Land of the Radioactive Midnight Sun: A Cheechako's First Year in Alaska [Hardcover]

Sean Michael Flynn (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 2003

"In New York City, a Cheechako (chee CHA-ko) would be the kid who just fell off the turnip truck. No street smarts. A pink windbreaker. A subway map sticking from his back pocket...In Alaska, a Cheechako is even easier to spot. He's the guy with his tongue stuck to a metal pole. A tenderfoot. A greenhorn."

Land of the Radioactive Midnight Sun is the story of Lt. Sean Michael Flynn as he tries to survive his first year in Alaska. With romantic notions of Jack London and Bush piloting, Lt. Flynn requests a transfer to Eielson Air Force Base outside of Fairbanks, Alaska. He is a bit unnerved at how easy the transfer goes through.

From a rugby game on a frozen river to living across from Santa's Village to random moose attacks to soaring over the Bush in an F-16, Land of the Radioactive Midnight Sun is a hilarious trial-by-many-errors account of what it takes to become a true Alaskan.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

For one year in the late 1990s, Flynn was posted to Eileson Air Force Base near Fairbanks, Alaska, as a public affairs officer, one of the "desk weenies" assigned to put a good face on unpopular military activities, like environmentally hazardous combat flying exercises and radioactivity-fueled facilities on native lands. His personal goal was to transform himself from "cheechako," or greenhorn Lower 48-er, into a "real Alaskan." While he approached his duties spinning bad news for the military with seasoned skepticism-noting his lies in parentheses for the reader-the challenge of becoming a real Alaskan seemed to involve his manhood and was therefore more serious. Commenting on underdressed (for the weather) rugby players, he concludes, "they're all just afraid of being called a wimp. Any guy can appreciate that." He treats readers to several bloody and drunken rugby matches in 30-below weather, plus some attempts at dogsledding, salmon and halibut fishing, moose eating and gold panning. Flynn liberally seasons this virile menu with complaints about the difficult guy/gal ratio and more than a little finger-pointing at the gals who look like guys. Ultimately, Flynn decides being a real Alaskan is less about endurance and more about attitude (e.g., if you're freezing, go get a jacket or stop sitting in the snow). In the last pages, Flynn, like many of his "real Alaskan" friends, leaves Alaska for more urban settings-after all, as Flynn puts it, Manhattan's so much better at "pizza and women."
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

First, a definition: cheechako is a term from the Alaskan gold rush; it describes someone who is completely new to the territory, a tenderfoot, a babe in the woods. That handily sums up the author, a U.S. Air Force public affairs officer from New York, newly arrived for a tour of duty in Alaska. This entertaining book chronicles his first year--the period, traditionally, during which a cheechako either becomes an Alaskan, or bails out, or worse. There's a lot of fun here: the author plays rugby on ice and baseball at sunny midnight. There's some danger, too: a Jaguar aircraft crashes not too far from Flynn's base. And there are plenty of laughs, as the author milks the fish-out-of-water premise for all it's worth. Although he's neither as funny nor as linguistically accomplished a writer as Bill Bryson, Flynn can play in the same ballpark, and he keeps the pace fast and the story lively. David Pitt
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books; First Edition edition (November 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 031228554X
• ISBN-13: 978-0312285548
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.8 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,186,998 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good History, Great Laughs, December 3, 2003

By 

Christine M Clay (Burlingame, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Land of the Radioactive Midnight Sun: A Cheechako's First Year in Alaska (Hardcover)

As a New Yorker, I was very intersted in reading about a city boy getting transplanted into the harshest wilderness. I was rewarded by a funny tale of what it means to become a man and an Alaskan. Flynn mixes humorous stories in with history lessons, culture clashes and the unending search for a good woman and a better pizza. I haven't laughed while reading this much since discovering David Sedaris. The author and his military buddies are very likable and it is easy to see how his heart can be split between such different landscapes and lifestyles. And he even gets the girl at the end! I highly recommend to anybody who wants to learn while they laugh.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent, hilarious read for anyone thinking about moving to Alaska, February 20, 2007

By 

D. Peterson (Owings, MD) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Land of the Radioactive Midnight Sun: A Cheechako's First Year in Alaska (Hardcover)

I was stationed at Eielson at the same time as Sean but mainly knew him from his hilarious and entertaining (and eventually banned) columns in the base newspaper. I found the book by accident years later while stationed at Elmendorf AFB in Anchorage, AK. Sean's account so perfectly encapsulates life as a Cheechako in the interior of Alaska it has to be a must read for anyone thinking of moving to, or even visiting, the heart of the last American frontier. Sean's newspaper columns were the topic of conversation every week in what was probably the most read USAF base paper in history - and his book is an ongoing laugh-fest with a style all his own, though very reminiscent of great humorists writers like Dave Barry. His experiences, while typical of a young, single guy (as I was at the time), give a true picture of what Alaska is all about. You don't have to know about Alaska or like the military to find this book a fascinating and eminently enjoyable read - but if you've ever been in the military, visited or thought about visiting Alaska - this is a book you can't pass up!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Puts Alaska on your "must go" travel list, March 20, 2004

By 

anonymous (Cincinnati, OH United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Land of the Radioactive Midnight Sun: A Cheechako's First Year in Alaska (Hardcover)

Well-written, insightful, educational, and entertaining. Funny without making fun of people. Really brings Alaska and its residents to life, providing a fascinating glimpse of the state unavailable to most visitors (i.e., way beyond the typical 7-night cruise ship experience.) I began reading it because of my interest in military history (the author was stationed there as an Air Force officer), but the quality of writing and greater focus on non-military experiences was a pleasant surprise. I now want to quit my job, pack my bags, and head immediately to Alaska.