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Alaska Books sorted by Average customer review: high to low .

Alaska
The Northern Exposure Cookbook: A Community Cookbook from the Heart of the Alaskan Riviera
Published in Paperback by McGraw-Hill/Contemporary (1993-09-01)
Author: Ellis Weiner
List price: $12.95
New price: $84.90
Used price: $9.59

Average review score:

interesting cookbook
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-13
I gave this cookbook to someone as a gift. The recipient loves Northern Exposure. I browsed through it and found the recipes to be very unique. I thought this could be a gift for someone who loves to cook, not just someone who loves Northern Exposure.

Perfect Treat For NoEx Fans!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-06
This is such a great addition to any Northern Exposure fan's collection, and the recipes are actually pretty good, to boot. The cook book is written "in character" and each person introduces their recipes and tells humerous little anecdotes to go with.

Lots of fun to read even when you aren't planning to cook anything!

Fabulous.
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2005-10-26
I must say, I bought this because I thought it seemed like a fun gimmick and I liked the show, but the recipes are outstanding. I grew up in test kitchens and I can say that the lamb stew is the best I've ever had-- great borscht, too. Lightfeather Duncan's mashed potatoes are the hit of Thanksgiving... but heed their warning about not using the red horseradish, as pink potatoes clash with holiday decor. Eggs Florentine recipe is also noteworthy; love the pungency of the gruyere.

Fun ... and tasty
Helpful Votes: 5 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2006-03-30
If you loved the show, this is a must. Allegedly written by Ruth-Anne Miller, Cicely's sage and owner of the general store, the book contains wry observations on the folks and life in Cicely, memories of the show and the food served and discussed on it. Surprisingly, the recipes are good - very good ... at least the ones I'd tried. I'm especially fond of the eggplant parmegian recipe. Guess I'll have to take better care of the book now that it's collectible!!

A must have for northern exposure fans
Helpful Votes: 9 out of 10 total.
Review Date: 2004-08-30
This cookbook is so much fun and a must for any northern exposure fan. All the recipes you heard mentioned from Adam and the zabaglione he whipped up for Eve on their first date to the Cassoulet Chris had at the monastery. It has a little intro to each recipe done in character by the character. There are simple funny recipes like Joel's Jell-O and Marilynn's potatoes and more detailed ones like Adam's and Maurice's. A fun read and walk down memory lane for any northern exposure fan.

Alaska
30 Days of Night (Movie Novelization)
Published in Mass Market Paperback by Pocket Star (2007-09-25)
Author: Tim Lebbon
List price: $7.99
New price: $3.85
Used price: $0.63

Average review score:

An Awesome Read!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-03-24
Now THIS is what I'm talking about! I don't know how the movie will be, but this book was great. If you love vampire and/or zombie novels, you'll truly enjoy this. This is the first book I've read by author Tim Lebbon, but if he writes this well in all of his books, it won't be my last!

The Novelization Is Better Than The Movie!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-03-08
This is probably one of the best movie tie-in novelizations I have ever read. Usually books based on the movies are rather watered down and pale in comparison to the movie. Strangely enough, the power of the written word in this case wins out. The novel moved at a fast pace and was difficult to put down; the author did a fantastic job of fleshing out the main characers and I thoroughly enjoyed it reading it within two days.

The story revolves around the sleepy secluded town of Barrow, Alaska, battening down the hatches and preparing for the annual 30 days and nights of darkness. Sheriff Eben Oleson and his estanged wife, Deputy Stella Oleson are struggling to keep the threads of their marriage together but soon discover that their marriage is not the only thing they are soon fighting for, because this time, something is hiding under the cover of the Dark, which begins with the mysterious arrival of the Stranger and his portent of an impending evil, then suddenly the Olesons find they are cut off from civilization and the townsfolk are being hunted and savagely and swiftly slaughtered by an evil horde of vampires who have decided to make this their feasting ground....can the survivors last the remaining days til daylight??? Great storytelling and better than the movie! Tim Lebbon has outdone himself!

