This book should be required reading for every student of predator biology. If you really want to know the truth about wolves and their behavior, read this.

Great Book! The early history of Alaska from the dog sleds to the early vehicles trying to cross the land with no roads. Hunting from his dog sled pulled by his half-wolves, he fell in frozen rivers many miles from any help and knew how to survive. The big bears and the weather sharpened his skills. A hunter and outdoorsman's book.

Alaska's Wolf Man ranks as one of the best books I have ever read.. period. Myself, and many of my fellow Alaskans have read this book and enjoyed it greatly. It is full of history and adventurous tales about Alaska. Anyone with a love for the outdoors, wildlife, hunting or trapping would love this book! Rearden has a wonderful way of telling a story which draws you in. I couldn't put this book down until I had read it all.

A great book an Alaska in WW2! Very thorough and well researched work on the famed Alaska Scouts and the incredible feats of endurance, duty and courage that Colonel Castner and his men performed in the heroic defense of Alaska.

Rearden did a wonderful job, of iluminating insights into the Alaska that was, before the japanese attacked.

Any oldtimer will agree that a debt of honor and gratitude is owed these brave and intrepid Alaskans.

The book was very good reading. I did notice one error in the book and that was Lawrence Castner's middle name. His middle name was not "Vincent". It was "Varsi".

Jim Rearden has thoroughly researched the saga of the Alaska Scouts, an intelligence unit made of bush pilots, trappers, and native Alaskans in World War II. His thinly-disguised fictionalized account captures the feel of the rugged individuals who comprised this unit, and the dangerous missions they conducted.

His afterword tells of the real men and the real events upon which this well-told story is based. If you like W.E.B. Griffin novels, of if you love tales of Alaska, this book is for you.

-- Tom Gresham (former editor of Alaska Magazine)

I was given this book by my father, who met Sidney and said he was a heck of a guy. That alone is a glowing review. I have been born and raised in Alaska and even though I lead a more urban life, I could relate to and picture most of the accounts in this book. I think the more time you spend in the wilderness, the more you would appreciate this book. Hopefully, those of you who have not been in the wilds of Alaska will still get a lot out of this book. This book is without question one of the best books I have ever read (And I'm comparing it to classic literary works as well). I am not an emotional reader, but I had tears in my eyes more than once while reading it. One should pay special attention to the section on wolves - it is the real story - the one the animal rights activists don't want you to know.
Sidney bridges the native and white cultures so well - I think both cultures would be better off if we lived to his ideals.

The experiance this man has growing up in the Koyyakuk is almost to unbelievable, but true. From losing your mom at age 7 and taking care of 2 younger siblings for days until they were discosvered, to killing a Grizzly bear by hand, this was the norm before civilization hit the region. A truly remarkable book. YOu will want to re-read again and again.

Sidney Huntington grew up along the Koyukuk River in Alaska's harsh interior over 80 years ago. After his legendary mother suddenly dies, 3 year old Huntington protects & cares for his younger siblings during two weeks of isolation before rescue comes. As a teenager he plies wilderness traplines with his father, nearly freezing to death several times.

Shadows on the Koyukuk is a plain & simple memoir with unpretentious recounting of arduous survival interwoven with memories of cheerful, wholehearted contentment of where Sidney found himself in a fabled & beautiful land.

With names like Weaselheart & Schilikum, Monkey John & Cosmos Mountain, Sidney tells of his life on the edge & what happened when civilization arrived & bureaucracy took over. These are the memories of when Anchorage was a city of about 2,000 souls, after the great the Alaska Railroad system was built & the railroad crews had left. You will also find out what "tundra daisies" are. A pleasing memoir of a full life!

I have read it, and has some neat stories about flying in the bush. Which is where my wife and I plan to make it some day.
Good reading!

I had the pleasure of attaining a lifetime dream of learning to fly an airplane. I didn't immediately appreciate my good fortune to be led step-by-step through the process by my instructor, Jim Anderson. As I played the unintentional role of test pilot, stretching the limits of the plane, my instructor kept a very cool head, showed tremendous patience and provided life saving tips to enable me to become a pretty good private pilot. I always wondered how Jim could maintain such a relaxed presence with every new danger I provided. I had heard bits and pieces of his flying past - from naval aviator during WWII to pioneer in the Arctic. I have thouroughly enjoyed filling in the blanks by reading this book. Jim is every bit the hero that the book portrays. And more than that, he has the highest level of honesty and integrity (tested in aviation and elsewhere) of any person I have encountered. I recommend this book without reservation.

Having been a pilot in Alaska for 25 years and having been lucky enough to be taught to fly by James "Andy" Anderson it was hard for me to put this book down until I was through. Once you realize how unassuming Andy is you really appreciate the experiences he has been fortunate enough to have had in a very unique place and time. His unbelievable skill has been finely tuned by many years of daily flying only a few can appreciate. I highly reccommend it to pilots and non-pilots alike. He is truly a ledgend on the Koyukuk River and Brooks Range area of Alaska.

Very entertaining story about a man and his desire to go in the opposite direction of the trend and experience his life as he wants to. This is a chance for the rest of us to get a taste of what it must be like to step into a life that our fears would otherwise keep us from ever doing. The courage of men like Rudy Billberg, help humankind to push the envelope of the human experience and continue the pushing for new challenges.

Rudy Billberg's experiences from from barnstorming to bush piloting as told to Jim Rearden portray a uniquely rich and exciting era of American history. I felt as though I was riding in the cockpit with Rudy buzzing everything from golden wheat fields in the midwest to brave grizzly bears in the Yukon. Bill Rohovit (bill_rohovit@we.xerox.com