The Alaska Highway

by Jane G. Haigh

The Alaska Highway links Dawson Creek, British Columbia, with Fairbanks, Alaska, and stretches 1,500 miles through some of the most rugged and isolated terrain in North America. This exciting collection of photographs presents the story of the planning, construction, and maintenance of the highway. The collection also considers the impact of the highway on the landscape and the First Nations people along the route, and its influence on the North.

112 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2000

Reviews

[James Christensen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short but interesting look at the building of the Alaska Highway in roughly 8 months in 1942, using 15,000 US soldiers and civilians. It was undertaken out of concern for a Japanese invasion of Alaska, the inability to defend Alaska by plane, and the need for a route to ferry bombers and fighters on LendLease to Russia.

They knew nothing about muskeg, tundra, and faced incredible odds. The finished product was barely passable. Civilian contractors - most noteably the Utah Construction Co. - came in the next year (1943) to redo much of the work and reroute some of the road, and make it passable.

Nonetheless, it was a remarkable feat and the work was, according to many, worst than battle.