more than 120 superbly crafted recipes in "The New Alaskan Cookbook: Recipes From The Last Frontier's Best Chefs", each of which reflects the very best of contemporary Alaskan cuisine. Featuring a Recipe List, an informative introduction, information about the chefs who contributed creations are featured, and 'A Not About The Recipes', the dishes are arranged in sections devoted to Appetizers; Soups, Salads and Sandwiches; Entrees; Side dishes and Beverages; Sauces, Stocks, and Other Basics; and Desserts. The thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' recipes themselves range from Alaskan Seafood Chowder; Wild Alaska Snapper with Stir-Fry Vegetable Curry and Quick Fried Noodles; Grilled Kodiak Scallops with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce; and Cured Oven-Roasted Duck Breasts with Dried Cherry and Green Peppercorn Sauce; to Roast Cornish hen with King Prawn; Twice-Baked Gorgonzola Potatoes; Sweet Onion Jam; and Yukon Sourdough Bread Pudding. Enhanced with two appendices (The Restaurants and Food Resources), "The New Alaska Cookbook" is a strongly recommended addition to any personal and community library cookbook collection!

Severson & Denkler have done a great job offering delicious, do-able, interesting recipes and delivering them in an entertaining style. One doesn't have to be in Alaska to appreciate or use these recipes.

We have a mix which seems to be about 50-50, that is the Balkans figure heavily into a number of the stories in varying degrees of importance. So, even though this anthology is about the `Wild East,' a good bit of the Balkans is thrown in, and I don't think many consider the remains of the Yugoslavia as the `East'. It's the Balkans.

None the less, there is good reading here. There's comic irony, and the highs of serious pointedness. But one of the longer stories suffers from a mild turgidness, and some of the comic work is, in the slightest way, cliché-ish , but I appreciate what the stories are saying. And the overall reading is good. A few of the stories are very strong and well rounded.

This is a smart and funny collection of short fiction. I especially liked Arthur Phillips's story "Wenceslaus Square," which reads like postmodern John Le Carre. The story by Tom Bissell, about the reprobate son of a career diplomat posted to the ass-end of the world is hilarious, then turns very dark. And John Beckman's "Babylon Revisited Redux," in addition to the nod to Fitzgerald in the title, made me remember why spoofing Dan Quayle was so much fun. And Gary Shteyngart's "Shylock on the Neva," which was originally in The New Yorker, strikes me as a nuanced slice of life in Russia today. Excellent.

Wild East collects an even dozen stories that take as their subject matter the chaos of life in the post-Soviet, post-Berlin Wall east. The stories range from Bulgakov-like surrealist fables to visions of apocalyptic meltdown, with a good deal of vividly- described dissolute behavior by the inhabitants of these curious demimondes. Tough, scary, and funny, and an early taste of what may well be the next literary hotbed.

First-time author Boris Fishman will definitely be around for years to come, if his forthcoming books are anything like this one. Wild East is a wonderful collection of short stories with an Eastern European flair, each reflecting the unique perspective of its author. (Especially look for the selections by Gary Shteyngart and Tom Bissell.) As a Cold War junkie, I can say that this is one of the most well-written and compiled sets of stories that deal with Eastern Europe AFTER the fall of the Iron Curtain. Heartily recommended.

It seemed like only yesterday that the Berlin Wall went down. In the intervening fourteen years, everything seems to have changed for the people of Eastern Europe -- for better and for worse. They call the former communist countries the "Wild wild east," and as the stories in this terrific new anthology show, the FSU shares more than a passing resemblance to our own Wild West of the 19th century. Stories by Gary Shteyngart and Paul Greenberg alone are worth the price of admission. Bravo!

This is a heartfelt account of one man's struggle to overcome the archetpe of the "tough guy" and to soften into a realization of the power of love. R. Glendon Brunk, who could be one of the men in Pam Houston's "Cowboys are my Weakness" , shares his life with us in an engaging way -- sometimes sad, often funny, always keeping my attention. I wish that every man I know, from my brother and my father, to my cousins, to all my male friends would read it, too. Our world needs to find a new way, a way that isn't hung up onto the patriarchal ways of domination, the raw male energy that , undirected, may turn so quickly to violence and destruction. And here's a guy who was one of the toughest (he admits that that was the way he thought he should be) who openly shares his journey to become open and loving - therefore ultimately stronger. This is a great book about gender issues. Men and women alike should read it, discuss it, let it inspire new paths, and greater connected-ness with eachother and the world around us.

