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Chasing Alaska: A Portrait of the Last Frontier Then and Now
Alaska looms as a mythical, savage place, part nature preserve, part theme park, too vast to understand fully. Which is why C.B. Bernard lashed his canoe to his truck and traded the comforts of the Lower 48 for a remote island and a career as a reporter. It turned out that a distant relation had made the same trek northwest a century earlier. Captain Joe Bernard spent decades in Alaska, amassing the largest single collection of Native artifacts ever gathered, giving his name to landmarks and even a now-extinct species of wolf. C.B. chased the legacy of this explorer and hunter up the family tree, tracking his correspondence, locating artifacts donated to museums, and finding his journals at the University of Alaska at Fairbanks. Using these journals as guides, C.B. threw himself into the state once known as Seward’s Folly, boating to remote islands, hiking distant forests, hunting and fishing the pristine landscape. He began to form a landscape view of the place that had lured him and "Uncle Joe," both men anchored beneath the Northern Lights in freezing, far-flung waters, separated only by time. Here, in crisp, crystalline prose, is his moving portrait of the Last Frontier, then and now.
288 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2013
35 people are currently reading
586 people want to read
About the author
C.B. Bernard
4 books53 followersC.B. Bernard is the author of Ordinary Bear (Blackstone 2024), which won the Barry Award for Best First Mystery or Crime Novel; Small Animals Caught in Traps (Blackstone, April 2023); and Chasing Alaska: A Portrait of the Last Frontier Then and Now, a finalist for the Oregon Book Award, a Publishers Weekly Top 10 Travel Pick, and a National Geographic top travel choice. He lives on the Rhode Island coast.
Learn more at http://cbbernard.com
Learn more at http://cbbernard.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
May 21, 2013
Rare is the great travel book that gives us far more than a recounting of some place new to the writer, but here we have one. This amazing volume skillfully weaves together memoir, history, self-discovery, geography, sociology, and a comparison of wild Alaska a half-century before statehood, with that of nearly a half-century after.
Author C.B. Bernard followed a restless, wandering instinct to the shores of our largest, remotest, and most incomprehensible state. What he found there was astonishing, the marks of a remarkable forebear who had carved out a respected and far-flung name in regional exploration a century before. Bernard began his own voyage of discovery, tracking his ancestor's exploits over the course of years, across a huge region.
In the process, the author made a number of connections to people past and present, and gives us his take on a place too big to encompass. We get delicious vignettes of the modern life of the state's residents, with tantalizing peeks into the past, and a recounting of the incredible hardships and danger endured by those who braved (and still brave) the Alaskan frontier.
While the author himself would say that he has only presented a fragment of experience, what we get is a broad canvas with specific, meaningful details, that gives us a flavor of places most of us will never visit or connect with in a personal way. His reach is staggering: with his canoe, notebook, fly rod, and yes, a rifle at times, the author crisscrossed the vast open ranges, where eagles are as common as city pigeons, and bear and moose are as close and familiar as dogs and cats.
The author boated through fog, ice, and ever-present rain, walked the gilded passages of monstrous cruise ships, flew in cramped quarters in shuddering bush planes, and traversed thousands of square miles of glaciers, volcanoes, and muskeag, while avoiding the ubiquitous bears. The writing is so vivid, we can almost taste the seal and salmon, feel the constant rain, and see the sweeping majestic vistas of mountain ranges.
All the while, he recounts the changes in his own life from his repeated visits to various Alaskan locales, and his reluctant times away. How wonderful the example that by observing something else we can discern more about our own nature.
So grab this book and settle back for your own journey of discovery. You'll be glad you did.
Author C.B. Bernard followed a restless, wandering instinct to the shores of our largest, remotest, and most incomprehensible state. What he found there was astonishing, the marks of a remarkable forebear who had carved out a respected and far-flung name in regional exploration a century before. Bernard began his own voyage of discovery, tracking his ancestor's exploits over the course of years, across a huge region.
In the process, the author made a number of connections to people past and present, and gives us his take on a place too big to encompass. We get delicious vignettes of the modern life of the state's residents, with tantalizing peeks into the past, and a recounting of the incredible hardships and danger endured by those who braved (and still brave) the Alaskan frontier.
While the author himself would say that he has only presented a fragment of experience, what we get is a broad canvas with specific, meaningful details, that gives us a flavor of places most of us will never visit or connect with in a personal way. His reach is staggering: with his canoe, notebook, fly rod, and yes, a rifle at times, the author crisscrossed the vast open ranges, where eagles are as common as city pigeons, and bear and moose are as close and familiar as dogs and cats.
