1 comments about Fairbanks: Alaska's Heart of Gold.

1. I bought this as a primer for my (future) trip to Fairbanks. Some consider this frontier town, and not "Los" Anchorage, to be the "real" Alaska. The authors include interesting historical tidbits, demographics and myths. I've donated most of my books to charity, but this one's a keeper :)

5 comments about Tacos on the Tundra: The Story of Pepe's North of the Border.

1. Review appeared August 1997 Alaska Magazine

   In 1975 Fran Tate tried to get McDonalds to open a franchise in Barrow, Alaska. The company, however, was interested only in a town with at least 50,000 and Barrow's population was 3,500. So Tate opened her own Mexican restaurant instead. "Tacos on the Tundra" is a lively and sensibly organized biography. It traces Tate's triumph over her lonely and impoverished childhood through sheer hard work. Author Lyn Kidder liberally quotes her subject's colorful, down-home speech. "Don't tell 'em I m a floozy," says Tate, an allusion to five failed marriages. This executive with an engineering degree scrubbed toilets to pay her bills. "People don't want to struggle that much anymore," she said. "They want to be president of the company, second day on the job." Hollywood almost made a sitcom from her life, a few years before the television show "Northern Exposure." She's too unbelievable a character for fiction, but this real-life book is guaranteed to make readers laugh out loud, and at the same time give them an insight into life in America's northernmost city.




2. I have read Fran's book before but I don't own a copy. I lived in Barrow for 3 years so I know first hand about that which Fran writes. However, as I was the district librarian for the school district my life wasn't quite as hard as Fran's. The food at Fran's probably wouldn't be eaten anywhere else, certainly not in the "Lower 48" and certainly not for the price one had to pay.
   Getting back to Fran, she tells it like it is, and she is the very colorful, local figure that she portrays. For those unfortunate souls who have never been to Alaska, let alone Barrow, this book is interesting and full of some strange but true stories.
   This book is for people who love to read about people who are "different" and who are probably braver and more interesting than the rest of us.



3. As much as I loved eating at Pepe's, this book is really fluff, but it is very light reading and you will enjoy her story. You will appreciate it even more if you have been to Barrow and especially if you get to meet Joe the Water Man.



4. Fran Tate has lived a truly amazing and interesting life. This book tells her story in detail, and what a story it is! Fran is a true character, and a really neat lady (I know her) who has worked very hard to build sucessful businesses and provide service to her adopted community. Barrow is a special and different place and Fran fits in well here. Her story is a good example of how hard work, creativity and sheer guts can get you where you want to go. It is also very funny! How can you resist someone who runs a business like Elephant Pot Sewage Haulers (before the town got sewers everyone had holding tanks or "honey buckets" and someone had to "clean up your act" as the slogan went) and sells the T-shirts in her restaurant to boot? Not only that, she does a great jazz show on the local radio station and sponsors (& shoots, with her attorney/pyrotechnician) the New Year's fireworks.

   Pepe's North of the Border is a true Barrow experience, and really, the food isn't bad (I've had far worse in the Lower 48). There's always free pie & coffee to local seniors. The cooks are Mexican, too--Fran even wound up marrying one once at least in part to avoid his being deported. If all this sounds interesting, get the book!




5. This book lets you get to know Fran Tate, a character who has had a lot of impact on the way Barrow has developed in the past couple of decades.
   
   Fran's near-maniacal devotion to hard work and quality service is every bit as endearing as her complete lack of pretentiousness. If life were a rodeo, instead of sitting in the stands I believe that Fran would run out, jump on the biggest steer, get thrown off, jump right back on and repeat until the steer just got too tired to buck her off anymore. I wish I had read this book before I went to Barrow, it's unlikely I'll ever get a chance to go back and meet Fran in person.
   
   If I had never been to Barrow, I'd probably only rate the book 2 1/2 or 3 stars, though. It's mildly interesting on its own, but if you've been to Barrow (or plan to go there) you'll have a much better appreciation for the story. As I have been there, I give the book four stars.

2 comments about Pacific Northwest Lighthouses (Lighthouse Series).

1. Bruce Roberts is one of the best lighthouse photographers working in the U.S. today. In this book, he and his partner Ray Jones give you an excellent photograph of each lighthouse featured, a short historical story from Jones and directions of how to get to the lighthouse. Lighthouse lovers could scarcely ask for more.



2. This is an excellent book with great descriptions and beautiful pictures. If you are interested in lighthouses, this book is detailed, informational, and fun.

1 comments about Taming Mighty Alaska: An Rv Odyssey.