This is a heartfelt account of one man's struggle to overcome the archetpe of the "tough guy" and to soften into a realization of the power of love. R. Glendon Brunk, who could be one of the men in Pam Houston's "Cowboys are my Weakness" , shares his life with us in an engaging way -- sometimes sad, often funny, always keeping my attention. I wish that every man I know, from my brother and my father, to my cousins, to all my male friends would read it, too. Our world needs to find a new way, a way that isn't hung up onto the patriarchal ways of domination, the raw male energy that , undirected, may turn so quickly to violence and destruction. And here's a guy who was one of the toughest (he admits that that was the way he thought he should be) who openly shares his journey to become open and loving - therefore ultimately stronger. This is a great book about gender issues. Men and women alike should read it, discuss it, let it inspire new paths, and greater connected-ness with eachother and the world around us.

Glendon's down-to-earth writing style and his epic adventure story make this book an addictive page turner. Included is everything from running world class dog teams across the icy tundra, to sipping Kava in the South Pacific. Read it for yourself and find out what draws a man to Alaska.

Here's a book with the romanticism of Davy Crockett, weather the likes of A Perfect Storm, herds of caribou familiar through Never Cry Wolf, and a cast of sled dogs paling Lassie, Old Yeller, Sounder, and Where the Red Fern Grows.
It's a book for children because of the raw adventure: watch our protagonist shoot a bear that's about to knock down his cabin door and eat his baby daughter (and then watch him leave, tossing his wife butchering instructions). Hear him call "Trail" as he and his sixteen world champions pass the favored dog team and head into Fairbanks and the crowd's cheers.
It's a book for women because its central figure is the stuff of endless heartbreak: a doer, a pacifist, a romantic, a man with a guitar and songs and dreams as big as all outdoors, a man whose restlessness is the stuff (in women's eyes) of pathology. This man from Mars retreats not just to his cave; he moves to Fiji, to Australia, New Zealand, Hawaii, Guatemala, Mexico, and Africa.
It's a book for men because this writer lived most men's dreams. Brunk's woods were not Thoreau-sized; his peace required the presence of Alaskan wildlife which had never before seen a human.
He yearned really wild, and, as Mary Renault says, "Longing performs all things." R. Glendon Brunk performed.
It almost killed him. The real gifts in this amazing book are Brunk's courageous candor in addressing the essential emptiness he found once he realized his dreams. He does not flinch in the face of his paradoxes: he admits, for example - acknowledging a tension that must exist among almost all men -- that having a child was not in his dream. But this is a healing book. The adventure stories are only preliminary to Brunk's more central journey here: the one inward and the one backwards: back to the courage it takes to stay.
Read this book. Give it to your husband, your son, your son's teacher, your ex-husband, your boss, your mailperson. This is a great book.

What an honest and brave guy to write this book. Glendon Brunk, one of those ultra-manly men, writes so honestly about what it means to be a man in a world dominated by men, and how, through the amalgamating forces of pain and growing self-awareness, came to see a different way. It's a book set in Alaska, with all the raw power of conquering the wilderness and living wild, with facing grizzly bears and extreme cold, but it's really not about Alaska. It's about growth and coming into consciousness. It's about driving sled dogs competively and coming to realize that winning the world championship of sled dog racing - a feat akin to any great athletic endeavor - was empty. It was because of a single-minded obsession to win, to conquer, to be the best, to control, all the manly perceptions that have the world in so much trouble today. Yearning Wild is about one man coming to see his responsibility for wounding, not only himself, but women and children and the land. It's about awakening. This book is a brave beginning, and it needs to be out there. I - a man - would encourage every man, every woman to buy it and to pass it on. Because it's one of those books that's desparately needed for the times we live in. Do it, please.

Sitton and Hunt recap the Great American Story, told many times in many places in this great nation. Blending a worthy narrative with an amazing array of photographs from Larry Jene Fisher, the authors remind us why and how America became so great and why East Texas is such a magnificent story of its own. Read this book if you want to understand what made America and Texas rich and dynamic. Study this book if you want to recall what we must build on to keep our nation great. There's a reason we are who we are and Big Thicket People captures that story superbly.

This book does a magnificent job of capturing a poorly documented chapter
in our nation's history. Sitton and Hunt's text combined with Fisher's
amazing photography magically transports you to the East Texas of the 1930s and 1940s. In reality, the book transports you to the Old South for these "lost" lifeways were common throughout the South before WWII. If you'd like to know more about the Old South, whether it be fox hunting, tie hacking, turpentining or just the old free range livestock culture, this book is a must.