The author boated through fog, ice, and ever-present rain, walked the gilded passages of monstrous cruise ships, flew in cramped quarters in shuddering bush planes, and traversed thousands of square miles of glaciers, volcanoes, and muskeag, while avoiding the ubiquitous bears. The writing is so vivid, we can almost taste the seal and salmon, feel the constant rain, and see the sweeping majestic vistas of mountain ranges.
All the while, he recounts the changes in his own life from his repeated visits to various Alaskan locales, and his reluctant times away. How wonderful the example that by observing something else we can discern more about our own nature.
So grab this book and settle back for your own journey of discovery. You'll be glad you did.
June 16, 2013
I don't ever use the word compelling lightly. In fact whenever I read a review about a book being "compelling", I often scoff at the review. However, this book deserves that word, and more. Chasing Alaska, is about backbone, and about the author's search to find his family history, as well as the ability to create history using the knowledge of Joe Bernard's Arctic explorations. I couldn't put the book down, and I don't think you will either. This book was fascinating, and just the right amount of personal narrative mixed with that of an academic paper. I loved it, and I think you will too-- it's humorous, and it will leave you wanting more of the story, as well as anything else written by C.B Bernard.
September 19, 2013
4.5 stars. The subject (Alaska) is riveting. The story (the author discovered that the long-ago travels of a relative of his mirrored his own) is amazing. The writing style is superb. The only thing keeping it from the coveted 5-star rating is the way Bernard hints at important personal details but doesn't reveal them. It gives the book a kind of disjointed feeling at times because we're not sure why he's telling us what he's telling us. A small criticism. Read the book. Trust me - if you have any interest in the land or people of Alaska you will love it!
February 16, 2014
The first half of the book reads like a long article from a newspaper journalist. The last part was more flowing, he didn't try as hard, and as a result it was much better.
As a former resident of Alaska, I still like reading about this great state. I also liked the author's link to the past, Joe Bernard, arctic explorer in the early 20th century, whose journeys the author tries with sporadic success to link to.
Read this book, but make sure you read "Coming Into The Country" by John McPhee.
As a former resident of Alaska, I still like reading about this great state. I also liked the author's link to the past, Joe Bernard, arctic explorer in the early 20th century, whose journeys the author tries with sporadic success to link to.
Read this book, but make sure you read "Coming Into The Country" by John McPhee.
August 10, 2014
In a gift shop in Palmer, Alaska, a beautiful blue book cover caught my eye -- C.B. Bernard's "Chasing Alaska: A Portrait of the Last Frontier Then and Now." Sometimes you *can* judge a book by its cover -- this was is a keeper, still on our shelf, waiting for another read-through someday. This says a lot when you have just so much space in an RV for printed books.
"Southeast Alaskans call it a sucker hole when a patch of blue opens in the clouds and suckers you into thinking the sky is clearing. Tourists fall for them regularly. The locals know better, beaten down by the unrelenting rain that saturates these islands...." And so begins Bernard's tale.
This remarkable book weaves the threads of Bernard's life, the adventures of a distant relative ("Uncle Joe" Bernard) who sailed the Arctic edges of Alaska in the early 1900s in a ship peculiarly called the Teddy Bear, and the story of Alaska itself through its pages. It's riveting, inspiring, and lyrical. No wonder it was listed as a *Publishers Weekly* Top Ten Travel Pick.
"...[I]n July, 1999, I lashed my canoe to the roof of my truck and pointed the bow upstream, north and west, toward Alaska. My target rings circled the small fishing town of Sitka, an Inside Passage afterthought on the outer edge of an island where the Tongass National Forest collides with the Pacific..." he writes. Bernard accepted a job at the Sitka "Daily Sentinel," rented a house next to a cemetary, and -- in an amazing coincidence -- discovered "Uncle Joe" had been buried in that same cemetary in 1972. "It was December 23, 2000, what would have been his 122nd birthday, his grave so near my house that from it I could read the numbers on my alarm clock through my bedroom window.
"I'd put nearly 7000 miles on my truck and parked it on top of my own family."
Captain Joe Bernard spent decades at sea, sailing the northernmost edges of the continent -- back in the era before ships were built to withstand crushing ice and frozen seas. At various times he was shipwrecked, frozen in, and presumed dead. He amassed the largest single collection of native artifacts ever gathered.