Awesome Book!
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-08
I just want to start off by saying do not start this book unless you have plenty of time to finish it! This is the first book in a long time that I have actually read all the way through. I am very easily distracted and most books just do not have enough story to them to keep me interested. With this book once I started reading I could not put it down. I ended up staying up all night reading it. I was a little disappointed in the ending, but it also was because I did not want it to end. A great read for any fan of a horror/suspense.

Fantastic Novelization!
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-16
Wow, this book is truly spectacular. Although I haven't seen the film itself, Mr. Lebbon does a fantastic job bringing the people and the fear of being hunted to life. Though these aren't your classic vampires, they are terrifying nonetheless.

I would recommend the novel to readers of vampire novels and fans of books based on graphic novel.

PARTY ON, DUDES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Kept Me Reading Horror/Vampire Book
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-11-17
I could not put this book down. And, I don't recommend reading it at night, either! What a vampire book. Wew! Vampires that not only drink blood, but eat flesh. I was lifting my legs to help "the good guys" escape and run faster! I would have preferred it to end differently and that's all I'll say about that. Barrow, Alaska oh my...

Alaska
Backstage Iditarod
Published in Paperback by Sunhusky Productions (2007-09-01)
Author: June Price
List price: $16.95
New price: $15.25
Used price: $19.70

Average review score:

Iditafan-Silver Spring, MD
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-03-19
This was a great background read for the preparations that go into the Iditarod. It's a fun and engaging read--even for long-time fans of the race. There's lots of interesting background info included. Thanks June!

A good glimpse
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-27
This is a fun behind the scenes look at staging and preparing for the Iditarod. A nice blend of Who, What, Where, When, How and Why that the level of detail never gets dull. Avid sled dog fans will enjoy this along with those newly discovering the sport.

Just like being there
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2007-12-12
Reading June's book is just like experiencing all the excitement and activity of being at the Iditarod. I've been at Anchorage for the ceremonial start and then at Skwentna to help the mushers, and reading June's book, I relived my experience. I pictured myself right there again, seeing, hearing and experiencing the Iditarod through June's descriptions. This is a must read for all who would go to Iditarod, and all those who have been, and everyone else, too! Thanks, June!

Backstage Iditarod is your backstage pass
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2007-11-22
This book is a fun read for those who have been to the Iditarod and those who wish they could go. Taking you thru all the steps leading up to the race, you'll think you are actually there. I've been to the race 3 times and helped a couple Iditarod mushers before the race. This book helps me relive those memories. I think you'll enjoy it very much!

This is the book to read if you really want to know what goes into this great race!!!
Helpful Votes: 8 out of 8 total.
Review Date: 2007-11-12
June Price does an excellent job of bringing you right there through it all.... if you really want to know what these mushers do, go through, and provide for their dogs, how much a part of the team they are, then read this book. It's a very well done account of the true happenings surrounding this great race. June has spent many years with these very people, researching, learning, and beautifully putting to paper, the extraordinary Iditarod, it's participants, and the dogs... Everyone who loves to gather more information about the inside of the race should put this on their MUST READ list. She takes you there, keeps you there, and gets you to the finish line... without even getting cold! :-) Thanks for a wonderful book, June.

Alaska
Flying Alaska Gold: Grizzlies, Gold, Gangsters
Published in Paperback by BookSurge Publishing (2005-04-05)
Author: David Hoerner
List price: $17.99
New price: $17.99
Used price: $16.50

Average review score:

Loved it!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-09-18
Great read, a little melodramatic, but realistic nonetheless. Reminds me of Fate is the Hunter.

Thank you for writing this story
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-31
David's story telling abilities are superb. His attention to those subtle character qualities of the main characters enhance the memories I already had of them. I thank you David for telling this story.

Awesome Story
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-04
Highly recommend this book to anyone that loves true adventure stories, flying, and the great land of Alaskan wilderness. Mr. Hoerner's writing and storytelling keeps you involved and draws you into the story as if you were there.

I may be prejudiced a little as I am a long time student pilot (lack of $$$ to make the dream come true) and have had the same dreams as many like Mr. Hoerner of flying the Alaskan wilderness as a bush pilot. To have someone with no experience in this field survive what he survives is amazing.

