Customer Reviews

Honest Dogs: A Story of Triumph and Regret from the World's Toughest Sled Dog Race

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As a fellow reporter, I was pleased to hear about O'Donoghue's latest book, having read (and enjoyed) his first take on sled dog racing on the Iditarod trail. O'Donoghue's a quirky writer, and his uncomplicated narrative threads between both his experiences on the trail, and those of his competitors. At times cocky and arrogant (or maybe just a touch naive), the writer's fortunes take a dive along the 1,000 mile trail, as the weather and the strategies of the other racers grind his team down. It's an easy read, and the amusing dialogue helps quicken the pace.However, something about the book rubs me the wrong way - not in a painful way, but in a brow-wrinkling way. You feel like you've only gotten a small taste of the true story by the time the last page folds by. Something here is missing. Some added detail on preparing for his first foray into the so-called world's toughest sled dog race would have been a nice touch by the author. And O'Donoghue, while painting a crystal clear (and often touching) picture of his dogs, doesn't wax as eloquent when dealing with the human cast of characters in the book. Of course, he's titled the tome Honest Dogs, so I suppose that's a moot point. And what the heck, this is his story. All things considered, it is one of the better written and by far the most entertaining books produced about the Yukon Quest - and that's a rarity. (And those who understand the references to the 'LA reporter' will enjoy a wry chuckle every now and then. Here's hoping Honest Dogs outsells that other 'insider's view' on the Quest!)

Once in a while you come across a book that you are sorry to see end.Honest dogs was one of those books for me.The chapter on going over american summit was very exciting.When I was in Anchorage for the start of this years Iditarod I got to see and pet O'donogue's lead dog "Khan". in person After reading this fine book I want to move to Two Rivers,Alaska and take up Mushing myself

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In Honest Dogs: A Story Of Triumph And Regret From The World's Toughest Sled Dog Race, journalist and family man Brian O'Donoghue shares the story of his experiences upon entering the Yukon Quest Sled Dog Race at the age of 41. Brian writes with wry humor of sharing the trail with his Alaskan huskies Khan, Hobbes, Scrimshaw, and Cyclone, as well as a diverse collection of rival racers and resident bush rats. Honest Dogs is a candid, vivid account of a punishing personal journey and relates the strategies, dreams, and disappoints of the contestants, the antics of the furry canine athletes, the sheer drama of the race, and the unworldly wilderness setting in which Brian and his dogs found themselves. Honest Dogs is highly recommended reading for armchair adventurers and dog lovers everywhere.

The real problem with this book lies not in his treatment of his dogs, but in his treatment of other mushers. It is odd that he could be so critical of so many of the other mushers from the back of the pack. While not quite an armchair quarterback, he was definitely throwing some cheap shots from the sled runners. I had a suspicion while reading this book that he was searching for a way to justify his utter lack of speed, instead of just reveling in the moment. While it is nice to hear about a musher that cares deeply about his dogs (as most do), I felt that he simply did not have the rapport with his dogs that most succesful mushers have.

This is an amazing book!--I had no idea what it takes to compete in a major sled dog race. All those pictures we see of the "romance" of sled dog competitions don't even begin to cover the fatigue (of dogs and people), the logistics and the problems. It must be an incredible experience to even finish in a race like this. I'm glad the author let me experience a little bit of it through his book.

This book tells the story of one man's first experience of the Yukon Quest, and the problems and triumphs he encountered along the way. Very informative for some-one like myself (an armchair musher!)covering aspects which would never occur to me i.e. arranging food drops in advance!

A real page turner, i finished reading the book in one day.