Iditarod Classics

by Lew Freedman, Kew Freedman

The 1,049-mile Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race "RM" is a marathon run against the nation's most forbidding, demanding territory.

Genres: Nonfiction, Nature

132 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 1992

Reviews

[Stephen Wallace · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am usually pretty nice on ratings, but hated how in the beginning of the book he has a brief intro of each person covered in the book with a paragraph of the high point that will be in the story. (Same paragraph that will be in the chapter.) I didn't fully realize it, so I read them in the beginning. Then in the intro for the chapter, often a blurb of what was coming. This somehow bugged me, in that it spoils the punchline. If you do get this book to read, don't read the paragraphs in the beginning of the book.

Copyright of this book is 1992. The story of the people who have run the Iditarod are interesting. There are some interesting stories within each person's chapter. The problem is that it leaves you wanting more. It feels like the author had a short interview with each, and recorded what they said. It is nice to get a feel for so many people who have run the race, but the stories just didn't seem to be long enough for me to feel deeply enough.

Dogsledding books are my favorite, but this definitely was not one of my favorite books on dogsledding. It was a quick read and somewhat interesting, but unsatisfying to me in its brevity.

[Sarah Bodaly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an older book, and the format was a little different than I was expecting, but it was a fun, interesting read.
The Iditarod is an 1,100-mile sled dog race through the frozen, desolate landscape between Anchorage and Nome, Alaska. It began in 1973 to commemorate the famous diphtheria-serum run of 1925, when a team of mushers braved the inclement weather and raced across the Alaskan wasteland to save the lives of those in Nome who were stricken with the disease. The story of Balto comes from that original trek.
This book covers 21 of the early Iditarod contenders. Some were champions several times in a row, others never won. They faced blizzards, lost teams, poisoning, wild animal attacks, and more in their quest for the prize and adventure.
Each chapter gives a brief one-page biographical summary of the musher, and then several pages that read like a verbatim interview, of the musher telling their most memorable moments and lessons learned.
It was a nice, easy read, with pictures of the course and several of the mushers and their teams, throughout the book. I enjoyed it, and liked that I could read a chapter or two a night and not get lost with dragging the storyline out like I would with a normal book format.

[Kari · Rating 4 out of 5]

This compilation of first-person short narratives of Iditarod mushers includes stories of preparation, challenges, finishing, and sometimes scratching. The stories are generally interesting. Beware of rampant misogyny; apparently their souls will be sucked into tundra if they get slower times than the women. Also, while I recognize the challenge and adventure of the event, I have little patience for people who don't train and prepare enough and cause other individuals to put themselves in harm's way to perform a rescue.

About the art: the illustrations are by Jon Van Zyle who is well known for his Alaskan art. Unfortunately, the splendor of his work doesn't come through in uncolored replication.

[Jean Dupenloup · Rating 3 out of 5]

A neat book that plunges the reader into the heart of the Iditarod.

A famous dogsledding race through the Alaskan wilderness, the Iditarod pits men and women, along with their dog crews, against endless distances, polar conditions, and countless obstacles.

The book follows some of the race’s most notable winners and paints quite a portrait of one of the wildest sporting event of all time.

[Randa D'aoust · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this because I was going to Alaska and hoped to see an Iditarod musher's home & training center. The book is a quick look at several women & men who have raced the Iditarod. It's light and entertaining and gives a quick look at the race.

[Greyson · Rating 3 out of 5]

20 quick stories about the race, each a brief sketch that leaves one wanting more. It seems like each individual answered a brief questionnaire and the authors sketched it together into a story.

Also, the guy who lost in 1985 seems like a dick.

[Jessica VanDyke · Rating 5 out of 5]

I Love Reading anything about the Iditarod! This book was a generous gift from a friend. A nice Quick Read I enjoyed. Love hearing from iditarod legends like The Mackys.

[Mackenzie Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun, interesting, quick read. Structured well, lots of good info at the end about the rules of the race. The attitude toward women in the race in the early years, however…..

[Rick · Rating 3 out of 5]

A compilation of brief stories of mushers that have participated in the Iditarod race.

[Braster · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a good book so far, but it gets a little repetative.