Many thanks for sharing your story with us!!

Bush Flying Classic
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2005-10-21
To prepare for flying to the Alaskan outback, I read many of the books on the subject. I needed every one of them to handle what is "nominal" for Alaskan flying: expect the unexpected but be prepared for what you can't even imagine.

Dave Hoerner's _Flying Alaska Gold_ illustrates the psychological perils a cheechako pilot must overcome better than any other book I've come across.

What you don't know about flying in Alaska is what will kill you. The flying skills are fairly easy to come by. The real knowledge you need is self-knowledge: how are you going to act when the crisis comes?

Hoerner's book is an extraordinary exercise in self-discovery. At the same time it's chockful of compelling stories of life on the Alaskan edge.

And for all of us who share the dream of flying to true North, Hoerner can tell us something about ourselves, about the ways we fly, that can save our lives.

A great read
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2005-10-13
One of the best adventure books I have read in a long time.
I simply could not put it down.
Pilots and non pilots alike will love this book.
Even a low time pilot is made to feel like this could have been me.

Alaska
More Readings From One Man's Wilderness: The Journals of Richard L. Proenneke, 1974-1980
Published in Paperback by National Park Service (2006-01-05)
Author: Richard L. Proenneke
List price: $32.00
New price: $30.00
Used price: $30.00

Average review score:

Wilderness for ALL
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-08-12
I have not yet finished this book/journal but find myself trying to read a few pages daily. RLP (Richard L. Proenneke) took time from his daily chores to write thousands of pages, documenting his life in the Alaskan wilderness.I escape the daily grind of my 9 to 5 by living out in the wilderness with RLP. So far I have climbed mountains,made friends with various animals,hiked in sub zero temps,sewn buttons on and patched worn clothing,cleaned campsite liter left by hunters, and on and on I could go all done thanks to RLP sharing his life with me through his writings. I highly recommend this book to anyone who ever dreams of escaping into a less hectic life. Thanks RLP !!!

The service has been amazing. Thank you SO much!!!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-07-30
We are thrilled with this product! The service has also been wonderful. Thank you!!!!

Sit back...imagine...dream...relax
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-07-29
I stumbled across this amazing man (Dick Preonneke) by seeing 'One Man's Wilderness' on PBS. I immediately purchased the DVD (and The Frozen North and Alaska Silence and Solitude by Bob Swerer Productions). After a stressful day there is just something so relaxing about dreaming of simpler times. Yeah, it is hard work but you actually 'see' the results of your labor. That is much different than most jobs today. The only thing better than watching the DVD was reading Dick's personal journals. Wow, to be able to read how Dick overcame living at Twin Lakes is just a powerful story. My only disappointment is not knowing if the NPS will release his final journals. Do yourself a favor and read One Man's Wilderness and More Readings from One Man's Wilderness.

More Readings From One Man's Wilderness: The Journals of Richard L. Proenneke, 1974-1980
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-09


Superb Book !!! I agree this book is one of the best books on Richard L. Proenneke life - A+

Richard Proenneke's Journals
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-09-02
Richard Proenneke's journals from 1974 - 1980 detail everyday life at Twin Lakes Alaska. From the daily adventures of hiking and filming wildlife to the more mundane chores of chopping firewood, and making sourdough pancakes, Dick reveals his everyday life in the wilderness. Dick's prose is surprisingly easy to read for a daily journal, and entertaining. He easily transports the reader to the wilderness, and all its beauty, danger, and tranquility. A more sanguine aspect as the journal unfolds is the eventual encroachment by Man, stayed somewhat by the National Park status of the region. Dick's writings are unassuming, and yet very powerful in their simplicity, and the pictures they paint. A rare man, that I wish I could have met. I highly recommend this book for those that love the outdoors, and seek a captivating story of rugged, yet humble individualism.

