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The Good Life: Up the Yukon Without a Paddle
Dorian Amos—a painter from Cornwall—and his wife decided that they were in need of adventure. Having searched their world atlas they decided to sell up and move to Canada in pursuit of a better life. Having bought Pricey the car, Boris Lock their faithful dog, a canoe and their fishing equipment they set off into the Yukon Wilderness to find a place they could call home. After months of camping alone in the great outdoors—where they encountered bears and wild men of the mountains—they eventually arrived at Dawson City, home to one of the great gold rushes of the 20th century. It was here that they found a run-down log cabin in the mountains nearby and began a new and gratifying life. A life they had always known they wanted.
200 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2004
23 people are currently reading
110 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
April 18, 2017
This is more than just another wilderness adventure story. A couple leave their safe life in England and risk all to carve out a life in Canada’s Yukon. They find they are capable of things they never knew they could do, which is fortunate otherwise it seems they would have died. It is also a philosophical book challenging us to assess what being alive really means. I agree that modern life often dulls our sense of how exhilarating life can be, though personally I would probably go for somewhere where it isn’t unbelievably cold for months on end. They also didn’t mention how they coped with mosquitoes during the brief summer. The Yukon has got to be plagued with them.
December 7, 2017
2.5 tops but I'm feeling kind so I'll mark 3. Engaging and decently enough written for me to persevere with the entire book. However, throughout the book I found myself struggling to work out whether they were actually so persistently, monumentally stupid throughout their adventure or if the writer simply used omission and dramatic hyperbole to such an extent that he was simply flat-out lying about their woeful lack of preparation and basic skills. For my part, a slightly more realistic take on the preparations needed to undertake such an adventure would have enhanced rather than detracted from the tale.
A rather poor editing job with multiple spelling mistakes did not help.
A rather poor editing job with multiple spelling mistakes did not help.
February 12, 2018
This is the biographical story of a British couple from Wales who are fundamentally dissatisfied with their fake and materialistic city life, and decide to leave everything behind and immigrate to Canada to start fresh in Dawson City, a town deep in the Yukon Territory on the border with Alaska. With their last money, they buy a patch of land and build a cabin by hand.
Because they have no idea what they're doing, they move too slow and end up having to rough -40 degrees temperatures in an unfinished cabin just a couple miles out of town. To make things more critical, Bridget learns that she is pregnant around Christmas. Still, with the help of locals and an inhumane amount of strength, they manage to survive the winter, find work in town, and finally get accepted into the local community. They decide to stay, and raise their son without the distractions of the outside world (including TV and mobile phones).
I have so much respect for these two.
Because they have no idea what they're doing, they move too slow and end up having to rough -40 degrees temperatures in an unfinished cabin just a couple miles out of town. To make things more critical, Bridget learns that she is pregnant around Christmas. Still, with the help of locals and an inhumane amount of strength, they manage to survive the winter, find work in town, and finally get accepted into the local community. They decide to stay, and raise their son without the distractions of the outside world (including TV and mobile phones).
I have so much respect for these two.
August 5, 2016
“Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now." The words of JW Goethe might well have been ringing in the ears of Mr Amos as he dreamed, planned and executed his Yukon project.
I suspect that very, very many of us can identify with step one, the dream; a few of us might even make a few plans, but how many of us have carried it through to completion? The very fact of having gone through with such a crazy adventure is enough reason to want to read this book; but the quality of the writing – straightforward, unpretentious, yet infused with dry wit and moments of poetic beauty – keep the reader interested to the end.
There are certain landscapes where it is difficult to take a bad photograph. By the same principle, a book written against the backdrop of such extraordinary beauty – and endeavour – has certain in-built advantages, but Dorian Amos makes the most of them, and why not?
This book is highly recommended both to anyone who might be toying with a similar idea, or to anyone that certainly isn’t!
I suspect that very, very many of us can identify with step one, the dream; a few of us might even make a few plans, but how many of us have carried it through to completion? The very fact of having gone through with such a crazy adventure is enough reason to want to read this book; but the quality of the writing – straightforward, unpretentious, yet infused with dry wit and moments of poetic beauty – keep the reader interested to the end.
There are certain landscapes where it is difficult to take a bad photograph. By the same principle, a book written against the backdrop of such extraordinary beauty – and endeavour – has certain in-built advantages, but Dorian Amos makes the most of them, and why not?
This book is highly recommended both to anyone who might be toying with a similar idea, or to anyone that certainly isn’t!
February 27, 2012
This guy was mad. But inspirationally so. Definitely a great read, and helps put life into perspective. Live life purposefully is what i remember most from it. And if you were building a 'house' in 40degrees C below you would feel like you were!
January 5, 2025
I liked the simple honesty of Dorian Amos’s writing. I didn’t get the impression that he was trying to impress the reader of what was evidently a huge achievement. It felt like he realised that his a Bridget’s experience was such a personal revelation that it just had to be shared and he worked on the script from a basic diary that he’d kept.
Injected as it was with his obviously natural sense of humour and a scattering of cartoons it felt sincere.
That’s not to say that couldn’t be elaborated on. I was left with many questions about how they dealt with certain aspects of everyday life, but as it is the freshness left me not only admiring their courage but convinced that perhaps we should all be more adventurous in our lives - which maybe was their objective - and that of the publisher.
