Alaska Books

Goo

The beauty of the pictures on this calendar are beyond words.

I have been buying the annual edition of Fred Hirschmann's calendar for over 20 year. This is the usual excellent production that you get each year. Get your copy before they run out

As a rural Alaskan in the Arctic, I think winter is a great time to publish the 29th edition of the Alaska Almanac. It can warm up even the coldest, darkest night with a mixture of facts about the 49th State, mixed in with biting barbs of wit from Mr.Whitekeys, a noted Alaskan humorist.

As a resident of Barrow, I was especially interested in learning at that our small town holds the record for least snowfall in a year ---only three inches in 1935-36. I think I just shoveled that off of our two Husky doghouses last week.

Also that Alaskans consume more ice cream than anywhere else in the country. You wouldn't believe the growing number of restaurants and stores selling all kinds of ice cream in Barrow these days --my favorite is soft chocolate waffle cones from Browers Cafe on the shores of the Arctic Ocean.

Meanwhile, Mr. Whitekeys notes that a certain soft drink has a national toll-free number for info and complaints, and that lots of Alaskans call during the winter --no complaints, they just want someone to talk to.

This is only the tip of the iceberg, as it were. Pick up a copy of the new Almanac and get ready for a warm evening of Alaska facts and fun.

As Alaskans dig out from another winter of ice and snow, it is warming to see another edition of "The Alaska Alamanac, Facts about Alaska, with the wacky wisdom of Mr. Whitekeys." (who is a well-known club comic in Anchorage).

This easy-to-read cache of the Alaskan biggest, coldest and tallest informs readers that a full five percent of the state--some 29,000 square miles, is covered by glaciers. And that "Residents of Alaska really do consume more ice cream per capita than elsewhere in the U.S., and that's year round."

As a resident of the Alaskan arctic,now I know why I keep gaining weight, despite lots of lots of snow shoveling and chasing after Greenland Husky Nuna.

The Almanac was started by Alaskan economist Eric McDowell back in 1976, and like the population, has grown considerably since that time. According to editor Nancy Gates, this 28th edition is about four times the original.

She said it is a great reference for folks "Outside" which is how we refer to any place in the rest of the U.S. But it is also useful to residents, who often keep it right with their phone directory.

I imagine it has often been used to settle some late-night argument or bet in some log-cabin bar on a bone-chilling Alaskan evening. So it's easy to think of it as a peacekeeping force on the last frontier.

Pick up a copy and browse through some unique geography, history, population, celebrations, expeditions, and meet some of the characters who somehow manage to survive in this state, from the Arctic shores to the rain forests in the southeast panhandle.

Or as Mr. Whitekeys reports:
"A Rhode Island newspaper once described (the city of) Homer as 'The only place in the world where you can stand in mud up to your knees and still have dust blow in your face."

or
"Alaska is the state with the highest percentage of government employees in its workforce, and only a state with that honor could have a law on the books that reads: 'Se. 44.62.270 It is the state policy that emergencies are held to aminimum and are rarely found to exist."

Enjoy!

Heretofore, little has been written about United States' early years governing their new territory of Alaska nor of the governmental thread that kept this vast territory intact. Archives do hold much of this history and that is where the two authors of this book went for sources for this intriguing tale of a little known service executing an enormous responsibility.

The U.S. Revenue Cutter Service arrived in the Bearing Sea soon after the purchase of Alaska in 1867. For the next forty-eight years, until it became the U.S. Coast Guard in 1915, this small group of men, in mostly wooden ships, became the foundation for the government that established the sovereignty leading to the firmly established state it is today.

The cuttermen explored vast unknown areas in their multi-mission role. They provided humanitarian relief following natural disasters, brought medical care to isolated areas, fed starving North American natives, and rescued shipwrecked sailors, charted territories discovering isolated tribes in the wilderness and brought law to hostile surroundings. The small crews created a veneer of civilization in the rough frontier and the isolated settlements by their presence. Solutions to problems solved by a lonely unsupported sailor at the scene, a hundred years later became the laws of the new state so sensible were some of their actions.

From widely scattered documentation and records, maritime historians Truman Strobridge and Dennis Noble chronicle events in the service's colorful history. The story, filled with episodes high drama as well as events of historical significance, includes a number of notable figures. One is Capt. Michael A. "Hell Roaring Mike" Healy, the black revenue cutter captain who became a legend of the Alaskan frontier and was memorialized in James Michener's novel, Alaska.

The authors noted, "The early cuttermen have never received the credit due them for their efforts as seagoing policemen who served the indigenous people of an isolated region." Readers will quickly come to understand why the USRCS became so admired throughout the new territory and appreciate the effect the service had on the political, economic, and social life of this north Pacific region.

Each chapter can be made into full-length books from the materials developed by the authors' research. Most notable for biographies are two of the Service's officers: the above mentioned Healy and Lt. John C. Cantwell, who in addition to his shipboard duties, explored via river and land treks, a remote region of north-west Alaska.

This is a must read for students of Alaska history and it is a rare volume for maritime historians, as it covers one phase of the history of the mostly unrecorded U.S. Revenue Cutter Service.

The book is end noted, referencing rare and widely scattered original sources. The bibliography is extensive and the book is indexed. It is an excellent first choice for researchers and historians.

Truman R. Strobridge was an archivist and historian in the federal government for more than thirty years including being the Coast Guard's historian and a college teacher in Alaska. He is the author of nearly one hundred articles and two books.

Dennis L. Noble retired from the Coast Guard as a senior chief marine science technician where he made six Arctic voyages and two to the Antarctic. Following Coast Guard retirement he earned a Ph.D. in U.S. history is the author of nine books, seven on U.S. Coast Guard history.

This is a fictional work about a real place and some real concerns about human impacts on the environment. It is also humorous and tongue-in-cheek about its politics, local color, and portrayals of the strange characters one finds in small, northern towns.

I'd describe as a bit of Carl Hiaasen (for its humor, whacky characters seedy politicans and developers, twisted plot, and its who-done-it style) with a Edward Abbie monkey-wrenching ethic (for the eco-terrorism portrayed).

It is also very good at local details - the terrain, the local's conflicting sentiments about development, even the street names and particular bends in the river. As such, it might be most enjoyed by local residents or people who have vacationed in the area. They have the added thrill of reacting, "I've driven/hiked/fished right in that spot!"

Summary: A fun read. Good to read before or after an Alaskan vacation. The protaganists are what ELF aspires to: good-hearted, risk-taking idealists who hope to avoid capture.

Alaska Broker is multimillionaire relator Edward Boyd's engaging autobiography spanning his life's story from 1927-1985, and encompassing terrible wars, dreams for the future, dogged pursuit of an honorable career, and much, much more. A highly enjoyable, articulate, and personal narrative, as well as a close look at life in the northernmost state of the United State, Alaska Broker makes for dynamic, entertaining, and highly recommended reading.

The information we get from the media about forest fires doesn't begin to tell us the excitement, danger and even fun that is shared by firefighters. This book lets us see some of these things from someone who has seen and done it all. It is fun and sometimes heartrending to read.

The third in the Marco series. Marco's ship goes down on a reef, the cat gets ashore but runs into hostile bears and has trouble finding food. He is found and adopted by native children. A rich source of Alaskan lore, including totem stories. Very popular with children AND adults, has been on Alaska ferry systems, home school choice for Alaska, etc.