True North: Exploring the Great Wilderness by Bush Plane [Paperback]

George Erickson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 2003

"Erickson, a rugged individualist if ever there was one, knows his stuff. Erickson misses little, describing the natural wonders of the region, the people who dwell at the remote outposts where gasoline costs nearly as much as good cognac, and the adventures of the first explorers to the great White North, including trappers, Jesuits and prospectors for gold."
--Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

"A blend of stunning landscapes, wildlife, myths, and experience, True North reveals Erickson's love of nature and his passion for truth."
--The Humanist

Leaving behind the comforts of civilized life and armed with only a few essentials, dentist-turned-bush pilot GEORGE ERICKSON captures the exhilarating thrill of roughing it in the wild, flying his Piper Cub Special seaplane into the far reaches of the north. Nearly losing his life--twice--Erickson sets up camp on unexplored lakes and rivers, fishes for trout, struggles with bad weather, dodges forest fires, and and mingles with polar bears, killer whales, musk oxen, and caribou.

In the spirit of Antoine de Saint-Exupery, Charles Lindbergh, and other great aviators, he is an engaging traveling companion. This is much more than a travelogue, however, as Canada's Reader's Showcase aptly describes: "Erickson applies a rare love to the rough, dangerous, and frankly, really, really far-flung lands of the Canadian sub-Arctic. He proves himself to be an expert and avid pilot, storyteller, philosopher, environmentalist, dreamer, and perhaps most impressively, fashioner of some really cool fishing lures."

Replete with personal detail, scientific observation, and historical facts--the most chilling being the story of a group of explorers who starved to death in the very cabin he is visiting--TRUE NORTH is an extraordinary travel narrative that will appeal to flying enthusiasts and armchair travelers alike.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A wonderful book. Erickson did a great job narrating a remarkable and adventurous flight."
--Clive Cussler

"The simple joy Erickson derives from his travels is generous and infectious. TRUE NORTH is for people who want to play copilot with a guy having the time of his life."
--National Post

From the Back Cover

Leaving behind the comforts of civilized life, award winning author and bush pilot George Erickson takes readers on an unforgettable journey in his Piper Cub Special seaplane, through the pristine landscapes of Alaska, the Yukon, and the Northwest Territories. Landing on unexplored lakes and rivers, fishing for trout and pike with his unique handmade lures, the author also struggles with bad weather, dodges forest fires, and mingles with polar bears, killer whales, musk oxen and caribou.
Replete with personal detail, scientific observation, and historical facts - the most chilling being the story of a group of explorers who starved to death in the very cabin he is visiting - True North is an extraordinary travel narrative that will appeal to flying enthusiasts and armchair travelers alike.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 328 pages
• Publisher: Lyons Press; 1st edition (August 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1592281567
• ISBN-13: 978-1592281565
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #627,655 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A different kind of travel., March 24, 2002

By 

Wolf Roder (Cincinnati, Ohio USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: True North: Exploring the Great Wilderness by Bush Plane (Hardcover)

This is a story of travel in the Canadian Arctic, in Nunavut, in the Northwest Territories, in Yukon and Alaska. It is an exciting and informative tale. Erickson is an experienced pilot who has taken many journeys into the far north, where there are few roads, but every lake is an airport for a small seaplane. Every stream and inlet is a fisherman's paradise, and catching a trout or char for lunch is a matter of minutes.

Erickson is passionate about flying, and the technology that makes it possible. He introduces us to the sciences of flight, of navigation, of nature's flora and fauna. A truly engaged person, Erickson has much respect for the Inuit. He tells us about their history and present life. The eastern half of northern Canada has become the Nunavut Territory with an Inuit (not Eskimo) legislature and administration, and a constitution similar to other Canadian territories. At 772,000 square miles Nunavut is larger than Alaska or Quebec.

We learn a lot about the region. Aside from his own experience, Erickson is very familiar with the history of the land and peoples. He recounts events in the history of the Hudson Bay Company, which was founded in 1670 and is jokingly known as "Here Before Christ." Yet more than any other institution it explored, opened, settled and exploited the region.

A discussion about navigation leads Erickson into describing the growth of ancient astronomy and how it was revived by Copernicus and Galileo. An examination of horsetails, ancient plants, leads him into a consideration of Darwin and what he learned on a different journey aboard the Beagle. Flying along a fault scarp brings to mind the story of Alfred Wegener and the beginning of plate tectonics research. Every stop suggests new ideas.

This is an enjoyable travel story. It avoids the many qualities of heroic bragging. Rather the author emphasizes the insistent need for care, precision, and experience. The northern woods do not suffer fools gladly. Plane wrecks, graves, and lost limbs testify how easy it is to come to harm. But there is a strong quality of everyman in this book, a feeling that I could do this journey given the time, money, and strong enough desire.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Good Read !!, January 1, 2003

By 

Bill Dearlove (Florida) - See all my reviews

This review is from: True North: Exploring the Great Wilderness by Bush Plane (Hardcover)

As a retired mechanical engineer and private pilot I thoroughly enjoyed George Erickson's book "True North: exploring the Great Wilderness by Bush Plane".

He combines description of the vast and wonderous beauty of the Canadian Wilderness with the adventure of flying alone in a small float plane with the occasional sojourns into the realm of science, such as an explanation as to how as airplane flies. But you won't need an engineering degree or a pilots license to enjoy the book because it's all skillfully presented in layman terms. A good read!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Great scenery and destinations, pilot is a snob, July 21, 2011

By 

Lisa Kearns "Mom of Four" (North Carolina, USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: True North: Exploring the Great Wilderness by Bush Plane (Paperback)

I bought this book because I love reading about Alaska and the far north. The premise of this book is that Erickson, a retired dentist, travels around Northern Canada and Alaska in his plane and tells the stories of the places he's visited.

He does a nice job of describing the plane, the experience of flying, the many little lakes and towns he visits, the weather, and the wildlife he sees. I really enjoyed this part of his book. I also liked the crisp color photos he included in the center of the book. I even enjoyed the totally unrelated stories of history, other adventurers, early scientists, and his explanation of how the compass works and how the longitude and latitude lines on a map are measurements of time.

What I didn't enjoy was his constant harping against organized religion and the evils of mankind. If he doesn't believe in God, that's fine for him, but he insults some portion of his readers with his arrogance and disrespect on the subject. What does that have to do with bush planes and wilderness?

I also didn't enjoy his lectures about how we need to stop populating the earth and stop using natural resources. He somehow missed the irony of his consumption of oil and gasoline, not to mention the noxious emissions from his plane's exhaust, while flying around on a totally optional trip. He burns wood for his campfires, too. He mentions having kids and grandkids, so he's evidently added to our population problem.

Overall this was an interesting book and I'm glad I read it. But it won't be one of my "keepers" mainly because he reminds me of the blowhard at the office party who wants to impress everyone with his superior intellect and lifestyle.