Again, Sitton and Hunt do a great job of telling/showing the history of the rural South which has not been heavily documented. I highly recommend this book, it is a MUST have.

This book offers wonderful photography of an almost lost era in American history. The history of the rural South has not been heavily documented. Sitton and Hunt combine the outstanding photography of Larry Fisher with their wonderful text to make this era come alive. Many of these photographs provide extremely rare documentation of old Southern lifeways, such as turpentining, marking ears of free-range hogs, stave making, etc. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the history of the South or East Texas. It is a fabulous resource.

Big Thicket People by Thad Sitton and Charles Hunt provides an invaluable pictorial record of a back woods culture that has faded from the scene.
Larry Jean Fisher moved to Saratoga, Texas and the area called the Big Thicket in the mid 1930s when his first career as a silent movie pianist was ended by the "talkies". We are extremely fortunate that he chose to apply his artistic talents to photography for his pictures provide authentic images of a lost culture.
The Big Thicket is a unique ecological area whose major feature is quite well described by its name. For some the "Thicket" provided a hiding place and for others it meant a meager livelihood, but its harsh and also bountiful environs shaped the lives of those who established homes there. Fisher took pictures of the rustic culture that he found in and around Saratoga. The negatives of his pictures were fortunately passed to the custody of the Lamar University Library where they were finally published by Sitton and Hunt.
The natural history of the Big Thicket was significantly altered by timber-cutting and oil exploration, but it is now slowly reverting to its original state under the protection of the National Park Service's 100,000 acre Big Thicket National Preserve. The Preserve, however, can not bring back the way of life so we are left with the Fisher pictures and the descriptions by Sitton and Hunt.
This short volume provides an excellent review of life in the Big Thicket, but it leaves one wanting more than just this taste of what once was.

We bought a number of books in this series - the Alaska one (where daddy grew up and where grandma and grandpa live), the Colorado one (same thing for mommy's side) and the Washington one (where we live now). We love them all and even though they are probably aimed at kids just above my son's age, he still requests them a lot and we talk about the places we have been in the books. I highly recommend them and use them as gifts quite often.

I gave this book to my nephew who is moving to Alaska, and we have all learned from it. The pictures are beautiful as well.

This is a beautifully illustrated book with LOADS of information presented in a wonderful rhyming format for younger children. For older children the additional information in the margins is excellent. This is a great resource for teachers to use when instructing students about the Native culture,the environment and our 49th state. I highly recommend it and all of the other Discover America State by State Alphabet Series books.

Writer Carol Crane and illustrator Michael Glenn Monroe produced a fabulous alphabet book of Alaska in the Discover America State by State Alphabet Series. As school librarian, I feel compelled now to get the entire set if all are as good as this one. One of our teachers requested this book for an Alaska unit and we are both delighted!

The book is set up for two age groups: little ones, 4-8, with a little verse and beautiful illustrations that demonstrate the verse; and older children, 9-12, with the sidebars for more information pertaining to each letter and topic.

"A is for Alaska Natives
remembering their ancestor's way.
Fishing, trapping, hunting, and whaling,
living on a great land today."

The double page spread shows two Natives, standing on ice floes, catching fish with spears. The side bars tell us that they have creation stories, what they make their canoes, spears, clothing out of. We learn about their artistic style, totem poles, spiritual symbols, and celebrations.

Alaska is home to all three bears that live in the United States: brown/grizzly, black, and polar. Cranberries grow wild in Alaska!! That was a shocker!! The Alaska flag was created through a contest won by a 13-year-old Native American boy.

Alaska has glaciers, King Salmon which can find their way to exactly the place they were born to lay/fertilize eggs and die, that Northern Lights are a "shimmering night time show," and that Ptarmigan (birds) can dive into the snow and be warm, cozy, and safe from enemies. Even though the tundra is full of life, it is a frozen terrain in the winter and considered a "cold desert."

Another shocker is the size of vegetables that grow during growing season. The Yukon River was a source of gold for gold diggers back in the day. Juneau, the state capital, can be reached only by airplane or boat! No roads lead to Juneau.

The book concludes with a quiz and short bibliography.

"L is for Last Frontier: An Alaskan Alphabet" is a must-have book if you are interested in an alphabet of facts about the state. Or find the book which addresses your state. This series is a winner--or 26 winners!