Exploring the Unknown: Historic Diaries of Bradford Washburn's Alaska/Yukon Expeditions [Paperback]

Bradford Washburn (Author), Lew Freedman (Editor), Dr. Bradford Washburn (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 2001

In the 1930s, Bradford Washburn began a quarter-century series of exploratory expeditions to Alaska and the Yukon.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Bradford Washburn, known as a pioneering mountaineer in Alaska, was a member of several teams that made the first ascent of several Alaskan mountains, such as Mount Marcus Baker and Mount Bertha. His map of Mount McKinley is used to this day by climbers. When he married in 1940, his wife, Barbara, joined him on his expeditions and in 1947 became the first woman to climb Mount McKinley. Together, the couple surveyed and created detailed maps of both the Grand Canyon and Mount Everest. Exploring the Unknown contains Bradford's lively and descriptive diaries of three of his expeditions: his first ascent of Mount Crillon in 1934, a Yukon mapping expedition in 1935, and his first ascent of the West Buttress of Mount McKinley in 1951. Bradford's passion for exploration as well as his fear of the danger of mountaineering come across clearly and keep the reader's attention. Conversely, the tone of Barbara's The Accidental Adventurer is stilted, partly because she rarely reveals much of herself. For instance, her comments on reaching the summit of Mount McKinley indicate that she was primarily concerned with pleasing her husband. Thus, although her account reveals intriguing details of the various expeditions, it nevertheless disappoints. Exploring the Unknown is recommended where travel adventure is popular but both titles only where there is interest in the history of mountaineering. [Sealed until recently, these diaries are published to celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Washburns' climb of Mount McKinley's difficult West Buttress. Ed.] Alison Hopkins, Queens Borough P.L., Jamaica, N.
- Alison Hopkins, Queens Borough P.L., Jamaica, NY
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

LEW FREEDMAN is a sportswriter with the Chicago Tribune. He has worked as an award-winning journalist with the Anchorage Daily News and is the author of over 21 books.

Bradford Washburn was an explorer, mountaineer, photographer, cartographer, and former director of the Boston Museum of Science. Washburn gathered many awards over the course of his career, including nine honorary doctorates, the Centennial Award of the National Geographic Society (shared with his wife Barbara, the first woman to summit Mount McKinley), and the King Albert Medal of Merit.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Epicenter Press (May 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0945397925
• ISBN-13: 978-0945397922
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 9 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,645,474 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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