Fortunately, Captain Joe kept a journal, and from these writings C.B. Bernard is able to share with us those remarkable journeys even as he takes us along on his own exploration of modern-day Alaska and journey of self-discovery. He fits these tales together like pieces of a puzzle that -- together -- help us see the complete picture.
"Southeast Alaskans call it a sucker hole when a patch of blue opens in the clouds and suckers you into thinking the sky is clearing. Tourists fall for them regularly. The locals know better, beaten down by the unrelenting rain that saturates these islands...." And so begins Bernard's tale.
This remarkable book weaves the threads of Bernard's life, the adventures of a distant relative ("Uncle Joe" Bernard) who sailed the Arctic edges of Alaska in the early 1900s in a ship peculiarly called the Teddy Bear, and the story of Alaska itself through its pages. It's riveting, inspiring, and lyrical. No wonder it was listed as a *Publishers Weekly* Top Ten Travel Pick.
"...[I]n July, 1999, I lashed my canoe to the roof of my truck and pointed the bow upstream, north and west, toward Alaska. My target rings circled the small fishing town of Sitka, an Inside Passage afterthought on the outer edge of an island where the Tongass National Forest collides with the Pacific..." he writes. Bernard accepted a job at the Sitka "Daily Sentinel," rented a house next to a cemetary, and -- in an amazing coincidence -- discovered "Uncle Joe" had been buried in that same cemetary in 1972. "It was December 23, 2000, what would have been his 122nd birthday, his grave so near my house that from it I could read the numbers on my alarm clock through my bedroom window.
"I'd put nearly 7000 miles on my truck and parked it on top of my own family."
Captain Joe Bernard spent decades at sea, sailing the northernmost edges of the continent -- back in the era before ships were built to withstand crushing ice and frozen seas. At various times he was shipwrecked, frozen in, and presumed dead. He amassed the largest single collection of native artifacts ever gathered.
Fortunately, Captain Joe kept a journal, and from these writings C.B. Bernard is able to share with us those remarkable journeys even as he takes us along on his own exploration of modern-day Alaska and journey of self-discovery. He fits these tales together like pieces of a puzzle that -- together -- help us see the complete picture.
May 28, 2013
Rare is the great travel book that gives us far more than a recounting of some place new to the writer, but here we have one. This amazing volume skillfully weaves together memoir, history, self-discovery, geography, sociology, and a comparison of wild Alaska a half-century before statehood, with that of nearly a half-century after.
Author C.B. Bernard followed a restless, wandering instinct to the shores of our largest, remotest, and most incomprehensible state. What he found there was astonishing, the marks of a remarkable forebear who had carved out a respected and far-flung name in regional exploration a century before. Bernard began his own voyage of discovery, tracking his ancestor's exploits over the course of years, across a huge region.
In the process, the author made a number of connections to people past and present, and gives us his take on a place too big to encompass. We get delicious vignettes of the modern life of the state's residents, with tantalizing peeks into the past, and a recounting of the incredible hardships and danger endured by those who braved (and still brave) the Alaskan frontier.
While the author himself would say that he has only presented a fragment of experience, what we get is a broad canvas with specific, meaningful details, that gives us a flavor of places most of us will never visit or connect with in a personal way. His reach is staggering: with his canoe, notebook, fly rod, and yes, a rifle at times, the author crisscrossed the vast open ranges, where eagles are as common as city pigeons, and bear and moose are as close and familiar as dogs and cats.
The author boated through fog, ice, and ever-present rain, walked the gilded passages of monstrous cruise ships, flew in cramped quarters in shuddering bush planes, and traversed thousands of square miles of glaciers, volcanoes, and muskeag, while avoiding the ubiquitous bears. The writing is so vivid, we can almost taste the seal and salmon, feel the constant rain, and see the sweeping majestic vistas of mountain ranges.
All the while, he recounts the changes in his own life from his repeated visits to various Alaskan locales, and his reluctant times away. How wonderful the example that by observing something else we can discern more about our own nature.
So grab this book and settle back for your own journey of discovery. You'll be glad you did.
Author C.B. Bernard followed a restless, wandering instinct to the shores of our largest, remotest, and most incomprehensible state. What he found there was astonishing, the marks of a remarkable forebear who had carved out a respected and far-flung name in regional exploration a century before. Bernard began his own voyage of discovery, tracking his ancestor's exploits over the course of years, across a huge region.
