James Campbell (2)Rezensionen

I've been fascinated by the TV show "The Last Alaskans" about a few folks who live subsistence life out in the Alaskan Wildlife Reserve area above the arctic circle so when I discovered a book that included some of the Last Alaskans on the day I received my Amazon lawsuit credit, I couldn't resist buying it.

If you enjoy Alaska and the outdoors and have a soft spot for wilderness memoir (as I do) you will probably enjoy this book about a middle aged guy and his teenaged daughter that visit Alaska three times (to build a cabin, to hunt in the winter, and to hike & paddle a river) and each time stay for several weeks.

I think I enjoyed this more because I know the area where they were and some of the characters (Heimo & Edna) from the show. By the end of part three, the river trip, I was bored and ready to be finished with the whole thing, but I suspect that's because I don't know much about paddling so much of the description about how to run rapids and line a boat were boring to me. You might love that part!

I was amazed and impressed by the author's daughter and how much she was willing and able to do at such a young age.

What a great book! I especially enjoyed how the relationship between father and daughter grew, and the descriptions of the area around them, as well as the people, were fantastic.

Learned a lot about battle of new guinea

An ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Told in three parts as three different trips, Father and teen daughter head to Alaska near the arctic circle for adventure. In their first trip, they spend the summer helping cousin Heimo build a new cabin with manual tools, ice cold river water and hours of peeling and hauling logs. When they return home, teen Aiden wants to go back. So they head back to Heimo's cabin for part of the winter, helping his and his wife with the trap lines and hunting Caribou and Moose in -50 degree temperatures. In the third part, Dad and daughter return again, this time to backpack over the Brooks mountain range and then paddle in their folding canoe through the class 3+ rapids of the Hulahula river. Quite an experience in one of the earth's most remote places.½

A well written book covering the Buna campaign, focusing on the titular Ghost Mt Boys. This all occurred early in the war and pitted woefully unprepared troops against a savage island. The Japanese troops suffered as badly and possibly worse. The drive that was required to push a military action thru to a conclusion is hard to comprehend in the 21st century. The suffering of the frontline troops is described in detail and is difficult to absorb.
The leadership of the armies was groping to find a solution and under tremendous opposition within their own sides. A hell of a way to fight a war.
The author is clear that his task was to tell a specific story, not the whole battle or campaign. He does this well.
The soldiers who carried this fight to the end deserve the highest regard. War is ugly and the war in this corner of the world, particularly so.½

I am a fan of the show “The Last Alaskans”, and Heimo Korth is one of the featured Alaskans. When I heard of this book, I just had to read it, and I’m so glad I did! It was most interesting and informative, and the book gives the reader a real-life view of how to live as a frontiersman in Alaska. Highly recommend this book.

The harrowing story of the U.S. 32nd Infantry Division – a National Guard division – and their long trek across the treacherous New Guinea jungle/swamp/mountains in 1942/43 to help the Australian Army expel the Japanese from the island. The division took serious casualties, not only from battle but from a variety of jungle diseases, their condition exacerbated by a lack of proper equipment and supplies.

General Douglas MacArthur, commander of the Southwest Pacific Forces, fresh from having been run out of the Philippines, is unflatteringly portrayed as more of a master of publicity than a master of war and tactics.½

http://tinyurl.com/yd4xark9

I was a bit skeptical when my mom gave me this book. I mean, sure, sure, it isn't a vanity press publication and the topic is certainly intriguing - a father and his teenage daughter take a couple trips to the Alaskan wilderness to be awed and inspired. My skepticism centered more on whether there would be any take-aways that were relevant to my own experience.

