Backstage Iditarod [Paperback]

June Price (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2007

BACKSTAGE IDITAROD is for the fan who wants more than to just watch a team take off from the start line. A collection of stories both new and old, it's a guide for those who yearn to know what it's really like on 4th Avenue; what they would see, hear and touch. It's for those who want to volunteer at Race Headquarters or maybe bid to be an Idita-Rider. It's for the dreamers who wonder what goes on at the musher banquets, both in Anchorage and in Nome. It's for arm chair mushers who simply want to immerse themselves in everything Iditarod. "All (Iditarod books) are interesting, but none focus on an overall view of the activities that go on before, during and after the race to make it happen. None break down the cost of running this race for you. None take you to Iditarod HQ to watch organized chaos as race preparations evolve. None follow the logistics involved in preparing checkpoint drop bags. None agonize over vet checks and deciding a final team. And none put you in the middle of the action at the start line in Anchorage and the restart, wherever it may be." Donna Quante, producer of video "Pretty Sled Dogs" "You're in for a real treat with this book! I thoroughly enjoyed it, and by the time I was finished proofing the pages I had a lump in my throat and was practically wishing for snow on the ground! I'll be going into the '08 race with a whole new understanding of how things work, because June's book truly is the equivalent of a backstage pass to the whole awesome show!" --Helen Hegener, author/publisher/editor and present at some of the initial organizational meetings for the Iditarod when it was still known as "Joe's race".

Product Details

• Paperback: 148 pages
• Publisher: Sunhusky Productions; 1st edition (September 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0979582849
• ISBN-13: 978-0979582844
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,005,686 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #71 in Books > Sports & Outdoors > Outdoor Recreation > Iditarod & Dog-Sledding

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Backstage Iditarod A Treat for Fans and Followers, September 10, 2007

By 

MelanieGouldFanBrian "Brian" (Fergus Falls, MN.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Backstage Iditarod (Paperback)

Do you follow the Iditarod dog sled race? Have you ever wondered just what it takes to get this race up and running each March? How much it costs a musher to race a team from Anchorage to Nome? How dogs are vetted, fed and cared for along the route?
Well, then, this is the book for you! What sets it apart from all other books about the Iditarod Dog Sled Race, is that it is a look at the race from the backstage area.
'Backstage Iditarod' looks at the racers, the dogs, and the whole staging of the Last Great Race. For those of us who live for the Iditarod each and every year, this is the book that tells us how the event is staged and run.
The book takes us not only through the history of the race, but also takes us to the Mushers Banquets both in Anchorage where the racers get their starting numbers, and in Nome for the finishers; to the Iditarod Headquarters in Wasilla; to the Ceremonial start in Anchorage; to the stops along the trial; to the end of the trail in Nome some 1,100 miles later.
This book tells about the Sign up Picnic, the race volunteers, Iditariders, the trail, and all aspects of the race as seen from the organizational side of the equation. It's a real behind the scenes look at what makes the Iditarod the Last Great Race on Earth.
Anybody who loves the Iditarod will profit immeasurably by this book. Plus June Prices' photographs are always a treat for the Iditarod afficianado.
For those who are just learning about the Iditarod, you'll love this book. It is the perfect book for learning all about the race and the people who are involved in all aspects of it from the festive start to the exciting finish.

Brian - Melanie Gould Fan

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars About the Journey, September 23, 2007

By 

Jacqi "North Nite" (WI, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Backstage Iditarod (Paperback)

Imagine your best friend just returned home from a long vacation. She throws a log on the fire, pours you a glass of wine, and you each grab a corner in the couch. She then proceeds to tell you about her journey, in detail, practically everything you ever wanted to know. That's how this book reads, not like a "book" per say, more like an evening with a good friend. Author June Price explains the ins & outs of the race in detail. Answers questions you didn't even realize you were thinking about! She totally captures you. Makes me want to be there, to freeze my butt off with the best of them, the volunteers who help make this race possible. A great read!

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Front Row to Backstage, September 16, 2007

By 

D. Lundberg "Furwheeler" (MN, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Backstage Iditarod (Paperback)

In 1999, My wife and I went to the Iditarod start in Anchorage in our own attempt to get a glimpse of this historic race. Much of what we experienced, from the grandness of the event to hominess of most everyone involved is justly captured in this entertaining omnibus. For people like myself this book will bring back memories and explain curiosities while giving you a front row seat to the "Backstage".

We've done Anchorage...Backstage Iditarod has me thinking about Nome.