This is a good and compelling, but not a great, book. The author needs a little bit more polish in his writing style. As another reviewer points out, he swears a bit too much. The parts of the book about drug abuse among dog sled racers, the insensitivity of reporters to native Americans, and the coming end of frontier life in Alaska were also a little disheartening (although these are not the author's fault). Nevertheless, the author does a great job of taking us into this amazing race. His description of the absolute dedication that dog sled racing takes was excellent. He does more than just talk about the race and the racers; he really uses the race to show what life is like in rural Alaska and Yukon. The author does a particularly good job of describing what cold temperatures do to the body (his "walk down the thermometer") and the sleep deprivation that sled racers experience. His analysis of animal rights and dog sled racing was also quite good, walking the fine line between the opinions of animal rights activists and the dog sled racers. I'll also never forget that one of the main goals of dog sled racing is carrying as little as possible on your sled (the author uses a curse word to describe this, by the way). I also appreciated this book because it describes the sub-arctic experience, as opposed to the many books on arctic and antarctic expeditions; you really come away from this book thinking of those two different climates as being distinct from one another. Yukon Alone: The World's Toughest Adventure Race
John Balzar is first and foremost a reporter, with a reporter's unerring nose for news. So it should come as no surprise that word of the Yukon Quest, a 1,023-mile dog sled race through some of the coldest and most challenging terrain in the world, would capture his attention and get him started on the trail of a good story. What was a surprise, as much to Balzar as to his readers I suspect, was the degree to which the race and its participants came to matter. Quirky, devoted to a sport that doesn't translate well to television, and immersed in a way of life that 90% of the population can't begin to fathom, the people Balzar meets when he first heads north have "the power to fascinate." Following the advice of George "Skip" Brink, a construction worker who volunteers at the race, Balzar stops taking notes, sets aside his writing tools, and asks what he can do to help out with the race. Thus begins his stint as a pooper-scooper and veterinary assistant at the race, in which he slowly comes to realize that he is there to learn as much about himself as about the race.Yukon Alone is full of Balzar's characteristically insightful and amusing observations on life as he sees it, but it is not as polished or self-assured as some of his other work. In fact, the reader gets the distinct impression that Balzar is flying by the seat of his pants, figuring things out as the story progresses, which lends an immediacy and intensity to the writing. We are there, for instance, when he loses control of his dogsled team and ends up in a heap on the side of a trail with a nasty gash in his head. We stand by and watch with embarrassment as he asks a friend to fly him to see a woman friend, even though he knows he is risking both their lives. Here is a story that has much to say about what motivates and sustains us, and the importance of meaningful relationships with other creatures and the land. No doubt you will be amused and disgusted, shocked and dismayed, thrilled and touched by this book. The one thing you will not be is bored, which is one of the highest compliments I can pay Balzar.
I really enjoyed the book. The emotions this book brings out make it well worth the read. My puppy "Rugby" may soon have some siblings on the way, siblings that pull sleds.A must read for anyone who likes dogs and/or travel/adventure.
Balzar takes the reader behind the scenes and behind the sled, without getting mired in "technical speak" and superfelous jargon. A good blend of analysis and attitude. Having lived in Alaska for 10 years, I can say his take on social cliques, animal rights/dog mushers and the PFD are right on the money. While self-absorbed at times, the book nonetheless captures the "essence" of a lifestyle and a race. Having covered the race on three occassions for a radio station, I can say Balzar is never off-target, and even manages to hit a few bullseyes.
I give it one star for the topic and his interest in it. I give him another star for actually being able to write decent prose. However, I can't muster any more sympathy from there. Two incidents come to mind:1. He decries the race sponsor's press squad from Europe about not being interested in a native village in the Yukon. Later he's singing various things to a dog team, and spells out a military "morale chant" that is so profaine towards Eskimo women that I can't even repeat it here.2. He ditches his volunteer responsibilities, then talks a bush pilot (who has already declaired conditions unsafe) into taking him to town from a remote cabin. The officials had counted on the plane to get a trail crew mechanic and 2 dogs out. The author has the gall to approach the incident as funny, and is bemused when a race official is aggrivated because the dogs don't show up. Reason for the trip: he had a girlfriend driving out to meet him.And he can't figure out why some people wouldn't talk to him any more, including the race official mentioned in #2. Wow.Save your money, get "Tracks Across Alaska"- the writing is better, the history presented is richer, and the author ends up making more friends than he looses.
Bought the book for Father's day for my husband who loves outdoors, hunting, etc. He was visibly pleased as he read and I knew it was a serious read when the TV didn't come on as usual. He got a whole new idea of what the dogs were like. Don't think he is going riding on a sled!'
Detail Products
Detail Reviews
Click here for more information