Although I’m sure it crossed the minds of everyone involved, I’m convinced it would mage a good film.
Injected as it was with his obviously natural sense of humour and a scattering of cartoons it felt sincere.
That’s not to say that couldn’t be elaborated on. I was left with many questions about how they dealt with certain aspects of everyday life, but as it is the freshness left me not only admiring their courage but convinced that perhaps we should all be more adventurous in our lives - which maybe was their objective - and that of the publisher.
Although I’m sure it crossed the minds of everyone involved, I’m convinced it would mage a good film.
July 15, 2019
I’m a fan of true life travel and adventure books so this was right up my street. Brilliant descriptions of the beauty of northern Canada and the difficulties and perils of life during the freezing temperatures, which I enjoyed immensely. Only reason I didn’t give five stars is that I skipped the last 15 or so pages. The endless lecture about evils of consumerism and the boredom of a dull ordinary life, followed by the smug self congratulations about having walked away from it all wore a little thin and was honestly a dull end. I get what you’re saying and kudos for doing it, but it’s mentioned enough times during the narrative without including another enormous monologue at the end. Your wilderness would soon be spoiled if half the world followed you there to set up home Mr Amos :)
March 8, 2020
Fantastic read!
My fascination with Alaska began when a friend asked me to accompany her to a trip to explore Alaska, where we began our journey at Fairbanks.
I left a part of my heart in Alaska. For Dorian & Bridge to survive, especially after having baby Jack, I find truly incredible. I’m so glad you put your story into print. I’m going to check out for any sequels. Fantastic read!
My fascination with Alaska began when a friend asked me to accompany her to a trip to explore Alaska, where we began our journey at Fairbanks.
I left a part of my heart in Alaska. For Dorian & Bridge to survive, especially after having baby Jack, I find truly incredible. I’m so glad you put your story into print. I’m going to check out for any sequels. Fantastic read!
January 18, 2024
I usual love books about the outdoors, walking, etc but I just couldn't connect with this couple. Maybe their reckless approach was the problem - being keen, wanting to change is positive, but being stupid in your choices doesn't feel right and to me it demeaned all of the fine books written on escaping the rat race. I couldn't be as mean as to put a 1 star, but it was close.
July 22, 2017
It's a good read, I enjoyed joining the couple on their journey. It's light but engaging. There are obvious hardships endured, but nothing deep is exposed about it, so it's not soul searching or illuminating, but it is a good journey with twists and turns.
April 23, 2020
Brilliant read!! The author has written this memoir with such humour and passion. His determination to make a life for himself and his family in such a challenging climate is truly inspiring. He paints the colours of the Yukon so vividly. Some laugh out loud moments too. Great book!
July 20, 2020
Loved this book & found it a very funny account of their move to Canada. It gave me confidence to make my own move, because this couple didn't seem to be very well prepared for their trip and made it work. Full of admiration for them.
December 6, 2021
I had to give up after 26 pages. It's littered with typos and clumsy sentence structure; and the narrative makes no sense in terms of geography. Knowing Vancouver Island and the Sea to Sky region well enough to tell it was mostly made up made me not want to bother with the rest.
July 24, 2019
Funny and heart warming of a young couple starting a new life. Sounds idilic I want to move out there and live there life
May 18, 2020
Excellent book.
Adventure from your armchair, amazing hard life in the winter building their own log cabin, loved it. Will now look for the next Yukon book.
Adventure from your armchair, amazing hard life in the winter building their own log cabin, loved it. Will now look for the next Yukon book.
March 6, 2012
Dorian Amos was a cartoonist from Cornwall, he and his wife decided that they were in need of adventure, so they gave up their comfortable life and traveled to Yukon Territory in the remote Canadian wilderness. I found myself aghast at some of the really, really stupid and irresponsible things they did, it is a wonder they survived, BUT they had an unshakable belief in their dream to live in the Yukon and they did not give up at all in following that dream – though they did think about it.
February 19, 2012
So when you get bored with your job in Cornwall, what do you do? Well, you go and have an adventure living in the Yukon!!! A diary account of a couple's adventures in the wilderness. Very little money - everything made from scratch. Could empathasise with their feelings regarding the wonder of nature and admire them for their bravery and courage in making the change and enjoyed reading about it but it's not for me!!
February 5, 2017
As daily life become the same routine, i always look for something different. This book give me some new perspective of hunting adventures everyday!
November 7, 2024
I love Alaska travel & adventure books and this didn’t disappoint. Dorian was definitely out of his depth at times, this book is a bit of a how not to safely have an adventure in Alaska. But it was great fun to hear how he got on.
July 5, 2011
this guy is really stupid and its incredible hes alive. but the yukon sounds beautiful.
February 17, 2012
loved it. i have nothing but respect for he and his wife for taking that step, and am grateful he shared his experience with such humor and heart.
November 9, 2014
Not the most elegant writing, but an inspiring story and very funny. Makes me want to go gold panning and makes me want to make the most of my partner in life.
March 17, 2016
A great story, although the style can be irritating early on. It gets better though.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews