Alaska Books

Very few stories of the makings of films can be described as truly dramatic, dramatic enough to form a story worth telling in its own right. Citizen Kane qualifies, as do Platoon and Once Upon a Time in America.

But all these very famous stories of dramatic productions pale in comparison to the story of the making - and reconstruction - of Abel Gance's magnificent silent epic Napoleon (1927). Brownlow, who appears to have been the prime mover behind the incredible revival of this film through the late 1970s and early 1980s, tells a story of a film epic that was practically ignored in the hype over the new hi-tech "talkies".
Abel Gance's "Napoleon" suffered indignity after indignity as it was first butchered by money-minded studios in America wanting to suppress foreign creativity, then turned into a patched-up sound film, and finally totally forgotten by all but a very few; the remaining fragments of film rotting in film archives throughout the world.

Were it not for young Brownlow's rediscovery of the film in little 9.5mm abridgements in his local store in Englkand, then it is likely that the film "Napoleon" would never have been rediscovered. Thanks to Brownlow's virtual obsession over this film, he broke through all barriers to find more and more of the film, finally being the main force in its reconstruction. Through it all we hear of vast and distasteful conspiracies against Brownlow's work; of archives jealously guarding the remains of the film uintil they literally rot away; of obsessive - and cruel - collectors determined to do the same; of massive commercial intereasts, heartless and money-minded, threatening to strangle the project several times over - of painstaking restoration with mylar tape and scissors.

Beyond that, we hear of triumphs; the exciting discoveries, over and over, of new pieces of film; new sequences whose genius was a little too much for their timel; of the incredible reception the film received in 1981-3 with the new restorations, especially the french restoration of 1982; and above all, the moving reminisces of visiting the aging, seriously embittered, and very egotistical Abel Gance himself!

This book is about as dramatic as stories about the making of a film can get. Although Brownlow descends into abject worship fairly often - Abel Gance seems like a rather unpleasant fellow to me - and his obsession sometimes gets a little disturbing and "on the nose", there can be no doubting his enthusiasm and joy in his task. We feel for him every time he discovers a never-before-seen sequence of incredible genius; or when he finds that a certain hostile collector has let his copy of the film rot to pieces. It is a real adventure story; a story about a film, that goes way, way beyond mere box office receipts and the Hollywood process. This is a real story of guerilla film restoration!

Of course, the book also is a wonderful introduction and companion to the film itself - already released on DVD in Australia and England, and shortly to be released on DVD in the US. My own opinion of the film is that it is a film more full of great scenes, than being a great film overall. Not surprising since Gance originally wanted to do a Peter Jackson and film a series of six films simultaneously! This film was only meant as a mere introduction. I also agree with Brownlow that the film's major failing is self-indulgence. Some of the snazzier special effects seem to overshadow the story - again, a bit like Peter Jackson...

Please note this; that the versions released on VHS and DVD are NOT the full restorations. The US Coppola Version of 1981 is a rather cut-down version of Brownlow's UK Version. It has also been speeded up to 24 fps, making Napoleon a little jittery. The UK version will probably never be reloeased on video or DVD, which is a terrible pity, even though I like the tinting (well, maybe the red is a little too strong) and the Coppola soundtrack which are only found on the US version.

The real pity is that the SECOND Brownlow restoratioin of 5h 13m, the French version, will probably also never be released This was made shortly after the UK version, with music by Carl Davis. That is a version of Napoleon I would like to see! (though, again, lacking the tinting of the US version.)

One final point about the DVD/VHS: the triptychs, which occur at the end, look pretty bad on a TV screen. This is because the only choice is to shrink the image to fit like a "letterbox" image in the screen., Inevitably this damages the impact of the last sequence.

Everyone knows Sir Walter Ralegh as the gallant courtier who spread his cloak across a puddle so that his queen might pass dry-shod. A commoner who never lost his thick Cornish accent, Ralegh was nevertheless precisely the sort of man likely to catch Elizabeth's eye: handsome, intelligent, witty, well-spoken, and possessed of enough pride and independence to speak his mind, even to his queen. The term "Renaissance man" seems coined with Ralegh in mind: He was a poet, soldier, privateer, explorer, scientist, historian.

He could also be stunningly naive, and surprisingly inept at the art of courting favor. His first meeting with James I, Elizabeth's successor, was a disaster. Accustomed to priviledge, Ralegh approached James unannounced, even though the king heartily disliked such surprises. When James observed that he might have had to fight for the throne, Ralegh's response was, "Would to God you had! Then Your Majestry would have known your friends from your foes." An honest sentiment and possibly a shrewd one, it not the sort of observation likely to endear him to the new king. James already had reason to be wary of Ralegh, for some of Ralegh's enemies had been plying James for months with negative reports. Ralegh's recent behavior seemed to support these dark hints: he was one of the few dignitaries who did not bother to contact James after Elizabeth's death to assure the new sovereign of his loyalty. Worse, Ralegh presented the peace-loving king with a proposal for seizing the West Indies from Spain. James had been told that Ralegh was a warmonger and possibly a traitor. With his own eyes he perceived another, more subtle threat: this handsome, powerful, and persuasive man was a living reminder of Elizabethan glories.

Ralegh's fall from power during the reign of James I was as swift and spectacular as his rise under Elizabeth had been. His enemies rejoiced, as did the common folk who then and now love to see the mighty brought low. Ralegh's greatest triumph, perhaps, was the courage and wit he exhibited through his trial, imprisonment, and execution. In a last interview with a friend, he advised him to come to the beheading early if he wished to get a place. "As for me, my place is assured," he quipped. His last words, spoken to the hesitant executioner, were, "What dost fear? Strike, man, strike!"

Margaret Irwin is a novelist as well as a historian, and this comes through in the tone and quality of her writing. This biography is far more entertaining than most fictorical fiction I've read. It's full of telling anecdotes, vivid descriptions, and dead-on characterizations. Considering the complexity of her subjects and the paradoxical nature of Ralegh himself, this is a remarkable achievement.

One minor disappointment was the lack of a bioliography; there were several incidents and anecdotes that I would have liked to explore in more depth. Even so, it's an entertaining story, as well as a window into a fascinating time.

My faded (1961) copy of Jim Dante's 1947 "The Nine Bad Shots of Golf and What to Do About Them" is a gem! It's still available in reprints (1990). The scope is exactly what all beginning and most experienced golfers need and want: How to stop hooking, slicing, topping, pushing, pulling, smothering, shanking, skying, and sclaffing. The language is wonderfully straightforward. To hit a low ball, Dante says use one more (lower-faced) club, put nearly all your weight on the left foot, and dont't pivot. "These three things," Dante says, "are virtually all you can do." What if the green can't be approached by a run-up? Dante: "Well, that's just too bad."

Fishing Alaska's streams, lakes, and salt water is often anything but a placid experience. Sometimes anglers are hapless players in a comedy, ducking fly hooks, dodging competitive bears, and diving in to retrieve runaway fishing poles. You might say it looks like the Keystone Kops at times. As sports editor for the Anchorage Daily News, Lew Freedman has heard stories you wouldn't believe. But who says fishermen are truthful? Here's a collection of Lew's favorites: wacky tales from the water's edge.

The Most comprehensive and authoritative guide to Alaska's most popular and richest sport fishery. Illustrated with over 90 maps and drawings. Covers more than 500 prime fishing locations on every river, stream and lake on the Kenai Peninsula. Where and when to go for the best fishing. Also where not to go. The best fishing holes in 10,000 square miles, plus special tips for catching the peninsula's world famous game fish.

Mile-by-mile guide for:

Kenai River King Salmon

Russian River Sockeye

Swanson River and Swan Lake Rainbow Trout

Ninilchik and Anchor River Steelhead

Seward Silver Salmon and Resurrection Bay

Homer Halibut and Kachemak Bay

This is an outstanding narrative for reading aloud to second graders studying Alaska, birds, or migration. It's inspiring, well-written, and full of powerful vocabulary. Lovely, realistic watercolor illustrations.

"Floating Alaska!: Planning Self-Guided Fishing Expeditions" is an enthusiastically recommended, step-by-step planning guide for a do-it-yourself excursion to fishing the waters of Alaska. Expert angler and trip-planner Don Crane covers such issues as preparing for the trip, the appropriate gear to include, camping, food, fishing, the wildlife, resources, services, and a great deal more. Practical, comprehensive, 'user friendly', "Floating Alaska!" will insure a productive, inexpensive, well organized, and thoroughly enjoyable fishing trip to Alaska. Incidently, much of Crane's sage advice and practical instructions would apply to planning a fishing trip to anywhere else in the country!

It is about world war II. Jay Smith has tons of adventures such as romance, saving peoples lives, and risking his own life for someone else. He owns part of a saw mill. He fell in love with a girl who likes him, but the problem about that is she is the daughter of his father's worst enemy. it is a cool book. the coolest part is how Jay has to find his uncle Mathew in the Valley of Lost Planes. Jay searches for him and finds his plane crashed thinking him dead. Though Jay sees a sign that says his uncle is okay .He climbs out of the plane. He looks over him seeing a plane that has a pilot named Mr. walker and he also sees his father and his Uncle Mathew. He relized his uncle walked to the alcan highway and was picked up by Mr. Walker and his father. His uncle and Jay's family is much closer now.

The Flying North by J Potter, is one of the best bush pilot books bar none, about flying in Alaska's early days when a hand full of pilots and mechanics set the stage for the transition from dog teams to aircraft and Alaska's early development. A book that should be on the shelf of all those interested in aviation history. I also recommend, Flying North South East and West, a non-fiction book on the seldom covered arena of Cargo flying. It takes you from a young couples struggle to survive in Alaska, to the hot sands of Africa and all the time wrapped around aviation from bush flying on an North Pole expedition, flying cargo worldwide, to flying Boeing jets off icy runways in the north country. Both a terrific read.


Flying North South East and West: Arctic to the Sahara

I own several other Fodor's books and like the layout/organization of the books. This book is very informative, just like the others. It does have a small cruise/port section but they've got that covered in another book Fodor's Alaska Ports of Call 2007 (Fodor's Gold Guides).