Winterdance: The Fine Madness of Running the Iditarod
Paulsen and his team of dogs endured snowstorms, frostbite, dogfights, moose attacks, sleeplessness, and hallucinations in the relentless push to go on. Map and color photographs.Product Details
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com Review
Fueled by a passion for running dogs, Gary Paulsen entered the Iditarod--the 1150-mile winter sled-dog race between Anchorage and Nome-- in dangerous ignorance and with a fierce determination. Winterdance is his account of this seventeen-day battle against Nature's worst elements and his own frailty.
From Publishers Weekly
Acclaimed children's book author Paulsen offers a gripping account of his experience running the 1180 mile Iditarod dogsled race.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
The Alaskan Iditarod is an annual 1180-mile dogsled race from Anchorage to Nome that generally takes two to three weeks to complete. Paulsen, a popular YA writer, ran the race in 1983 and 1985 and was again in training when a heart condition forced him to retire. This book is primarily an account of Paulsen's first Iditarod and its frequent life-threatening disasters, including wind so strong it blew his eyelids open and blinded his eyes with snow, cold so deep matches would not strike, and packages of lotions kept next to his skin that froze solid. However, the book is more than a tabulation of tribulations; it is a meditation on the extraordinary attraction this race holds for some men and women. In a style reminiscent of fellow nature writer Farley Mowat, Paulsen deftly examines careening on a precarious edge. Highly recommended for all libraries.
- John Maxymuk, Rutgers Univ. Lib., Camden, N.J.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Customer Reviews
The fine madness of long distance dog racing.
Paulsen, already a well known author of childrens' books employs his easily readable style to describe and explain the somewhat arcane sport of dog racing and his own learning experience as he came to decide to run the race himself. This is probably one of the best books on long distance dog racing, the sometimes unusual people involved and the frozen world they live in, the dangers they face and the satisfaction they find as they and their dogs move from a rabble to become a team.
Paulsen has run the race himself and his descriptions of his dogs as he and they learned to work with each other are alone worth the price of the book.
Having said that, I came to feel that Paulsen is perhaps a better story teller than a reporter, and that nobody's life is quite that hilarious as his seems to be. While it's no great fault one begins to feel that some of the events he describes are embellished to some degree, although the only real error I noticed was when he said, "...Cook was a fool who wouldn't use dogs and died because he tried to use horses." Cook of course was the medical doctor who entered into a long running dispute with Admiral Peary about who was first to reach the North Geographic Pole, and the man Paulsen means to refer to is probably the Englishman Scott who wouldn't use dogs because he couldn't bear the thought of having to kill them to eat. Overly sentimental perhaps, but hardly foolish.
Stll, this is a minor criticism. Go and buy Paulsen's book and travel with him over the thousand miles to Nome. I think you'll be glad you did.
Brillitant
Get a copy. Read it. Transport yourself to another world.
My wife recommended it to me -- "Five stars!" -- and now I recommend it to all my book-loving friends. FIVE STARS!
Enjoy!
Dr. Kirtland Peterson
VERY --excellent!!!
I'm an Iditarod volunteer and this by far is the best book I've ever read on the race in Alaska. I just finished reading for the 2nd time. I am loaning it to 2 of my friends that are going to Alaska with me to be Iditarod volunteers. This gives you the plain truth, check point by check describing the route to Nome, and all the trails inbetween. His wit and basic down to earth style of writing makes the book a real page turner. I really really enjoyed it. I'd say it is MY favorite all time BOOK ! !
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