In the process, the author made a number of connections to people past and present, and gives us his take on a place too big to encompass. We get delicious vignettes of the modern life of the state's residents, with tantalizing peeks into the past, and a recounting of the incredible hardships and danger endured by those who braved (and still brave) the Alaskan frontier.
While the author himself would say that he has only presented a fragment of experience, what we get is a broad canvas with specific, meaningful details, that gives us a flavor of places most of us will never visit or connect with in a personal way. His reach is staggering: with his canoe, notebook, fly rod, and yes, a rifle at times, the author crisscrossed the vast open ranges, where eagles are as common as city pigeons, and bear and moose are as close and familiar as dogs and cats.
The author boated through fog, ice, and ever-present rain, walked the gilded passages of monstrous cruise ships, flew in cramped quarters in shuddering bush planes, and traversed thousands of square miles of glaciers, volcanoes, and muskeag, while avoiding the ubiquitous bears. The writing is so vivid, we can almost taste the seal and salmon, feel the constant rain, and see the sweeping majestic vistas of mountain ranges.
All the while, he recounts the changes in his own life from his repeated visits to various Alaskan locales, and his reluctant times away. How wonderful the example that by observing something else we can discern more about our own nature.
So grab this book and settle back for your own journey of discovery. You'll be glad you did.
January 17, 2016
C.B. Bernard's book meanders through topics just as he has meandered through his beloved northwest frontier country. While I like to tear through books that want the reader to grab the bit like a racehorse, Chasing Alaska is much more sedate and wants its readers to absorb its insights at a slower pace. So it took me a while to read.
The book covers lots of history that I never learned and touches on several hot-button current topics that I have heard of but didn't feel compelled to learn more about: hunting management, the tourist-local tension, and the environmental changes Alaska has seen in the past century, among others. Bernard weaves the thread of his own personal story throughout the book, which I found very compelling: his relative was an Arctic explorer of the first water (har har), and the author found himself following his relative's footsteps without even intending. But the personal connection, established early in the book, wavers during some of the other discussions about Alaska, and comes back again toward the end, as the tale of the fallout/betrayal among explorers is teased out. That was very interesting, too, and Bernard obviously took pains to present it in an objective light.
Overall, I think Chasing Alaska would be a great read for anyone who feels an inexplicable longing for a place, who wishes to test their mettle against Nature, who wonders about the kind of people who have lived and do live in the vast landmass to our north (being US-centric here, apologies). C.B. Bernard really brings his inner processing power to bear on the region's interesting questions, as well as exposing his own desires and fears, and why he's so drawn to the area himself. That is, I think, my favorite part of the book: seeing an author consider something personal yet mysterious from so many angles that we can almost see the glowing prism too, even as readers, years later.
The book covers lots of history that I never learned and touches on several hot-button current topics that I have heard of but didn't feel compelled to learn more about: hunting management, the tourist-local tension, and the environmental changes Alaska has seen in the past century, among others. Bernard weaves the thread of his own personal story throughout the book, which I found very compelling: his relative was an Arctic explorer of the first water (har har), and the author found himself following his relative's footsteps without even intending. But the personal connection, established early in the book, wavers during some of the other discussions about Alaska, and comes back again toward the end, as the tale of the fallout/betrayal among explorers is teased out. That was very interesting, too, and Bernard obviously took pains to present it in an objective light.
Overall, I think Chasing Alaska would be a great read for anyone who feels an inexplicable longing for a place, who wishes to test their mettle against Nature, who wonders about the kind of people who have lived and do live in the vast landmass to our north (being US-centric here, apologies). C.B. Bernard really brings his inner processing power to bear on the region's interesting questions, as well as exposing his own desires and fears, and why he's so drawn to the area himself. That is, I think, my favorite part of the book: seeing an author consider something personal yet mysterious from so many angles that we can almost see the glowing prism too, even as readers, years later.
April 9, 2021
It's striking that the author is neither from Alaska, nor does he live there for all that long (about 10 years, I believe). But he doesn't claim any status that he doesn't have, and he uses that outsider/insider lens to good effect. In fact, I found his wanderlust compelling and wondered about the reasons for his several moves, which only come out in hints, bit-by-bit.
