Northwest Books

In December 1955 the stormy rescue of a disabled freighter by the Victoria, BC salvage tug Sudbury made headlines around the world: a feat which was to repeat year after year as the Sudbury and Sudbury II made dramatic rescues through typhoons and shipwrecks alike. High Seas, High Risk is the saga of the two salvage tugs which became famous for risky deep-sea rescues and long-distance towing; in the processing telling of an owner who began with nothing and turned two little tugs into a challenging, successful business. True life adventure at its best.

This book tells the story of the Island Tug & Barge Co's two big salvage tugs, both named "Sudbury". Island Tug & Barge is now history. Its greatest years were the fifties and sixties. The big tugs were initially acquired for the towage of ships to the scrapyards, which was a thriving business in those years. The entered also in deepsea salvage work where both tugs earned their fame. The book tells about the tugs and, of wrecks, of ferocious storms, of tugs riding out typhoon weather the tow still attached. And of the crewmembers of course. The book is a very good read, also to the non-initiated in the business of deep sea salvage. It also has a number of photographs accompanying the text. It is good that this piece of marine history has been published.

This book is priceless considering the amount of information it provides. It saved us many hours of research, and helped select a great base camp for our backpacking trek.

I have yet to find a book that has the details like this one. This book is your complete guide on fishing,trails,springs etc... This backcounty book is as enjoyable as the mountain range is beautiful. I have be packing this range for years and I promise you will not be sorry !

I have quite a few other historical atlases, and this one is one of my favorites. One attraction is that it's focused on the northwest US, where I live. Even without the local interest I still think I'd like the book though.

Unlike a typical historical atlas, this book collects historical maps, rather than using modern maps to illustrate historical events. In the accompanying text, it tells stories about the explorers who created the maps.

The book flap text is a good summary of the contents, not just empty marketing.

I have other historical atlases, but this one is my favorite. For one thing, it covers the area where I live, but even without the local interest it's great. Instead of drawing broad historical themes on modern maps, like most historical atlases do, this book collects historical maps, showing how people through history thought the world looked. In addition to the many interesting historical maps, there are lots of interesting stories about the people who created the maps.

The stuff in the book flap text and the excerpt isn't just hype -- the book really is as good as it sounds.

I found this book a month ago and have shown it to most of my friends and leave it out for others to discover. It is a delight ... a photographic treasure. The images of places that I know and love are special to me. But so are the ones of yet-to-be found (by me) places. Natalie's work surely conjures up a dream. It is a book to be shared with everyone.

Natalie Fobes makes us feel as if we are reviewing an old and treasured picture album. The technique could not be better for the subjects, which have often been seen under the bright light of the Alaskan summer sun or the gray of its long winters. Here you feel that someone put together a collection of personal photographs just for your viewing pleasure.

This book is very informative and I really enjoyed reading the detailed descriptions of what the ledger drawings are believed to illustrate. There was one error (a typo?) regarding the year that Agent Charles Warner lost his position as agent (page 3 states 1881 and page 4 states 1882). Overall, this book gave me an appreciation for the perceptive eye that the Native chroniclers possessed. In a way, it helps give credence to their oral history.
Highly recommended.

For anyone who likes the history of Native American Culture or military history, this book is an interesting find. The pictures found in the "cash book" by Mr. Thompson in 1990 illustrate a hidden viewpoint of the Nez Perce War. An unknown Indian warrior who traveled with the Nez Perce during their flight from the U.S. Army recorded some brilliant pictures in full color. These pictures, preserved by Indian Agent Charles Warner, are first shown to the public in this book. The pictures are not only full of cultural symbolism, but also portray historical figures. If you have interest in what happened in America's wars with the Indians, Chief Joseph, or the Pacific Northwest this book is worth looking into. I think that it is interesting just to see the pictures. Although the book is an academic publication with footnotes and all, it is well written and reads easily.

This is a well written, easy to follow book that provides a lot of information about the Iditarod. Beautiful pictures make the reading even more enjoyable. It's broken into chapters so it can be read bit by bit, but it reads like a novel and I read it practically all in one sitting! I would definitely recommend it for anyone looking to learn about The Last Great Race!

Iditarod; The Great Race to Nome, is a informative book with abundant and excellent pictures to supplement the text. Iditarod; The Great Race to Nome, provides information about the gold rush, early sled dog races, and how the Iditarod dog sled race got started and more! It also includes tidbits of information about various topics that relate to the Iditarod, such as mushers. Wonderful pictures make the book even more memorable and worth buying. Overall this book is a great and informative book for all ages and is a personal recommendation if you need information about the Iditarod.

A part of the rather impressive "Cultures in Review" series from Hancock House Publishers, Indian Healing: Shamanic Ceremonialism In The Pacific Northwest Today by anthropologist and cultural expert Wolfgang G. Jilek (Clinical Professor, Department of Psychiatry, and Research Affiliate, Department of Anthropology and Sociology, University of British Columbia) showcases Native American ceremonial rituals and practices while dispelling commonly held misconceptions and documenting the therapeutic effects of traditional Native American rituals as practiced for centuries among the Northwestern tribes. Enhanced with extensive references, as well as a glossary of key terms, Indian Healing is a welcome and seminal contribution to Native American Studies reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

We had this book at The Evergreen State College Reservation Based Program. This Winter Quarter and I found my journal notes to be about twenty six pages long, this is how much it meant to me. I am thankful for the people to have shared this information with us to be able to treasure in our hearts for ever.

