One Second to Glory: The Alaska Adventures of Iditarod Champion Dick Mackey

by Lew Freedman

Iditarod cofounder and champion Dick Mackey approaches life in the North as nonstop adventure. He's been every-where and done everything in Alaska, soaking up more adventure and excitement than ten of the rest of us.

228 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2001

Reviews

[Rick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not only did Dick Mackey arrive in Alaska with his family at the birth of statehood as an entrepreneur. He helped in the establishment of the annual Iditarod race serving many functions in his career. He became a world traveler representing the sled dog community. His children and grandchildren also following in their love of dogs continue the tradition. The story of his famous Arctic Circle truck stop at Coldfoot is fascinating. His one second victory of the Iditarod ahead of Rick Swenson in 1978 is a feat after a 2 week race covering over 1,000 miles.

[Antonette · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book years back from the group I co-hosted during my first ever trip to Alaska. Since I was now returning to attend the Iditarod, in which Dick Mackey has played a large role, I thought it was finally time to read this. Although it's not an awesome story, it's a nice read about both the Iditarod and also Alaskan life. Even though it's still pretty warm up here in Anchorage, I don't even want to know how cold it gets in Coldfoot during wintertime...

[John Stockie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing story. I couldn't put this one down. Mackey is a great storyteller, telling a compelling tale about his person dreams and giving lots of insight into what life in Alaska was like back in the "old days".