Alaska: Saga of a Bold Land--From Russian Fur Traders to the Gold Rush, Extraordinary Railroads, World War II, the Oil Boom, and the Fight Over ANWR

From Publishers Weekly
The last American frontier, Alaska packs into 615,230 square miles the American saga of explorers and hunters, followed first by miners and soldiers, then homesteaders and tourists making their way into the wilderness. Borneman, a historian and lawyer who has produced multimedia programs for National Geographic, is at his best when he writes about these heroes who battled treacherous weather and terrain. At the same time, he stages their adventures against the backdrop of military and political events. Though some newspapers derided Lincoln's secretary of state, William Seward, for purchasing the territory as a strategic outpost in 1867, his decision proved prescient during WWII, when Alaska proved useful in patrolling the northern Pacific, and especially during the Cold War, when it allowed us to keep watch over communist countries in Asia. Until it obtained statehood in 1959, however, Alaska remained a colonial possession where the U.S. government controlled access to natural resources on the land, in the water and under the surface. Even now, 41% of the state belongs to national reserves; and the controversies continue among conservationists, fisheries, and timber and oil companies. The chapters on Alaska's environment demonstrate the balance of textbook history and storytelling that makes this informative book so readable. On occasion, Borneman becomes mired in local history, such as the quarrel over the state capital, when he might have instead devoted these pages to the Natives, whom he leaves hovering in the background until they suddenly leap forward as activists in the 1960s. He might also have included illustrations. Mirroring the Alaskan landscape, the book's scale and blocks of unbroken text can be daunting. 10 maps.Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.


Book Description

The history of Alaska is filled with stories of new land and new riches -- and ever present are new people with competing views over how these resources should be used: Russians exploiting a fur empire; explorers checking rival advances; prospectors stampeding to the clarion call of "Gold!"; soldiers battling out a decisive chapter in world war; oil wildcatters looking for a different kind of mineral wealth; and always at the core of these disputes is the question of how the land is to be used and by whom.

Major themes include Alaska Natives, exploration and mountaineering, mining rushes, railroads and aviation, military operations, and the conflict pitting conservation against development, with a spotlight on the current debate over oil drilling in ANWR.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

The history of Alaska is filled with stories of new land and new riches -- and ever present are new people with competing views over how the valuable resources should be used: Russians exploiting a fur empire; explorers checking rival advances; prospectors stampeding to the clarion call of "Gold!"; soldiers battling otu a decisive chapter in world war; oil wildcatters looking for a different kind of mineral wealth; and always at the core of these disputes is the question of how the land is to be used and by whom. While some want Alaska to remain static, others are in the vanguard of change. Alaska: Saga of a Bold Land shows that there are no easy answers on either side and that Alaska will always be crossing the next frontier.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

The last American frontier, Alaska packs into 615,230 square miles the American saga of explorers and hunters, followed first by miners and soldiers, then homesteaders and tourists making their way into the wilderness. Borneman, a historian and lawyer who has produced multimedia programs for National Geographic, is at his best when he writes about these heroes who battled treacherous weather and terrain. At the same time, he stages their adventures against the backdrop of military and political events. Though some newspapers derided Lincoln's secretary of state, William Seward, for purchasing the territory as a strategic outpost in 1867, his decision proved prescient during WWII, when Alaska proved useful in patrolling the northern Pacific, and especially during the Cold War, when it allowed us to keep watch over communist countries in Asia. Until it obtained statehood in 1959, however, Alaska remained a colonial possession where the U.S. government controlled access to natural resources on the land, in the water and under the surface. Even now, 41% of the state belongs to national reserves; and the controversies continue among conservationists, fisheries, and timber and oil companies. The chapters on Alaska's environment demonstrate the balance of textbook history and storytelling that makes this informative book so readable. On occasion, Borneman becomes mired in local history, such as the quarrel over the state capital, when he might have instead devoted these pages to the Natives, whom he leaves hovering in the background until they suddenly leap forward as activists in the 1960s. He might also have included illustrations. Mirroring the Alaskan landscape, the book's scale and blocks of unbroken text can be daunting. 10 maps. (Feb.) Copyright 2003 Cahners Business Information.

VOYA - Hillary Theyer

This detailed history of Alaska manages to maintain a balance between being scholarly enough for a research project and providing entertainment along the lines of bestselling nonfiction. Borneman sweeps the reader off on a chronological history of the forty-ninth state from prehistory and the Ice-Age land bridge through the current controversy over oil drilling in the Alaskan National Wildlife Refuge. High-quality research-as evidenced by twenty pages of notes and a long bibliography-is presented with a vigorous writing style that chronicles the tumultuous events of the 1964 earthquake, seventy-foot tsunamis, the rush for oil in the late 1960s, the Exxon Valdez disaster, logging issues, and the revival of salmon fishing as if they were all breaking news on television. Borneman, who produces multimedia programs for National Geographic, also acknowledges and accepts the inability to pin down certain information, and instead of making that a liability in his research, he turns it into part of the mystery of the state. He engages in debate over the politically correct way to refer to "Alaska Natives"-versus "Native Alaskans"-and has a section on their unique legal relationship with the United States government. For those seeking specific information on one incident or a single person, the detailed index simplifies the search, and the bibliography leads to more research. Although this book is too long for hurried students looking for research for a small report, a student faced with needing details for a major project on Alaska can not only find everything here but also will be treated to an enjoyable and adventurous read along the way. Index. Maps. Biblio. Source Notes. VOYA CODES: 5Q 2P SA/YA (Hard to imagine it being any better written; For the YA with a special interest in the subject; Senior High, defined as grades 10 to 12; Adult and Young Adult). 2003, HarperCollins, 608p,

Library Journal

Often referred to as the Last Frontier, Alaska has captivated the imagination of many over the centuries. Western writer Borneman (A Climbing Guide to Colorado's Fourteeners) has done an excellent job of describing why this fascination exists. Separated into nine chronologically based chapters, the text explores a recurring theme in Alaska's development: conflict among disparate groups over how the land would be used for personal enrichment. Starting with the various 18th- and 19th-century European powers who sought to colonize Alaska and ending with current struggles over oil development in the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge, engaging chapters detail the important events and those who helped shape Alaska's history. Of note are the fascinating sections on Alaska's important contributions to the Allied victory in World War II and the 1964 Good Friday earthquake. This expansive, comprehensive history is recommended for all libraries.-Margaret Atwater-Singer, Univ. of Evansville Libs., IN Copyright 2003 Cahners Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews