I have two favorite authors so far in the reading. One
is James Vance Marshall, the author of A
River Ran out of Eden. Marshall is actually a pseudonym for British author
David Payne. Payne was born in 1924 and has written several books under his pseudonym;
Walkabout (1959), The Lost Ones (1961), A River Ran Out of
Eden (1962), Star-Raker (1962), Flight of the Bat (1964), My
Boy John that Went to Sea (1966), The Mountains at the Bottom of the
World (1975), The White Ship (1975), White-Out (1999), Riders
of the Storm (2002), and Also from the South (2003). His most famous
1959 book, Walkabout was made into a
movie and a movie was made based on the ideas in A River Ran out of Eden, called The Golden Seal. The movie is quite different from the book but good
in its own light. My children enjoyed it.
Below
is a link to the full length movie, The
Golden Seal. Watch it free online.
I think Payne connects with the
real Alaska through his descriptions of the lands and especially the
fluctuating weather. One minute it can be sunny and the next gusting winds,
especially on the Aleutians.
I also really enjoyed the work of
Rudy Billberg and Jim Rearden. The excerpt Alaska,
from In the Shadow of Eagles shares
with readers some examples of the true Alaska. Flight is so important to
Alaskans, especially in the areas where roads do not go. Even today there are
many small aircraft operators that will pick up and drop off passengers from
small remote Alaskan towns whenever needed. I have an Uncle who has lived out
in Skentna, Alaska for over twenty years. He flies out twice a year, sometimes
more if he can afford it. I know he relies on small aircraft operators to
ensure he has food and supplies in the long winter months when his garden
cannot sustain him and his family. The excerpt In the Shadow of Eagles describes the landscape of Alaska to a tee.
After viewing the mountainous landscape Billberg asks his fellow pilots what
they would do if an engine quits while flying over the rugged countryside, they
answer “we don’t expect engine failure.” Alaskan pilots adapt their flying
style to survive in the turbulent skies and must be ready for any eventuality.
There is a nice article about Reardon,
from the June 2nd, 2005 issue of the Homer News. It talks about
Reardon’s accomplishments and his honorary degree of Doctor of Science at the
University of Alaska Fairbanks. He was awarded the degree because of his
lifetime of accomplishments. Check out the full article at
http://homernews.com/stories/060205/art_0602art001.shtml#.T0Hc1vkh0dA.
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| Jim Reardon of Homer receives congratulations from his son, Michael, at the University of Alaska Fairbanks commencement exercises. |
