Alaska Books

In Abandoned, Alden Todd tells the complete story of the Greely Arctic Expedition (1881-1884) which was launched as part of the United State's participation in the first International Polar Year. Commanded by Adolphus W. Greely, the expedition consisted of twenty-five volunteers who went to what is now Ellesmere Island in the Canadian High Arctic. The men were left to endure short rations and unbroken isolation at their icy base when the first ship to resupply them in 1882 was forced to turn back. The second relief ship (sent in 1883) was crushed in the ice. In 1884, the six survivors of the original twenty-five man crew were finally rescued and brought home. The national excitement of their return was scandalized as rumors of cannibalism during their dreadful, final winter became supported by grisly evidence of cannibalism. Abandoned is a gripping, true life account and history of men battling for their very lives as they are pitted against the elements and each other. Out of print for more than forty years, this University of Alaska Press trade paperback edition is also available in hardcover [...] and highly recommended, dramatic reading.

Accidental Adventurer by Barbara Washburn proves to be a well written autobiography. Her husband was late Bradford Washburn, a man of science as well as a explorer. Her book reflects her quiet lifestyle until she married this man and how that marriage totally transformed her, almost by accident, into a world wide adventurer, traveling with her husband from the depths of the Grand Canyon to the top of Mount McKinley (being the first woman to summit that peak in 1947). During the entire time, she was rising children, being a house wife and a teacher. Her life was definitely not boring and reading this book helps us understand how exciting it really was.

I found the book to be entertaining and fun. It shows how a wife can be a true partner with her husband in all things, not just at home but in the field. Barbara Washburn not only embraced her husband but his lifestyle and work. The trials and tribulations of both man and wife proves to be truly extraordinary and the book reflects on that life very clearly.

This is an easy book to recommend to anyone to read.

David Paul, a full-blooded Athabascan born in Alaska, here recounts some of the legends and customs of native culture in the interior of Alaska before the advent of white men. These stories, as told to David by his father and his great-uncle......are many generations old and vary from tribe to tribe.
I found this a very interesting book!! It is told in a simple and straight-forward manner... with feeling.

Knud Rasmussen was a native Greenlander who was half Inuit and half Danish. He was the first person to travel the Northwest Passage by dog-sled, around 1922, as re-told in this readable and enjoyable account first published in 1927. Known as the "Fifth Thule Expedition", it was designed to be an ethnographic expedition to answer "that great question the origins of the Eskimo race". A native speaker of Inuit, Rasmussen's insights into the religion and inner-life, voice and spirit of the Inuit remains a classic of polar travel literature and ethnography. The Inuit language is difficult to translate and Rasmussen's unique position of straddling both cultures proves indispensable.

Rasmussen traveled with two Inuit who had never before left Greenland. On the return trip home by plane, the group stopped in New York City and were awed by what they saw. One said while looking over the city skyline from a rooftop: "I see things more than my mind can grasp; and the only way to save myself from madness is to suppose that we have all died, and that this is part of another life." An Inuit Shaman revealed to Rasmussen "All true wisdom is only to be found far from the dwellings of men, in the great solitudes; and it can only be obtained through suffering. Suffering and privation are the only things that can open the mind of man to that which is hidden from his fellows."

An Inuit-produced film 'The Journals of Knud Rasmussen' (2006) was recently made based on the book, produced by the same people who made 'The Fast Runner' (2001), which has been called one of the 10 best Canadian films. This book is pretty rare in first editions going for $50-$100 in the used market. A re-issue was made in 1999, still in print. See also the books by Peter Freuchan for accounts of this journey and others he took with Rasmussen.

Dear Shelley, I liked your book called Adventure at the Bottom of the World:Adventure at the Top of the World. I liked learning about what you do to prepare to climb a mountain and what they do while climbing a mountain. It was very good.

Out of all the travel books I purchased for my Alaska trip this one proved to be the most entertaining and useful. When I recieved this book I expected just another guide book but I couldn't stop reading - the anecdotes and suggestions were as compelling as a good novel. It felt like a nice, long letter from a friend who wanted to be sure I had a great trip. While traveling I found most of their suggestions right on the money. I tried the activities they suggested and was glad I steered clear of their warnings! It turned out to be the only guide book I brought along that I actually used regularly on the trip. One draw back is that there are very few maps of the smaller local areas and the maps that are included do not give you a sense of scale. Also, the title is a bit of a misnomer, I almost did not order this book because I thought "adventure guide" meant it was only for sportspeople, kayakers and campers. But that is far from the truth, this book is great for the independant traveler who wants a leisurely trip, as well as a person who wants something a little more challenging.

This is a masterpiece. I couldn't put it down. I am sure you will love it too.

This is a great book about history and growing up in Alaska with missionary parents.

Al Wright became a pilot and flew all over Alaska and started his own airline in Alaska.

Great pictures also.

Having been to Alaska twice I am aware of the sheer magnitude of wonders the state has to offer.It is truly too large to see completely.This is the first book I have ever found that manages to capture so much of the jaw dropping beauty that can be found there.It has photographs that put in perspective the vastness of this frontier.Also captured are most of the creatures that make this such a special place.For anyone wishing to visit,this book will transport you there immediately. For anyone who has already been,opening this book will take you back there!Wonderful photographs and inspiring writing.

Now in a newly revised, updated, and expanded third edition, Alaska: The Cruise-Lover's Guide by Paul and Audrey Grescoe continues to be a simply terrific and "user friendly" supplementary resource to enjoying the best that an Alaskan cruise has to offer, from sightseeing wildlife to observing or participating in exciting sports and events. Gorgeous color photographs enhance this exceptionally practical and nicely organized travel guide written for both the casual as well as the enthusiastically active tourist or vacationer.