This isn't a tale of survival, to be clear. Campbell and his daughter have relatives and friends in Alaska, so this was never about surviving on their own. But it is a tale of the result of struggle - whether it is helping your cousin build a new cabin so far away from anything resembling a hamlet that you have to wait on the weather to have supplies flown in, or, using canoes instead of rafts on a wildly varying river that flows north to the Arctic Ocean. It's no surprise that it's cold in summer or the bugs are terrible or it can be hard to maintain a sense of humor on all days. Those parts were alternately interesting or fun to read. The best part of the story, though, is that it does an excellent job of explaining the grandeur of a place like the Alaskan wilderness, for those of us who may never have the opportunity to go on such arduous adventures but who are nevertheless intrigued by the unknown.

The only thing I thought was odd was that in the acknowledgements at the end, he does not thank the daughter he took the trip with. Certainly, there are many times in the book when he extolls her virtues, but that's different from thanking your travel partner. It is distinctly odd to acknowledge your other daughters and wife, instead. (I read the acknowledgments twice, to be sure I hadn't missed anything!)½

This is the kind of thing I wish I could have done when I was younger. Seeing more of the world, being a little more adventures and taking chances. But, at this stage, I am just as happy to read about others' adventures.

That's the story in Braving It: A Father, A Daughter, and An Unforgettable Journey Into the Alaskan Wild by James Campbell.

James Campbell and his fifteen year old daughter Aidan headed to the Alaskan wilds not once, but three times. Winter and Summer. They visited Heimo Korth and his wife Edna twice, helping to build their new cabin, hunting and trapping. The third visit was braving and paddling the HulaHula river.

Campbell's descriptions of the land, people and lifestyle of Alaska are vivid and powerful, attesting to his love of the outdoors, notably Alaska. Campbell is an established writer and he knows how to tell a story. I was captivated by the details - what it takes to stay alive in this wild country, the dangers and the simple pleasures.

And while Braving It is on the face of it a travel adventure and memoir, its also the story of Campbell and his daughter Aidan's relationship. Campbell's decision to take his daughter to Alaska was not made lightly. We are witness to Aidan's burgeoning love of Alaska, her growing confidence and her continued love of the outdoors. These trips ignite a sense of wanderlust in Aidan - I would be curious to see where life takes her. Campbell is torn between protecting his daughter and allowing her to grow. These trips are almost a coming of age - for both of them.

I chose to listen to Braving It. The narrator was Roger Wayne. I thought he interpreted the novel really well. His voice is pleasant to listen to and easily understood. His reading depicted Campbell's thoughts and emotions well. His inflection and thoughtful pauses allowed the reader to feel as thought we were having a conversation with Campbell. He provided distinct voices for each person. Wonderfully written and a treat to listen to.

Memoir of a father's trip with his teenage daughter to Alaska. The story was interesting but I found the writing style very simple. It was easy to read, but with the subject matter I kept find myself wanting just a little bit more. I read this book at the same time as my dad with the hopes that it would spur conversation and in that aspect it did not disappoint.

I received a copy of this book through the Early Reviewer program.

A father takes his teenage daughter on a series of Alaskan arctic wilderness trips. Building a cabin in the bush, trapping and hunting in the winter, and paddling the Hula Hula River. The writing style is similar to a travelogue, not too deep or insightful. Lessons on parenting, where found, are subtle. Despite the lack of big pivotal events or strong stances taken, Campbell's writing style was somehow compelling and easy to read. I kept wanting to continue to the next chapter. I think this might be more interesting for someone who has little experience in backpacking, paddling, or simply not living in Alaska. Our bookclub consensus was positive. We found ourselves discussing some of the risk management decisions in the book. For supplemental readings, the daughter (Aidan) has a very well written blog called "gritty gal".

Finally a memoir that kept my interest throughout the book! It's been a long year of bad memoirs to finally get to the end of the rainbow with this book! It's a story about a father and his daughter taking 3 trips to Alaska and braving it through the weather, animals and hard work. I absolutely loved the writing and the author with his daughter's adventures.

For the rest of the review, visit my blog at: http://angelofmine1974.livejournal.com/119952.html½

This was an interesting memoir about a father taking his teenage daughter on a few extreme adventure trips in Alaska . The writing kept me intrigued through out the book . It was great to see his daughter was truly interested in being involved , not acting like most teens would in the trips . If you like mostly positive family-centered memoirs , then you will like reading this book .