Alaska
Northern Lights and Shadows: Sixteen Years in the Alaska Bush
Published in Paperback by Booklocker.com (2005-08-30)
Author: Lee Basnar
List price: $17.95
New price: $17.90
Used price: $14.96

Average review score:

Sometimes I Buy a Book Because...
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-08
... I have met the author. It is certainly true that I have met Lee. Indeed I've known him for several years. The fact is though, I like Lee's writing style. I have read his newspaper columns. I own his earlier book on Vietnam too. Lee has the ability to bring a full range of emotions to the surface in the reader. From sadness to anger to a feeling of smallness in awe of the power of nature, I can't help but be involved with his writing. Moving among the lights and shadows of this book is entirely pleasant, amusing and fulfilling.

Meeting the Challenges of the Last Frontier Head On
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2006-06-02
From earliest childhood Lee Basnar loved nature. Basnar was born in Vermont in 1938. Stories of Alaska created a fascination for Lee. He wanted to experience the last frontier.

Lee's father had plans for him to graduate from college. Instead Lee married his high school sweetheart, Joan. He worked for his father as an apprentice carpenter. It was seasonal work. Tired of menial jobs and unemployment checks during the winter months, Lee again disappointed his father. He joined the army in 1961.

Lee's service career took him to Germany and France. In 1968 he was transferred to Viet Nam where he served as advisor to the South Vietnamese infantry division and later as an infantry company commander.

In October of 1971 Lee was assigned duty at Fort Richardson. His dream of seeing Alaska had finally come true. However, in 1974 he was sent to Fort Benning, Georgia. Soon Lee was seeking reassignment to duty in Alaska. An opportunity opened and Basner became senior advisor to the 207th Infantry Group of the Alaska National Guard, near Anchorage, for the remainder of his Army career.

As time drew near for his army enlistment to end, Lee began to plan his retirement. Together, with Joan, he looked for a site that would accommodate a cabin home. They both were ready to take on the challenge of the Alaskan frontier by living in the bush.

Lee is a gifted story teller. His descriptions of animal life, nature trails, mountains, and rivers in the vast Alaska wilds are spectacular. In breathtaking word pictures Basner creates new vistas for the reader. "Snow sprinkled the mountains like powdered sugar on cupcakes, and each new snowfall frosted the slopes a little lower." Each chapter includes a photo which depicts something of its contents.

Narrow escapes and life threatening experiences mount up as one after another Basner chronicles his story. He tells of a smoke filled cockpit in his small Taylor Craft airplane. After an emergency landing and repairs he had to battle river rapids for a dangerous take off at 2:30 AM to return home. After landing, securing the plane in a blinding snowstorm, having had no sleep for 24 hours, Lee, the master of understatement put it this way, "For some reason I felt a little tired."

Adventure stories of trapping, hunting, fishing, and photographing moose, wolves, bears, and other wildlife fill the chapters of this rapid paced narrative. The unpredictability of grizzly bears, a midwinter chimney fire, and other narrow escapes will keep you turning the pages of this fascinating account of the Basner's life in the bush.

Lee related how after surviving his tour of duty in Viet Nam, he was plagued by survivor guilt. He hoped to exchange combat nightmares from Vietnam for a new sense of freedom peace and contentment by living in the bush. After some years of roughing it, Lee wrote: "Vietnam intruded less frequently as the years accumulated...the demands of bush living shoved Viet Nam aside, leaving room for healing. The nightmares, less frequent now, retreated to a hidden place, emerging rarely. Drifting and pondering gave me time to realize that I had truly survived and shouldn't feel guilty because of it".

This is a book for everyone who ever had a dream of adventure on the last frontier. It is a book for Veterans, who experienced the ravages of war. Every school library should have a copy. It is for the sportsman, the hunter, and the environmentalist.

This is an incredible read.



A keeper!
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2006-08-29
Reviewed by Joanne Benham for Reader Views (08/06)

Ever since I read Jack London's Call of the Wild when I was a child, I have been enamored of anything to do with Alaska. If a book is set in Alaska, I'll buy it, more for the background and how people live than for the storyline.

Lee Basner was born in Vermont and in his early childhood developed a fascination with the Alaska Territory. It took him thirty years, but he finally achieved his dream of living in the far North. Sick with guilt over the men under his command who never came home from the Vietnam War while he made it through, Lee retired from the U.S. Army as a major at the age of forty-two and he and his wife Joan built a log home 200 miles from Anchorage. They moved in during a March blizzard and lived there for the next sixteen years, pitting themselves against the worst Alaska could throw at them and surviving to tell the tale.

They had no indoor plumbing, self-generated power and no telephone for the first years. Clothes were washed in a wringer washer and hung outside to freeze, after which they were brought inside to thaw in front of the wood-burning stove, the only source of heat.

Balanced against these inconveniences was wildlife at the door, breathtaking scenery and the chance to really live their own lives as they wished, with no one to tell them what to do.

Filled with anecdotes of their daily life from the mundane, like digging a trail to the outhouse, to the poignant such as a herd of caribou caught in an avalanche, many of them killed and injured while Lee was unable to reach them to at least put them out of their misery, I was unable to put the book down. I even took it with me to read while I waited in line at the bank. I loved this book. It's a real keeper.


Uncompromising Life in the Bush, Pioneers in the Vanishing Frontier
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2006-05-13
Wow! Captivating from the beginning digging your way out of the cabin. Excellent imagery. Made me want to go there before it is all gone, to breath the air, to see the landscape, to feel the rush of the wind, the chill of the frozen tundra, to taste food that is fresh and wild, free from man's processing. To hear the sounds that nature sings.
This descriptive account of life in Alaska is an eye opener of the fortitude it takes to make it in the Last Frontier. The extreme conditions and the extreme rewards.
This book opens your eyes to the hardships and the little things a tenderfoot wouldn't think of in your survival in the Alaskan wilds. Dotted with humor, sprinkled with love and support of a life mate, along with the daily challenges of self-sufficiency. Here you will find many helpful hints if your dream is to live in the wilds of Alaska. And if it has been your dream it will open your eye to the reality of such a challenge. A marvelous read and an excellent way to experience the wilds vicariously in the comfort and safety of your own armchair, from wildlife survival, to the Elmer's, natures Christening, the antics of the wilds, this books is fascinating, one to read and re-read.
I can only say thank you Lee for writing your experience out in such vivid details.

Northern Lights and Shadows
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2005-12-16
A great book. The descriptions of the wildlife and landscape are insightful and accurate - I was informed as well as entertained. The book captures the feel of wild Alaska and allowed me to experience life in the bush along with the author and his wife. I felt as if I was in the plane when he was lost during a snow storm. I stood beside him and felt the excitement and fear when wolf or grizzly was encountered at close range. The book gives us an environmental message as well. Wilderness is ours not only to experience, but also to protect. The author's insights into how to live with the land and appreciate its beauty and harshness make this a valuable read.

Alaska
Shaman Pass
Published in Hardcover by Soho Crime (2003-07-01)
Author: Stan Jones
List price: $22.00
New price: $13.23
Used price: $3.50

Average review score:

Shaman pass
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-07-20
I really like this "series". I hesitate to call it that as there are only two books but thery are really well written and very descriptive of Alaska.

Tony Hillerman on Ice
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2006-08-11
A nice murder mystery series with echoes of the Tony Hillerman Jim Chee/Joe Leaphorn Navajo tales. If you liked those you'll warm to Trooper Nathan Active solving mysteries in the snowscape of Alaska's wilderness. I enjoyed Shaman Pass even more than his first installment - White Sky, Black Ice. The hardback editions are easy-to-read paperback-sized volumes.

Shaman Pass - Study a Culture
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2003-10-09
Stan Jones has created a story that combines great story telling and a rather deep look at the culture of the Inupiats, a Native American tribe in Northwest Alaska. His plot is rich, dialogue is compelling and the characterization is exceptional. He manages to capture nuances of a culture that is quite alien to most of us. This includes subtleties of language as well as social differences among the inhabitants of that part of our country. I recommend the book highly.

Excellent mystery in a spectacular setting
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2004-01-12
This second Northwestern Alaska Inupiat mystery featuring state trooper Nathan Active thoroughly lives up to the promise of the first, `White Sky, Black Ice." Active, an Inupiat adopted by whites and raised in Anchorage, still takes a lot of ribbing for his city ways and bush ignorance, and he's still waiting for his transfer to Anchorage while carrying on an uncommitted relationship with a local woman.