The structure of the book can be a bit unusual, in that it is more like vignettes of his adventures and that of his forebears who lived in Alaska, rather than being an in-depth narrative of any one thing. But this has the virtue of keeping the story from getting bogged down, and perhaps this is the only way to characterize a land as vast as Alaska through a piece a time. Anticipating my first-ever trip to Alaska in a few months, I enjoyed reading about places I intend to visit, as well as places that are not on the itinerary (this time, at least).
His writing is clear and strong, naturally reflective without being forced. I've read some books lately where it's obvious: "Now I'm trying to be profound..." None of that in Bernard's writing. Here is a person who has lived some life in some beautiful, tough places and is simply sharing some of that experience.
Needless to say, I spent some pleasant evenings in the author's company via this book, in the boats, planes, and rather short roads of Alaska.
The structure of the book can be a bit unusual, in that it is more like vignettes of his adventures and that of his forebears who lived in Alaska, rather than being an in-depth narrative of any one thing. But this has the virtue of keeping the story from getting bogged down, and perhaps this is the only way to characterize a land as vast as Alaska through a piece a time. Anticipating my first-ever trip to Alaska in a few months, I enjoyed reading about places I intend to visit, as well as places that are not on the itinerary (this time, at least).
His writing is clear and strong, naturally reflective without being forced. I've read some books lately where it's obvious: "Now I'm trying to be profound..." None of that in Bernard's writing. Here is a person who has lived some life in some beautiful, tough places and is simply sharing some of that experience.
Needless to say, I spent some pleasant evenings in the author's company via this book, in the boats, planes, and rather short roads of Alaska.
April 10, 2014
I loved this book. I won a copy of this book in a Goodreads Giveaway. I, like so many others, am facinated by Alaska. I was initially interested in the book since my brother in law was stationed there while in the Air Force and my sister has travelled there (in the summer) many times.
The book opens with the authors arrival and adaptation to life in Alaska and how he found that one of his ancestors was a pioneer in the discovery of the artic. Once I got to the part where I found out the author no longer lives in Alaska, I was so upset that I stopped reading this book for quite a while, I felt betrayed.
Once I picked up the book again, I was sorry it had taken me so long to get back to it. The author really helps you get a feel for the conditions and the people of Alaska and the tie in with his ancestor was amazing. Joe Bernard seems to be a piece of history that was just passed over and almost forgotten, but now his story is being shared.
I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to know more about Alaska than the Sarah Palin version and to anyone interested in history.
The book opens with the authors arrival and adaptation to life in Alaska and how he found that one of his ancestors was a pioneer in the discovery of the artic. Once I got to the part where I found out the author no longer lives in Alaska, I was so upset that I stopped reading this book for quite a while, I felt betrayed.
Once I picked up the book again, I was sorry it had taken me so long to get back to it. The author really helps you get a feel for the conditions and the people of Alaska and the tie in with his ancestor was amazing. Joe Bernard seems to be a piece of history that was just passed over and almost forgotten, but now his story is being shared.
I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to know more about Alaska than the Sarah Palin version and to anyone interested in history.
July 7, 2016
I cannot recommend this book more highly to anyone visiting Alaska, or wanting to know about the US's largest state.
C. B. Bernard, a journalist, replants himself from his easy life in Massachusetts to Sitka, Alaska. There he discovers a distant relative who made a similar life change in the early 20th century from Canada to discover the Arctic.
The book covers not just Alaska today but the discoveries and anthropological studies of Captain Joe Bernard. It gave me a better understanding of what I was travelling through from a historical perspective and also today's society and economy.
Page 206: 'More than 60 percent of all US commercial seafood landings happen in Alaska, which makes the $2 billion seafood business the state's largest export, without serious competition – followed, but not closely by zinc, lead, and Palin offspring. The seafood industry provides around 80,000 jobs statewide – more than tourism, oil and gas, logging, and mining combined – and generates around $80 million in annual taxes and fees.'
C. B. Bernard, a journalist, replants himself from his easy life in Massachusetts to Sitka, Alaska. There he discovers a distant relative who made a similar life change in the early 20th century from Canada to discover the Arctic.
The book covers not just Alaska today but the discoveries and anthropological studies of Captain Joe Bernard. It gave me a better understanding of what I was travelling through from a historical perspective and also today's society and economy.
Page 206: 'More than 60 percent of all US commercial seafood landings happen in Alaska, which makes the $2 billion seafood business the state's largest export, without serious competition – followed, but not closely by zinc, lead, and Palin offspring. The seafood industry provides around 80,000 jobs statewide – more than tourism, oil and gas, logging, and mining combined – and generates around $80 million in annual taxes and fees.'
