Alaska: Tales of Adventure from the Last Frontier [Paperback]

Spike (editor) Walker (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 18, 2002

For thousands of years Alaska has called to us. The hardy souls who first answered that call endured bitter temperatures, maddening isolation, and often harrowing adventures for the privilege of living there, and many lost their lives in the process. From the earliest human explorers to Russian fur trappers, from Klondike gold seekers to today’s miners and oilmen, from Alaska’s native people to the millions of tourists who visit the state every year, people have come to Alaska to marvel at its beauty, rejoice in its riches, and measure themselves against its challenges. The wonder of Alaska, as well as its terrifying dangers, come to life in this anthology, featuring true adventures described by some of the best writers in the world, each hand picked by bestselling writer and Alaska aficionado Spike Walker. Alaska: Tales of Adventure from the Last Frontier will open your eyes and stir your soul as it celebrates the untamed beauty of Alaska.

Inside you will find unmatched tales of adventure by the following authors:

Spike Walker
Jack London
Larry Kaniut
Roger A. Caras
Lew Freedman
Dana Stabenow
Gary Paulsen
Jean Aspen
Ann Mariah Cook
John Muir
Washington Irving

And many more...

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

This anthology of 31 stories chronicling Alaskan life, past and present, includes pieces by such noted writers as Washington Irving, John Muir, Jack London, and Gary Paulsen. Irving describes the voyage of a sailing vessel in 1812; Muir writes about one of his trips to Glacier Bay; London's subjects range from gold hunters to building a fire in 75-below temperatures; and Paulsen tells what it is like to race in the Iditarod, the 1,100-mile odyssey that tests the endurance of both humans and dogs. There is an excerpt from the Dawson Daily News of May 23, 1900, reporting on the dog nuisance in that city, and an excerpt from Alaska Magazine on the plethora of carnivorous bugs. A piece by editor Walker, author of Coming Back Alive [BKL Ag 01], describes a man's escape from a sinking fishing boat and his mental battle to stay alive for 27 hours in the deadly cold Gulf of Alaska Sea. Selections from oral histories by four native Alaskans round out the collection. George Cohen
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

About the Author

Spike Walker has spent more than twenty seasons working as a deckhand aboard commercial fishing boats in Alaska. He has voyaged across storm-tossed seas from the ports of Kodiak in the Gulf of Alaska to Dutch Harbor in the Aleutian Islands and north, across the Bering Sea, to the edge of the polar ice cap in search of king crab, halibut, and codfish. His first book, Working on the Edge, was hailed by James Michener as "the definitive account of this peilous trade." With his books Nights of Ice and Coming Back Alive, Spike Walker's growing reputation as one of America's greatest authors of true Alaskan adventure tales has been firmly established.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin; 1st edition (February 18, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312275625
• ISBN-13: 978-0312275624
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,448,853 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars WRONG AUTHOR, January 14, 2009

By 

C. Miller "Sunsets7" (Seaside, OR USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Alaska: Tales of Adventure from the Last Frontier (Paperback)

Although this book has some good stories in it, it is NOT a book written by Spike Walker, author of "Working On the Edge", "Nights of Ice", or "Coming Back Alive". This book is a compilation of several different authors. It isn't a bad read, but if you are expecting the thrills and chills of Spike Walkers writing, you won't find them in this book. I bought this book thinking that it was written by Spike Walker, but it is not.

6 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars save your money!, September 30, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Alaska: Tales of Adventure from the Last Frontier (Paperback)

I have read all the books S. Walker has published to date and this one is not worth the time and/or effort. Save your money and go to a movie.