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and was very excited when I received it. (Thank you, Library Thing).

Because I was already a huge fan of "The Last Alaskans", I could totally relate to the (3) stories that showcased the trips that father and daughter embarked upon. To have one of the families that are followed on The Last Alaskans actually be a part of one of the stories was just an added bonus. I loved how we got to witness the maturing of a girl into a young woman, and how close she and her Dad were. This is a great adventure book, but also a Human Interest tale, that I would highly recommend to anyone who ever wished to venture out of their comfort zone and truly experience Life. A really great read that stayed with me long after I finished reading it.

I enjoyed this story about a father and daughter traveling together in the Alaskan wilderness country. James Campbell takes his fifteen-year-old daughter, Aidan, on a trip to Alaska where they both help build a cabin for his uncle. (Aside: James' uncle is Heimo Korth who is shown on an Alaskan reality show about people who live and work in the wilderness. This fact actually made the book even more interesting to me since I had seen the show and his family. While the three trips described in the book were very interesting and exciting, I think the part that I liked even more was watching James see his daughter grow from a young girl to a woman. James had to step back and trust Aidan and her judgment at times. I was also proud of Aidan for standing her ground and telling her father that he had embarrassed her and that he needed to trust her to do what she had trained for. The relationship between father and daughter is strong and they were able to work together well.

Have been reading this off and on throughout the past week and I have enjoyed everything about this amazing adventure story. Though it turned out to be so much more. James decided to take his daughter Sudan, fifteen, with him to Alaska to help his cousin Heimo build a new cabin. There Aidan will learn new skills, grow in confidence and experience something most never experience. They would return two other times, though their last trip would be the most difficult.

Reading about a way of life, a place, that I know will never be mine is so wonderfully interesting. Alaska with its wilderness, the dangers, animals, hunting, fishing, a whole different mindset. Loved how Aidan and her father bonded, everything she learned, how she grew to love this wild place. So special. Though I can't get over the fact that Alaska has over forty types of mosquitoes. Can you imagine? Loved all these facts and figures, bits of history that went along with the story. The writing so clear and concise. I often wonder when reading a book like this about the personalities of the people, families, that make this place their home. A place where your nearest neighbor is over four hundred miles away.

An interesting thing happened when I was reading this, an amazing coincidence. Was watching PBS Sunday night, ran into a show called The Last Alaskans and their was Heimo, on TV, stripping the bark off the trees to make his new cabin. So I saw what he looked like, his wife, daughter and grandchild too. Made the book more visual, hearing he and his wife describe raising their family in the wilderness, seeing them talk. Anyway loved this little glimpse into a different slice of life, armchair traveling is not the same but the closest I will get.

ARC from librarything.

For full disclosure, I received a free copy of James Campbell's "Braving It: A father, a daughter and an unforgettable journey into the Alaskan Wild" through LT's early reviewers program. I was very excited to read this book, as I enjoy reading about outdoors adventures and I'm pleased to say it didn't disappoint.

Campbell takes his teenage daughter Aidan on a series of trips to the Alaskan wilderness -- to help his cousin build a cabin in the bush, to experience winter in the then completed cabin and to canoe the Hulahula River. Aidan discovers her wanderlust and becomes a confident outdoors woman (and future adventurer, it seems) as the trips progress.

I thought the stories were pretty interesting and Campbell does a good job of telling them. I wish he could have incorporated a little more of Aidan's voice into the story -- it's nice to see her transformation through her dad's eyes, but I'd much rather hear her thoughts on the trips. Overall, this was a fun read, that made me eager to travel (though maybe not on the Hulahula.)

It takes a certain kind of person to want to face the perils and hardships of Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Grizzly bears, polar bears, wolverines, wolves and extremely bitter cold weather would soon make anyone hesitant to explore the area. But none of that deters James Campbell or his 15-year-old daughter, Aidan.