October 4, 2014
My kind of book!!
The info on Sitka (a Favorite place!) was fascinating.
Wonderful surprise to learn of the author's serendipitous discovery of his(distant)relative - Joe Bernard - who was one of the most outstanding Arctic explorers, though not as publicized.
Much info about other explorers who Joe Bernard interacted with - many that I've read about in other books. That's the problem with interest in history . . .One book begets the next, begets the next, begets the next. NOW, I'll HAVE to read more about Joe Bernard.
The author, C.B., weaves the incredible journal entries from Joe's many winters in the extreme North (north and east of Nome)into that era of Alaska's history, along with his own experiences living there, and fascinating info on current Alaska.
Then . . . . there is the poignant "Teddy Bear" boat . . .
Goodness, I was all teary by the Epilogue.
What a treasure - This is one that I've ordered for my bookshelf.
The info on Sitka (a Favorite place!) was fascinating.
Wonderful surprise to learn of the author's serendipitous discovery of his(distant)relative - Joe Bernard - who was one of the most outstanding Arctic explorers, though not as publicized.
Much info about other explorers who Joe Bernard interacted with - many that I've read about in other books. That's the problem with interest in history . . .One book begets the next, begets the next, begets the next. NOW, I'll HAVE to read more about Joe Bernard.
The author, C.B., weaves the incredible journal entries from Joe's many winters in the extreme North (north and east of Nome)into that era of Alaska's history, along with his own experiences living there, and fascinating info on current Alaska.
Then . . . . there is the poignant "Teddy Bear" boat . . .
Goodness, I was all teary by the Epilogue.
What a treasure - This is one that I've ordered for my bookshelf.
April 3, 2014
Bernard's approach of mixing in diary entries from his great uncle with his own modern narrative helps weave a rich context in which the reader is drawn into Alaska. At times Bernard overplays the parallels between their two lives, but the overall story and picture it presents is interesting nonetheless. Now that I've finished reading it, I want to go to Alaska (and real Alaska, not cruise ship Alaska).
August 13, 2015
I bought this book as we left for our most recent trip to Alaska. Alaska is an amazing place, so vast, beautiful and hard to describe. C. B Bernard describes it beautifully. His words bring back memories of places I have been and describe places I would like to go. It was fascinating to read about his discovery of an ancestor who was an explorer of Alaska and lived his life there. I enjoyed the stories from his journals. This book is not quick read, rather one to be savored and enjoyed.
December 5, 2013
When the author moved to Alaska, he finds out that a relative lived in the same town and was buried a short walk from his home, about 100 years before. This book tells both of their stories. It is well written and I thought he had a really good ending to it. One of these days...I'll get to Alaska!
July 4, 2015
Really enjoyable read, if you have any interest in Alaska or in the early frontier of Polar exploration. The author intertwines his story of living and visiting Alaska with those of a distant relative, Joe Bernard, one of the first white men to explore, trade, and live in Polar Alaska in the early part of the 1900's.
May 10, 2018
This read like a collection of essays in an outdoors magazine interspersed with memoir and historical accounts of real hard wilderness living. It was exciting and reflective on the vastness and frightful frontier. While I read it a few years ago now (I write this in May18), I can still recall many scenes which take me back to my own visit to Alaska (a very nice plus!).
February 28, 2014
Well written, engaging narrative.
The author used this book to express a few "pet peeves." One (and maybe two) of these instances could have been expressed less vehemently. But this did not detract from my enjoyment of the book.
The author used this book to express a few "pet peeves." One (and maybe two) of these instances could have been expressed less vehemently. But this did not detract from my enjoyment of the book.
March 25, 2014
It was a fascinating read and look at Alaska, both in the early 20th and 21st centuries. I would recommend a basic knowledge of Alaska's geography, and a bit of history, to really get the most from this book.
October 24, 2015
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it to anyone who has been to Alaska and appreciates the scale, beauty, and landscape of this great state. An enlightening read with sobering truths. Thank-you!
Read
October 8, 2023"I couldn't get enough of this book! The story line was beautifully woven, and I couldn't help but fall in love with the characters. The author's ability to create a rich and immersive world made this book a joy to read. I'm eagerly awaiting more from this talented writer."
Want to read
June 20, 2013I was delighted to win a copy of this book and I am greatly looking forward to reading it.
September 19, 2013
I started this before our trip to Alaska this summer and finished it while there. I really enjoyed it and felt I learned a lot from this book - more than I would have from just a travel guide.