1. I read this when it first came out and absolutely loved it! A trip with the Andersons is like a visit with old friends. This book is a must for anyone traveling to Alaska by car or RV and a delightful addition to any armchair traveler's collection. Descriptions of scenery are vivid but the interactions with the people the Andersons meet are lively. Perhaps the dialogue, which covers everything from purchases from clerks to other camper's tales of glory and woe, is the most appealing feature of the book. Parts of it make me laugh so hard I have to put the book down for a bit. I reread this book a couple of times a year. If you enjoy this you may also want to read Bill Bryson's "A Walk in the Woods" and "The Lost Continent"; Emily Kimbrough and Cornelia Otis Skinner's "Our Hearts Were Young and Gay" and another older book of William C. Anderson's called "Home Sweet Home Has Wheels, or Please Don't Tailgate the Real Estate."

3 comments about Libby: The Sketches, Letters and Journal of Libby Beaman, Recorded in the Pribilof Islands, 1879-1880.

1. Libby gives her account of her life before and during her time on the Pribilof Islands. Her letters and journals provide a look at what life was like for the middle class woman of her era with an honesty I have never come across in any other widely-available account of the post-Civil War years. I read the book while I was Alaska, and it was startling to see both similarities and differences between the lives people live in the far north now and in Libby's experience. Libby has the intensity of a well-written novel, and a depth of truth only a woman writing for her eyes alone could present. If you're interested in women of her era, life in the north, or simply an interesting story by an excellent writer, Libby is worth the purchase.



2. ...evidently this is a very highly edited and perhaps even augmented version of her journal. In the editorial review from "500 Great Books by Women"--which does not appear on the Amazon page for this edition but is included on the page for for another, unavailable edition of the book (ISBN#0395493250)--it refers to the fact that some of the gaps have been filled in by the author's granddaughter, Betty John, who is the one who actually had the book published.

   In the forward of the edition I read (which has a different ISBN from both this edition and the one mentioned above), Betty John notes that when she got the sketches and journal some of the pages were missing. She then says, "In Libby's book, therefore, I've had to fill in some gaps by conjuring up memories of the stories she told me and by doing research into her times. Her story, nonetheless, is the true tale of a very real woman... ."

   In the epilogue, she adds "What was left of [Libby's] journal and sketches ... came to me after her death. Those pages have been the basis for the book."

   In the book itself, there are maybe one or two small bracketed notes--not longer than a few words--where the editor fills in details.

   So I am a little puzzled about how much of the book really is Libby's journal. The comments in the foreward and epilogue imply that more than just a few details are added, yet there isn't much notation in the text to show what has been added and what is original. I would rather the publishers had made it clear what parts of the text were added, edited, or paraphrased, and what were the real journal.

   The way it reads, like a novel (almost like a romance novel at times) and the sometimes modern-sounding prose makes me suspect it may have been heavily edited and/or rewritten. Also the fact that she was commiting some very personal things--things she probably did not want her husband to read--to paper made me wonder a bit. (She talks about her husband's boss's attraction to her and hers to him. These are the parts that read like a romance novel--complete with the gruff, aloof-seeming hero who often seems to be mocking her, but actually is attracted to her--total romance-novel stereotype!)

   That said, I found the book very enjoyable. Libby Beaman's family was very friendly with Abraham Lincoln and in the beginning she gives an interesting look at Lincoln's election and the circumstances under which he came into office--how he had to sneak into Washington because his life had been threatened by Southern sympathizers. Stuff I may have learned in school, but forgot. She was apparently an interesting woman, impatient with the restrictions that were put on her gender and class. (At the end of the book she recants a bit, though.) There are descriptions of the Alaskan wildlife and of the people and history, and just reading about how Libby and her husband coped with the culture shock and vastly different living conditions in Alaska was fascinating.

   I just would have liked to be able to tell what was her authentic voice and what was added or changed in the editing.




3. A very interesting accounting of an adventurous woman in the late 1800's. I would have given this 5 stars EXCEPT that the print is so small one almost needs a magnifying glass to read it.
   (I wanted to send it to my Aunt but knew she would not be able to read the print.)

2 comments about To Alaska on a Tractor: 9500 Miles in 126 Days!.

1. Very inspirational. In todays world it is very rare to come across people that are so committed to a cause that they go to such an extreme to tell the world. On the back of the book it says, " They inspired us as living examples of the challenge and joy following the Spirit's nudging." I found this quite true!!
   Pass the word, tell your friends! Excellent for gift giving.



2. Having had the priveledge to spend time with the Martins when they were in Alaska I can attest to the heart they had for the work they were doing for the Lord and what a colection of stories they had from their incredible trip. Just think all the way in that old John Deere tractor. A true, incredible story of dedication, commitment, and faith.

No comments about The Complete Guide to Kenai Fjords National Park.

5 comments about Frommer's Alaska Cruises & Ports of Call 2007 (Frommer's Cruises).