Campbell and his daughter actually make three trips to Alaska. The first is to help James’ cousin Heimo build a new cabin in the wilderness. The second time they return to help Heimo and his wife Edna set up their trap lines and hunt. Their last trip is to hike across Alaska’s Brooks Range and to paddle the Hulahula River in a canoe.

The book is written in a very down-to-earth engaging manner. The author gives you a front-row seat to all of the adventures and I feel like I made the journey with them without all of the dangers or discomforts. What I liked best about the book, though, was reading about the relationship between this father and daughter and their love for each other despite their ups and downs. There is suspense and humor and beauty. The only caution I would have is for those of you who may not enjoy reading about hunting and trapping as there are some explicit scenes. That is not something I personally care to read about and I did skim those parts. But the rest of the book held my interest and I enjoyed the adventure.

This book was given to me by the publisher through Blogging for Books in return for an honest review.

The book had a great premise and very interesting story to tell, but it fell flat. The storyline dragged and writing was very choppy. It's a shame. It could have been great, but felt so ungraceful.

When James is asked to help his cousin build a cabin in the remote wilderness of Northern Alaska, he wonders whether he should invite his 15-year-old daughter Aidan along. Physical labor and survival skills can only make her stronger and more self-sufficient, but as his wife points out, it's really freaking dangerous out there, medical help is hours away, and how could he forgive himself if anything happened to her?

Of course James eventually decides to take Aidan with him, which is the only reason we have a book about their experiences, which makes for a fun little survivalist memoir with a dash of teenage drama.

But then -- probably to flesh out the book -- we end up with a three-fer. James and Aidan go back to Alaska twice more, each time to undertaking progressively more dangerous tasks (trapping in the middle of winter, and canoeing for a week down a remote river full of rapids, respectively) for less practical purposes (to see the cabin in the wintertime, and because it sounds like fun to them, respectively). I get that once Alaska casts its spell on you, it can be hard to stay away, but the third round of agonizing questions over whether the risks are worth it and what James would do if something happened to Aidan felt a little repetitive and tiresome.

Still, there are some fantastic descriptions of Alaska's peerless scenery and wildlife, and the lens of father-daughter bonding is a nice twist on the classic travel/survival memoir.

I received a copy of this ebook from the publisher in exchange for my honest review. Thanks!

I found this an enjoyable book that fuses a strong sense of place (Alaska) in various terrains and seasons, an evolving father - teen daughter relationship, desperate survival situations, and cultural insights. I particularly liked the descriptions of the Alaskan wilderness - the mountains, rivers, wildlife, weather. It's probably as close as I'll ever get to the real experience.½

Braving It by James Campbell is a story of a father and his 15 year old daughter and their three journeys into the Alaskan wilderness. He describes the magnificent Alaskan wilderness and as well as the physical challenges of living in that environment. He also describes the journey of a parent learning to trust and let go his child. It was a fascinating read.

This was an Early Reviewer memoir written by a father who traveled to the wilderness in Alaska with his teenaged daughter - three times in one year. It's a wonderfully and honestly written account of their time together - all their travails - and the amazing people they spent time with along the way.

The author invites his teenage daughter on a couple of journies to the rugged interior of Alaska, where she learns to embrace the wild while building a log cabin, hunting, and trapping. Their final trip included backpacking over Alaska’s Brooks Range and a canoe ride over the white waters of the Hulahula River.

I enjoyed learning about the experiences the father and daughter shared and watching how the daughter grew from a somewhat pampered teenager with a cell phone to a young woman with self-confidence who was very comfortable away from civilization.

This true story, about a father and daughter going into the wilds of Alaska, is not bad. I liked how the author added bits of trivia about survival, but there is a little too much philosophy tacked in for my tastes. His digressions about human nature seem to make the narrative drag a bit. I did enjoy it, but I'd recommend some editing.