October 21, 2013
Originally intrigued by Peter Geye's review from the Sunday Star Tribune books page. I wasn't disappointed. A unique memoir and travelogue. I'm not sure there is any place quite like Alaska.
March 17, 2014
A slow read, but that's always the case for me when Im reading historical or geographical books...I savor them.
June 14, 2015
Well written book of Alaska then and now. Much better than most in this genre!! Enjoyed this!
February 26, 2014
A very interesting story, more historical than contemporary. Connection turns out to be charming.
September 27, 2016
Really enjoyed the story of the author's sojourn to Alaska and especially how it paralleled his distant relative. A compelling read that I would highly recommend.
October 28, 2020
3 1/2 stars
January 4, 2019
Really enjoyed the history of the arctic adventures. Amazed by the bravery of the men who venturted into the great unknown.
February 21, 2017
Alaska – Ever Resilient
C. B. Bernard, an aspiring writer, gets offered two jobs in Alaska, both working for local newspapers. Nome offers him a reporter’s slot on the Nome Nugget, while Sitka’s Sentinel pitched him a similar deal. It was not a tough decision as the Southeast’s rainy climes and gorgeous wooded areas won hands down over the treeless, stripped landscapes of Nome. Sitka proved to be an ideal spot for Bernard to begin his Alaskan relationship. The reason turned out to be somewhat personal. After arriving in Sitka his dad told him about a distant cousin, Joe Bernard, who gained fame as a fearless explorer of Alaska’s coastlines. Then, serendipitously, he learned that Joe Bernard was closer to him than he realized – he was buried in a cemetery only a stone’s throw from his Sitka residence.
Review originally ran in Anchorage Press on February 9, 2017.
C. B. Bernard’s long-lost relative intrigued him and his journalistic chops yearned to know more about him. And then, our budding, fresh-on-the-job reporter got the break he was looking for – J. Bernard had kept a journal. Titled The Arctic Voyages of the Schooner Teddy Bear, it was nearly 1,000 pages long and detailed his ten plus years sailing the treacherous waters of the Arctic Sea. It also contained numerous bits of information about the artifacts he had collected, the numerous hunts he undertook and a slew of information on the many indigenous peoples he encountered during his travel. It would provide all the material he needed to make a fascinating comparison between life on the rough in Alaska circa 1909 thru 1920 and the Alaska of today.
What’s patently obvious to Bernard is that the similarities and differences between the Alaska’s of now and then deserved further scrutiny. The more he delved into J. Bernard’s journal the more convinced he became of the DNA connective tissue, linking these two times together. Bernard found subtle ways to elevate the contrasts between Bernard’s heroic efforts as the captain of the Teddy Bear to his own, less challenging experiences, in a more modern Alaska. The simple act of eating proffers up an elegant comparison. While at his new job in Sitka he gets invited to dine on the Statendam, a Holland-America cruise ship docked in her harbor. He’s feted to a meal of “fresh seafood, thick cuts of beef, crisp vegetables…” topped off by crème brûlée.” He compares that to an especially lean winter meal J. Bernard suffered through aboard the Teddy Bear: ‘“We ate about 1 tablespoon of macaroni soup and a piece of meat, one for each, about 3/4ths inch square.’”
What doesn’t change in a hundred years? Resiliency. J. Bernard gives resiliency a deeper meaning. Living on the Teddy Bear, he survives against the most bitter conditions hurled by an Arctic winter. More than once trapped by the ice, cut off from all resources, he and his crew resorted to herculean efforts to keep themselves alive. One might think that after surviving a winter defined by imminent starvation, freed from its grip, you’d pack your bags and scoot south toward warmer waters. That was not the course of action for men like Bernard. He hung in there and as soon as spring prevailed, he was back aboard his ship, exploring and charting Alaska’s virgin coasts.
That same resilient attitude is alive and well in today’s Alaska. Bernard visits with Brendan, proud owner of the Adak, the largest vessel berthed at Eliason Harbor in Sitka. The Adak is a World War II harbor tug that has euphemistically, seen better days. But, Brendan sees her inner beauty and devotes all of his waking hours to restoring her. It is nearly an impossible task. Bernard writes: “In everyone’s life come moments of recognition that perhaps some invisible line has been crossed, like Icarus ... Brendan must have such moments… His wings haven’t melted – they’re sodden with rainwater … But there’s smoked salmon on the table … Tomorrow the sun might rise over the mountains, or the next day, and he’ll ride it out on the Adak until it does.”