This book is a fascinating look at how plants and animals have adapted to the climate extremes found in our northernmost state. Even for a native Texan, the clear and informative descriptions of the various adaptive mechanisms is captivating.

Smith writes with the authority of a lifetime student of the subject matter, which he is. The level of detail is very appropriate, and the scientific details (which abound in this book) are so lucidly explained as to satisfy the student and intrigue the layperson. Smith's writing style is relaxed and clear. Examples from his years in Alaska abound, and it is almost as though he is talking directly to the reader. Smith must have been a great professor if this style comes from his teaching experience.

Even though you may never travel to Alaska, this is a rewarding read for anyone curious about our natural world and for Alaskans or those who will be visiting, this book should be considered indispensible.

Highly recommended.

If you're fascinated by Alaska and the north, and want to understand its natural history beyond the level presented by glossy magazines and TV documentaries, this is your book.

As a professor of biology for over 30 years at North America's farthest north University, Smith has conducted and observed a wide variety of research, and in this book he has done an outstanding job compiling much of what he has learned about how life works in the north. Filled with explanations of myriad biological processes and salted with often-humorous anecdotes, the book reads as both textbook and personal narrative. You'll enjoy the narrative aspect because Smith uses it to step back from the science and show the reader how he or a colleague stumbled across an interesting question or natural phenomenon in the first place. In this regard, the book has plenty of eureka moments and one-off tales of discovery. And perhaps what Smith does best is explain not just what we know about the ways animals and plants have adapted to conditions of the north, but how we've come to know it.

While the book doesn't shy away from technical details, you won't need a graduate degree to understand Smith's excellent explanations of topics such as chemical antifreeze in insects, how plants extract nutrients from cold northern soils, or why the largest graylings are found farthest upstream in Alaskan rivers. Ever wonder about short-term memory in flying squirrels? I bet you never would have guessed that kestrels figure out the best places to hunt voles by detecting urine trails left by the voles when they mark runways-- kestrel eyes can detect the ultraviolet wavelengths of light reflected by the urine.

One of the book's nicest features is its layout. The 11 chapters are topical (e.g., "From Mighty Moose to Mighty Small Bats: Some Mammals of the Boreal Forest"), and sub-sections within chapters organize the narrative into nice bite-size pieces, addressing a particular species, a suite of adaptive strategies used by a group of plants or animals (e.g., Advantages and Disadvantages of Being Warm Blooded"), or an ecosystem dynamic (e.g., "Tundra Population Cycles and Fluctuations"). So while the book is almost an encyclopedia of northern biology and landscapes (though the term "encyclopedic" does it disservice), it's not daunting because it invites you to just open the book to any section and start reading.

This book will be valued by a wide audience. Every biology student enrolled in a northern university should have this book on his or her desk, and it's likely to be adopted as a textbook by many universities offering courses in northern studies. As a professional biologist in the north, I used it to fill in many holes in my knowledge, and I will always keep it handy for reference. But it is not just textbook material. Anyone planning a trip to Alaska will want this book on his or her dashboard, and it's worth the weight to put it in your backpack.

If you've been bitten by the Alaskan bug, this is the scratch for your itch.

James Lavadour's collection of Landscape pieces in this book are, well just tremendous, the finish of the paper complements the works upon it. I had never seen his work prior to coming across a series landscape at the Heard Museum in Phoenix,Arizona. It stopped me in my tracks, rather knocked the wind out of me so to speak. The light the expanse, the sanctity of The Land just grabs you by the throat in his pieces. The Book pretty much captures that in this collection as best as may be in the smaller scale of things.
Yeah I ought to read this book as well, and I will as well, as for the present i am still looking, and looking. Wow.

A long time ago in Pendleton, I saw James Lavadour drag boxes and boxes of REALLY crappy paintings into my high school class. Yet his face was alight with enthusiam for the work he was doing and I can see now that his vision was providing him with the momentum he needed to reach the point he has. He spoke of sitting in the foothills all day long painting. A couple years later I saw a painting of his, it was dark and mysterious and a tiny trickle of water in it appeared to actually move. I still long for that painting today. His work now is so luminous and beautiful that you find yourself transfixed and caught in the emotional content. I have always looked up to him as an artist, that this is what you can do with your talent if you are willing to work hard and seriously involve yourself with the subject.

This book was one of the few that has kept my preschoolers with special needs focused until the end. They were spellbound by the illustrations and loved the traditional eskimo story. About a month later, one of my little preschoolers found it in the libray and wanted to check it out, remembering the story from class. Well done!!

This beautiful childrens story will touch the hearts of all ages. This is a moving story of a Yup'ik child's first ice fishing trip with his revered "Apa". The richness of the illustrations draw you into this compelling rite of passage tale, giving the reader a glimpse into the life of a Yup'ik family in Alaska.