Following the murder of a tribal leader at his ice-fishing camp, much of Active's dogged investigating takes place in remote, snow and ice-bound areas, reached on his bargain-priced, purple ("the Ladies' Model") snowmobile, or by harrowing airplane flights. The victim was killed with an antique harpoon, recently acquired by the tribe from the Smithsonian, along with the mummy it belonged to. The mummy was immediately "liberated" from the local museum, where it had been put on display, but the obvious suspects have good alibis.

As Active digs deeper, tribal legends and old traditions come into play. Understanding how the pieces fit into a modern murder requires the help of various villagers, including Active's birth mother and grandfather. The spectacular setting takes a central and active role too as Active asserts himself in places he may not be ready for. Early spring is a stormy, unsettled time and the climax builds during a raging blizzard in a remote mountain pass.

Atmospheric and involving, with bright flashes of humor and an enigmatic and increasingly surefooted hero, this series from an Alaskan native and bush pilot feels like the real thing.

Return of the Mummy
Helpful Votes: 8 out of 9 total.
Review Date: 2006-01-24
In this sequel to "White Sky, Black Ice," Alaska State Trooper, Nathan Active, an Inupiat Eskimo who was raised by white parents in Anchorage, makes the mistake of buying himself a purple snow machine, which as everyone in Chukchi knows, is the ladies' model. It's just one more indication that Nathan is the village naluaqmiiyaaq--the Inupiat word for an Eskimo who tries to pass as a white man.

Nathan wonders if he can endure the teasing long enough to get his transfer back to Anchorage. His relationship with his roommate, Lucy Generous is cooling because of his refusal to talk to her about his recurrent nightmare. Ditto with his birth mother. Instead, Nathan confides in the Inupiat herbalist-cum-psychiatrist, Nelda Qivit, who offers him advice on his sex life and sourdock tea.

And that's about it for the touchy-feely part of "Shaman Pass." So bundle up in your Refrigiwear overalls, your parka with the wolf-fur ruff, and your Sorel boots, because you're going to be spending the rest of the book on the tundra, the sea ice, and the arctic slopes of Shaman Pass.

The adventure begins when the Smithsonian Institute returns an Inupiat mummy nicknamed Uncle Frosty to Chukchi, in accordance with the Indian Burial Act. Museum owner, Victor Solomon (a full-blood Inupiat) wants to put Uncle Frosty on display to draw in more tourist dollars. Young Calvin Maiyumerak wants to secrete the mummy out on the tundra, which is what the pre-Christian Inupiat used to do with their dead.

The Law is on Victor's side, so Uncle Frosty is incarcerated in the museum and his proud new owner goes ice fishing.

The next morning, Victor is found with his parka frozen to the ice next to his fishing hole. Uncle Frosty's ivory harpoon is imbedded in his chest.

Uncle Frosty has vanished.

Naturally Calvin Maiyumerak is the main suspect, but this mystery is much too subtle for a quick arrest. Nathan must first learn who Uncle Frosty was in life, and why Victor was found with a shaman's amulet in his frozen mouth.

This is an unvarnished portrayal of the life and history of the native Alaskans. We are taken on a thrilling ride (even if it is on the purple ladies' model) through some of the harshest landscapes and seascapes on Earth.

Author Stan Jones was born in Anchorage, and has worked as an award-winning journalist there for most of his career. He is also a bush pilot, and readers will be imbibing lots of authentic and hair-raising detail about Alaska and Alaskans, along with the bones of this well-plotted mystery.

Alaska
Adak: The Rescue of Alfa Foxtrot 586
Published in Hardcover by US Naval Institute Press (2003-05-31)
Author: Andrew C. A. Jampoler
List price: $34.95
New price: $21.00
Used price: $19.07
Collectible price: $34.95

Average review score:

Realistic and Well Written
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2006-08-05
I was stationed on Adak (NSGA) and was sitting on watch the day PD-02 went in the water. I recall the day very well. Later in my career, I flew over 300 missions in EP-3 and modified P-3 aircraft, most under the PARPRO program. Over the years I've wondered many times what happened on PD-02, but I figured I'd never find out. Then I saw that this book had been written. I snapped it up, and I couldn't put it down.