By the end of the book Bernard concludes that “Joe’s Alaska had little in common with my own … When I compared our skills as men in the traditional, romantic sense of the word, and as Alaskans, I always came up short.” Maybe so, but in an act of defiance against his own perceived nature, he closes out by telling us that he constructed his own vessel, a 17 foot dory he names the Epilogue. And that, it truly is.
C. B. Bernard, an aspiring writer, gets offered two jobs in Alaska, both working for local newspapers. Nome offers him a reporter’s slot on the Nome Nugget, while Sitka’s Sentinel pitched him a similar deal. It was not a tough decision as the Southeast’s rainy climes and gorgeous wooded areas won hands down over the treeless, stripped landscapes of Nome. Sitka proved to be an ideal spot for Bernard to begin his Alaskan relationship. The reason turned out to be somewhat personal. After arriving in Sitka his dad told him about a distant cousin, Joe Bernard, who gained fame as a fearless explorer of Alaska’s coastlines. Then, serendipitously, he learned that Joe Bernard was closer to him than he realized – he was buried in a cemetery only a stone’s throw from his Sitka residence.
Review originally ran in Anchorage Press on February 9, 2017.
C. B. Bernard’s long-lost relative intrigued him and his journalistic chops yearned to know more about him. And then, our budding, fresh-on-the-job reporter got the break he was looking for – J. Bernard had kept a journal. Titled The Arctic Voyages of the Schooner Teddy Bear, it was nearly 1,000 pages long and detailed his ten plus years sailing the treacherous waters of the Arctic Sea. It also contained numerous bits of information about the artifacts he had collected, the numerous hunts he undertook and a slew of information on the many indigenous peoples he encountered during his travel. It would provide all the material he needed to make a fascinating comparison between life on the rough in Alaska circa 1909 thru 1920 and the Alaska of today.
What’s patently obvious to Bernard is that the similarities and differences between the Alaska’s of now and then deserved further scrutiny. The more he delved into J. Bernard’s journal the more convinced he became of the DNA connective tissue, linking these two times together. Bernard found subtle ways to elevate the contrasts between Bernard’s heroic efforts as the captain of the Teddy Bear to his own, less challenging experiences, in a more modern Alaska. The simple act of eating proffers up an elegant comparison. While at his new job in Sitka he gets invited to dine on the Statendam, a Holland-America cruise ship docked in her harbor. He’s feted to a meal of “fresh seafood, thick cuts of beef, crisp vegetables…” topped off by crème brûlée.” He compares that to an especially lean winter meal J. Bernard suffered through aboard the Teddy Bear: ‘“We ate about 1 tablespoon of macaroni soup and a piece of meat, one for each, about 3/4ths inch square.’”
What doesn’t change in a hundred years? Resiliency. J. Bernard gives resiliency a deeper meaning. Living on the Teddy Bear, he survives against the most bitter conditions hurled by an Arctic winter. More than once trapped by the ice, cut off from all resources, he and his crew resorted to herculean efforts to keep themselves alive. One might think that after surviving a winter defined by imminent starvation, freed from its grip, you’d pack your bags and scoot south toward warmer waters. That was not the course of action for men like Bernard. He hung in there and as soon as spring prevailed, he was back aboard his ship, exploring and charting Alaska’s virgin coasts.
That same resilient attitude is alive and well in today’s Alaska. Bernard visits with Brendan, proud owner of the Adak, the largest vessel berthed at Eliason Harbor in Sitka. The Adak is a World War II harbor tug that has euphemistically, seen better days. But, Brendan sees her inner beauty and devotes all of his waking hours to restoring her. It is nearly an impossible task. Bernard writes: “In everyone’s life come moments of recognition that perhaps some invisible line has been crossed, like Icarus ... Brendan must have such moments… His wings haven’t melted – they’re sodden with rainwater … But there’s smoked salmon on the table … Tomorrow the sun might rise over the mountains, or the next day, and he’ll ride it out on the Adak until it does.”
By the end of the book Bernard concludes that “Joe’s Alaska had little in common with my own … When I compared our skills as men in the traditional, romantic sense of the word, and as Alaskans, I always came up short.” Maybe so, but in an act of defiance against his own perceived nature, he closes out by telling us that he constructed his own vessel, a 17 foot dory he names the Epilogue. And that, it truly is.
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