Alaska Books

I recently read this book while cruising Southeastern Alaska on our pleasure boat. Being right in the middle of the area where the story unfolds gave me a chance to respond to the accuracy of the world he describes. The writing is excellent and the stories riviting. It is the life of a hand troller with all of the hard work, difficulty, joy and comedy on both land and sea. Mr. McConnell is a facinating person and writes with such intelligence and humor that you feel you have some idea of what drives a person to live this life of hardship and adventure in the beauty of Alaska. I appreciated particularly that this book is never overwritten or over dramatized. I'd love to read more of this man's work. If you love the sea you will greatly enjoy this book.

What a sweet, sweet book! It made me laugh and it made me cry, and that's the highest praise I can give any book. "Elf" is such a darling character!

The World Eskimo Indian Olympics (WEIO) are competitions and demonstrations of Alaska Native music, dances, and games that have been held annually for over thirty years. In this unique festival, six Alaska Native groups are represented as they demonstrate and compete in traditional activities such as seal skinning, the blanket toss, the high kick, kayak races, and dances.

Laurette Martel accepts a summer job with Southwest Alaska Maritime, unsure what her future holds. Now in a strange and beatiful land, Laurette concentrates on her job, while she finds her heart becoming distracted by Ryan Nichols. Ryan has his own problems. Will Ryan and Laurette ever be together? Or will their affections be lost in the Alasken summer? Great story a must read.

I never wanted to put the book down. The book was action packed and full of suspense. The characters were unique and exciting. I can't wait for the next book to come out. Great job Bear!

Alaska has always had a hold on the imagination and dreams for us in the "Lower 48". The immense size, breathtaking vistas, the immense remaining wilderness, and our belief that we can go there and test ourselves against its ruggedness draw us to it. Just attempting it would teach you something about yourself, about nature, and about life even if you didn't actually score so well in the test. Some go half-way by taking comfortable tours.

Most of us satisfy our longing for Alaska with pictures. This is a fine collection of a couple hundred photos that take us from the time Alaska was purchased and had only 30,000 native inhabitants, through the gold rushes, the role of government in developing the land and economy of Alaska, and into the oil boom that ends with the pipeline built in the 1970s. We see the key cities grow, the kinds of buildings that they had and added over time. The importance of the seaports, and sea life becomes quite clear to us. There are even a few pictures of the terrible earthquake of 1964. I remember reading about that and seeing the news footage on TV as a child.

Dermot Cole, a journalist and author specializing in Alaska, supplies the section introductions and the captions for the pictures. His words help us see the pictures with more informed eyes and help us see them as part of a larger story.

The four sections are:

The Alaska Purchase (1867-1905)
The Territory of Alaska (1906-1919)
Dredging Through The Depression (1920-1940)
The Long Road To Statehood (1941-1979)

Reviewed by Craig Matteson, Ann Arbor, MI

The importance of the Church Fathers can never be overstated when discussing the Praxis of the Orthodox Christian Faith. This little book gives you the, "Road signs" that allow you to read the Fathers in a manner less likely to "discover something new," in the writings of the father's rather than kindle the love for the faith. The development of a love for the Patristics should be close to every Christian's heart. Now with the assistance of Fr. Seraphim Rose of Blessed Memory. This is much more likely.

How Raven Stole The Sun is the latest addition to the Abbeville "Tales of the People" series of books for young readers, published in partnership with the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian. Felix Vigil's artwork is perfectly suited to Maria Williams retelling of a Tlingit tale she first heard from her father. Its the story of how the Raven transformed himself to bring light to what had been an earth shrouded in darkness. How Raven Stole The Sun is further enriched for young readers with a glossary of Tlingit Words, a brief description of the Tlingit People; and photographs of artifacts drawn from the Smithsonian collection, as well as period photos of the Tlingit people. Other highly recommended titles in this outstanding series include The Butterfly Dance (0789201615, ...); Brave Wolf And The Thunderbird (0789201607, ...); and Coyote In Love With A Star (0789201623, ...).

This book had me absolutely howling with laughter every page I read. Each hillaroius skit and story made me think of one of the many fishermen who I've met in Dutch Harbor and the area who fish Bristol Bay and anywhere in the chain. Any one who fishes there, observes there, or simply loves the place and the unique lifestyle should own a copy of this book. It should rest comfortably in every wheelhouse because it IS every skipper. I loved it so much I am buying a copy for my boyfriend who is most certainly represented in a few pages. :) Life up there is colored with comedy, because we all need it to make a hard lifestyle bearable and sometimes it's just so funny out on the water that you can't imagine ever wanting to be anywhere else -- this book captures those moments perfectly and satirizes all the amusing aspects of our lives from money hungry fishermen's wives to drunken navigation decisions (and their occasional disasterous results) in the harbor. I just wish it was longer. You'll love it if you love fishing. You'll love it if you hate NMFS and ADF&G (who doesn't). You'll love it if you love the Elbow Room. You'll love it whether you're a deck hand or a skipper (well, as long as you can laugh at yourself). Enjoy.

All halibut anglers, from begginers to experts will learn exactly what's needed to consistently catch the Pacific Ocean's biggest flatfish, the Pacific Halibut.

Chris Batin, aka -- Mr. Alaska, along with co-author, Terry Rudnick, have combined years of halibut fishing experience that will forever be known as, "the halibut fishermen's bible."

Virtually everything is covered in this tell-all how-to, where-to, and when-to book. Even the proper fishing stance that allows anglers to play tug-'o-war all day long while battling big 'buts.

I still review the book before each halibut fishing trip.

This really is a must read book if want to catch more halibut and make your time and effort count!

John L. Beath, NW editor of Western Outdoors Magazine and host of the Northwest Sportsman radio show heard Saturday mornings at 5 to 7 am PST on am 570 in Seattle and 1080 in Portland Oregon.