1. This book is a good general overview of cruising in Alaska. It would be particularly helpful for first-time cruisers, as much of book is spent explaining how a cruise "works"-- dining, tipping, etc. I appreciated the recommendations on what to pack for Alaska, and they made several good suggestions that I wouldn't have thought of myself. The book was not as up-to-date as I would have liked (Norwegian Pearl had not sailed as of it's writing), but I guess that's understandable. There were some good suggestions for things to do at the various ports on your own, aside from the shore excursions. In all, a helpful, easy-to-access book.



2. I just returned from a cruise to alaska and found this book to be very helpful. I work in a cruise related field and found it contained great reviews of different cruise lines. Port information was easy to follow. The "voice" of the book was friendly and eager to help. I recommend it to anyone who is considering or going to Alaska by ship.



3. This book was very helpful in determining which cities we wanted to include on our cruise port stops, BEFORE booking our trip. We were also able to plan ahead our list of "must see and do" in each port. This book will definitely be used as a guidebook to take with us to Alaska.



4. I found the information in this to be generally helpful. I ordered the 2007 edition planning an Alaskan cruise in May 08. I did not realize that the ships changed from year to year. The Star Princess, on which we are booked, was not included in the 2007 edition. I was not able to find the 2008 cruise guide yet on Amazon. Live and learn.



5. Its ok! This book was of little use to me but I do feel it would be useful to some others. I already own Frommers Alaska and Frommers Cruises and Ports of Call. So, I found the information in Alaska Cruises and Ports of Call to be totally redundant. Also, the first 150 pages or so are an intro to cruising, reviews of cruise lines and ships. Only in the final 100 pages are a discussion of "what to see, what to do, where to stay" in Alaska. If you don't have the others then you will like this book but if you have the others then you will find it a "cliff notes" of the other two.

5 comments about The Milepost: Trip Planner for Alaska&Western Canada : Spring '97-Spring '98 (49th ed).

1. After just returning from driving around Alaska for one month, (2005) this book is invaluable. Advertisements are plainly marked and information is very useful. It is very nice to be able to know what some of the sights are along the way, where good viewpoints are and where there are picnic areas and rest areas. Only negative is we used the book so much, pages started falling out.
   This should be the first purchase for anyone contemplating driving Alaska (and BC, and Yukon) highways.



2. This is a great guide for visiting & driving in Alaska. All roads are detailed and each mile is described distinctly. There are lots of ads for travel guide activities such as flightseeing, fishing, etc. A great guide to have.



3. If you read all the entries in this guide, you won't have time to look at any of the views! Extremely comprehensive (down to where there are pullouts to let faster drivers pass) and informative. A little bit of a learning curve is required for travel in directions other than those shown, but not too bad. Road map sections seem very complete. A very useful guide.



4. We bought "Milepost 2005" on the advice of friends who live in Alaska. We've used it to plan our entire trip this summer & have found my exciting things to see & do while on vacation this summer.



5. The "Milepost" is a uniquely invaluable resource for travel by road in Alaska and Northwest Canada. This guide will be highly useful for the average tourist, RVer, and camper.
   
   Alaska and Northwest Canada constitute a huge area with vast terrain variation and far less travel infrastructure than most travelers are used to in Southern Canada or the lower 48 states. Travelers should not, for example, expect gas stations, restaurants, and franchise hotels at every exit of the highways, nor should they expect that all facilities will be open year-round. Further, some routes are closed in winter or are highly dangerous due to weather conditions. Finally, travelers should be alert to both the prospect of viewing wildlife along the roads and the hazards of a traffic jam behind, say, a small herd of bison at Muncho Lake in Canada.
   
   The Milepost provides maps, diagrams, photographs, and most of all, an almost mile by mile summary of what to expect in driving the major highways in Alaska and Northwest Canada. The information provided will allow the traveler to locate the next gas station, campground, hotel, or scenic spot. The advertisements included allow some advance planning for areas where few hotel beds may be available. Travelors may also plan ahead for fishing charters on the Kenai Peninsula in Alaska or the operating hours of visitor centers or the few but excellent museums that can be found along the road. If buying the most recent edition of the Milepost, travelers can expect some up-to-date information on where to expect major road construction. The Milepost includes information on major hiking trailheads on the main roads, but hikers should seek elsewhere for detailed information on off-road routes.
   
   The Milepost is a must-have guide for road travel in Alaska and Northwest Canada and is most highly recommended to travelers and residents in a wild and scenic part of North America.

3 comments about This Place Is Cold (Imagine Living Here).

1. I was given this book by my aunt who moved to Point Barrow, Alaska to be a teacher there. She gave me this book to teach me about where she was to be living. This book taught me a lot in a very educational way. I highly recommend it, The pictures are great too!!



2. This is one of the best written, most comprehensive and accurate children's books about Alaska that I have found. The illustrations are well drawn and clever. This book holds the interest of young children and I would recommend it as a great addition to any young child's library.



3. This book was not what I expected. It was informative, but very wordy. I wasn't able to use this book with my children at school.