Skipper Jampoler did a simply superb job of describing the plane, the crew, the pre-mission activities, Adak, the North Pacific...you name it. This is an incredibly realistic book. I found myself being reminded of things that I'd long ago forgotten.

Also, weaving the story around the official Findings of Fact was a brilliant idea.

Well done!

Outstanding!
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2006-02-22
A great read for all. Even better for us P-3 guys, gives great insight on many of the "why's" from emergency procedures. If you're not convinced E-handling a pitchlocked prop is a bad idea, you need to read this book.

From a former aircrew member on P-3 aircraft.
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2004-01-19
Having flown in P-3s in the early 70's and knowing all too well the rigors that these crews faced, I found this book to be a very well written and accurate account of what can happen when things go terribly wrong. The details might get a bit daunting for persons without technical knowledge of this aircraft. For us "ex" P-3 types it is an interesting book and I read it in two sittings. It gives a great view into the world of P-3 aircrews and the proceedures that SAR crews use.

A must read for old seadogs like me!

When you were there...the book takes on a new meaning.
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2004-01-05
I was a mechanic with VP-9 when PD-02 went down off of the coast of Russia and went on to become a flight engineer with the Golden Eagles and had the opportunity to fly with Ed Caylor on a number of occasions. I knew most of the crew members personally and most all of the other people mentioned in the book. I was very young when we lost 5 of our crew members in the Pacific and the event had a huge impact on me. The book is very accurate and well written. It's great reading for aviation buff's and a must read for anyone that was part of VP-9.

These guys are heroes.....
Helpful Votes: 7 out of 7 total.
Review Date: 2004-04-10
As the son of a Navy P-3 (and sea plane) pilot and former CO of VP-9, this book hit very close to home for me. The story is well-written and extremely emotional, at least to anyone who has ever had a loved one fly in harm's way. When you're a kid, and your Dad flies Navy planes for a living, you never really consider the risks and dangers. This true story demonstrates what these men faced on a daily basis and shows how their endless training and attention to detail was essential to their survival. You wouldn't expect a Navy flyer turned author to write a tear jerker, but that is certainly what Andy Jampoler has done, at least for me. Thinking back on all those flights, all those deployments, all those "close" calls with engine failure, and realizing that it could have been my family welcoming back a box instead of a father, there simply is no way not to shed a tear of both sorrow and thanks. The men of PD-2 were heroes in the traditional sense; they did their jobs in the face of incredible danger, some losing their lives in the process. But for me, what this book really shows is that tragedy doesn't make heroes. For every Jerry Grigsby, Ed Caylor and John Ball, there were thousands of other Navy officers and men who were just a much heroes. In this time of war, it's important to remember that.

Alaska
Arctic Bush Pilot
Published in Paperback by Epicenter Press (2000-05-26)
Authors: James Anderson and James "Andy" Anderson as told to Jim Reardon
List price: $17.95
New price: $10.77
Used price: $7.37
Collectible price: $17.95

Average review score:

Objective opinion:) Great fun book
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-07-19
Don't know the author, don't know the pilot. Simply an easy to read, very entertaining and informative book that, like day old lazagne, was much enjoyed even the second time around.

As It Was.
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-08-25
The book is an accurate account of an unusual pioneer. I knew Andy, back in 1952, and have ridden in the Wien Norseman, with Andy piloting. If there is any fault to be found with his story, it is that it is understated.
Typically reserved, his account does not linger on the incredible cold and loneliness that was his lot on many of his journeys. His willingness to go to the rescue of lost and injured miners and trappers, at great risk to his own life and safety, testify to his own character.
Andy, and the pilots of his time, benefitted from the experience of his friend and mentor, Noel Wien. The pilots of today fly the routes that Andy pioneered.
I recommend the book, "Arctic Bush Pilot" to any who hunger for a taste of how it used to be, in the remote Arctic Circle regions of Alaska.

Arctic Bush Pilot
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2005-08-13
Excellent book, fast shipping, great packaging. Thank you. Also I might add I received 3 more books from you which I was notified that they might arrive here by the 23rd, they arrived yesterday, the 12th. Super service. Thanks again.

Not what I expected, but good none the less.
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2005-10-10
I bought this book expecting it to read about Bush flying. There is a fair bit about bush flying however I was expecting a bit more.

The book is actually a biography of the authors experiences as a bush pilot in the Alaskan wilderness. As such it deals mostly with the authors experiences with the people and environment of northern Alaska. This was still very interesting and I enjoyed reading the book.

Awesome book about the brave bush pilots!!!
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2005-05-15
This is a FANTASTIC book!! I simply could not put it down!! I bought it on the day I departed on my 4th trip to Alaska...the flight passed so quickly as I read page after page!!

I read with great interest the section about Jules Thibedeau, my First Cousin who was a bush pilot from Barrow, AK in the 50's and 60's...his comments about Jules, "The Walking Pilot" brought back memories of the stories I heard as a child about my cousin who would fly anywhere, at anytime, to help anyone in Alaska...a guy who was truely a "tough-luck, no-money" pilot who cared more for the people he helped than he did his own well-being many times.

Anderson's comments came back to life for me during that trip as I visitied Barrow for the first time...only to have an 80+ year-old Eskimo woman tell me how my cousin had saved her son when he was young kid...Jules had flown out in a blizzard to bring her sick child back to Barrow...

Bravo to Mr. Anderson on a "must read" book!!

Alaska
Aurora's Winter Waltz - Northern Lights Photography
Published in Hardcover by Alpenglow Photo/Alaska (2006-09-01)
Author: Michael Klensch
List price: $21.00
New price: $21.00

Average review score:

Blown Away!
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-24
I received this book as a gift and I was in 'awe' of the photography. The photos have inspired me to take a trip to the West Coast very soon. The images are soothing and the wording to describe the Northern Lights make this book a true gem. I have never heard of the Northern Lights, before reading Michael's book. I highly recommend this book!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Since reading it, I have 4 pictures hanging in my living room.
Enjoy~

Photographs of the Aurora's Beauty
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-20
I could not believe the beauty in the Photography. I was lucky enough to meet the "author" at a Museum, in Skagway, AK, where his artistry was on display. He not only captures the Beauty of the "NORTHERN LIGHTS," but his book also explains "the why" it is beautiful and how it happens, SHOULD YOU WANT TO KNOW.----Thanks, Vinny

Alaska's Beautiful Auroras!
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-19
I loved this book with the beautiful Auroras! I felt like I was experiencing and having the honor to witness God's beauty myself. The Artist gave his own personal touch by being deeply involved with every photo taken. His courageous and spirited effort to resist hardship with freezing temperatures in the Polar Regions of Alaska to give you these magnificent pictures that you would never see on your own speaks so much of him. He and his wife achieved their dream to share this work of art with everyone by investing all the steps from conception to production and distribution. I hope you enjoy looking at every picture in glory as much as I have.

A must-have for the aurora enthusiast
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2008-03-06
What more can I say that the 9 previous reviews haven't already? I, along with many fellow Michiganders (as we are so affectionately called), occasionally get to view the aurora but nothing like the author does in Alaska and Canada. I highly recommend this book for anyone who has gazed upon the sky wishing that the aurora would grace him or her with its presence. This fantastic book will bring you as close as it can to the amazing aurora without you actually being there. Thank you Mr. Klensch for your beautiful photographs and informative text.

Aurora's Winter Waltz is a L.R. Table Masterpiece
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-19
I surely agree completely with the professional AND customer reviews preceding me. I can only first applaud Michael Klensch for his magnificent body of work, thank him for braving the elements and losing sleep in order to capture auroras we'd NEVER EVER see otherwise, and for the thrill this book has given me over and over again! I urge people to buy this book as a gift for any age, as it is sure to delight many times over - unlike any other book could.


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