Oh No! We're Gonna Die: Humorous Tales of Close Calls in the Alaskan Wilderness

by Bob Bell

Bob Bell's lived a long and colorful life, but there were times when it looked like it might be cut short. Join Bob, his eccentric group of friends, and his long-suffering family as he tells the tales of how Alaska's weather, geography, and wildlife all tried to kill him and other people. Bob Bell's lived a long and colorful life, but there were times when it looked like it might be cut short. Join Bob, his eccentric group of friends, and his long-suffering family as he tells the tales of how Alaska's weather, geography, and wildlife all tried to kill him and other people.

Genres: Nonfiction

216 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

Reviews

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very entertaining! Most of the stories are about hunting. Would be nice to read similar stories from folks who were doing other activities... kayaking, hiking, skiing, etc. But I thoroughly enjoyed the humor!

So many good quotes! Here are a couple:

"Competent pilots (a group Daring had not bothered to join) will avoid the inlet and fly along the shoreline for just these reasons." (p. 16)

"Putting all these facts together would have involved thinking, but we were on vacation, so we avoided this activity at all costs." (p. 124)

"We had put the tents in the lowest available spot so all the water would run into them." (p. 129)

[Neil Fulwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

In wry and economical prose, former Marine, engineer and spectacularly reckless hunter Bell recounts the various hunting, shooting and fishing trips he and his motley collection of delightfully eccentric buddies have undertaken in many far-thrown parts of Alaska, and how often Alaska has come close to killing them in the process. It’s as low-rent and hilarious as the title suggests.

[Joe Holman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book. I have been to Alaska a number of times hunting and fishing and recognize a lot of the places described. I also can appreciate the stories and find great humor in them.

[☺Trish · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reminds me of the "I Survived" articles which would be featured in my dad's monthly outdoor life magazine back-in-the-day (except Bob Bell's tales are definitely told with a self-deprecating sort of cheeky black humor)! Loved it! Now, I'm off to bed to dream about being up a tree avoiding a close(r) encounter with a hungry bear!
My dad, an avid hunter and fisherman, would have really enjoyed this book!

[Bob Bell · Rating 5 out of 5]

These stories are on a par with Pat McManus. If you enjoy a good laugh you will enjoy this book

[Michael Wiggins · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Oh No! We're Gonna Die" has its moments. I think that like so many books of this nature, it might be better read in small doses. The book is written about a series of episodes, each one a chapter in itself. I am interested in aviation, wildlife, surveying, guns and survival situations. This book has all of them. Bob Bell has many interesting stories, and these essays are good, but I think organizing them in a different way might have been even better. No matter. This book is certainly worth reading if one plans to spend any time at all in the vastness of the Alaska backcountry.

[Paul Kinzer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Given the fishing and hunting misadventures in the author writes about, I don’t know how he survived, but I’m glad he did. It’s hilarious! There sure are many ways to almost die in Alaska.

[Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

One word: Hilarious! Ironically I can relate to a few of the adventures in this book!

[Russell Fletcher · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book just wasn't for me. You may like it more. It could be I didn't like his writing style or that recently I have been reading a lot of history books and science fiction books and this is totally different.

The book is sort of one man's autobiography of true tales in the wilds of of Alaska. This guy almost won a Darwin Award numerous times. http://www.darwinawards.com/ . It is amazing he is still alive. He does a number of risky things as well as a number of stupid things. Flipping his float plane on it's top so he and his passenger are hanging from their seat belts. The plane is totaled. Almost becoming bear breakfast on a number of occasions. Getting very very close to hypothermia on a number of occasions. Saving money on gas and then having a headwind and almost crashing without gas and many more things.

His main objective is hunting bear, moose, and caribou. Fishing. He has a nickname for almost everyone in the book. His favorite word seems to be adrenaline and it is very overused. The front cover could have been better put together as the images seem jumbled together. There are black and white photos in the book and some of the images are cut out of the original color images and pasted on the front. So the upside down float plane in the brush on the cover really happened. Maybe it is all the images stuffed together on the front that makes it seem unreal.

[Wendy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like true stories that have to do with adventure, mountains, bears and survival. This book is full of those kind of stories. It's like sitting in the living room with your uncle and listening to him tell tales. And like my uncle, the author does repeat himself. The stories are probably best read a few at a time rather than read through the whole book in one sitting.

[aksnowbunny Proden · Rating 3 out of 5]

what a fun book. Now i don't feel like i'm the only one with misadventures in the wilderness.

[JoAnn]

OMG - it takes a rare breed to stay alive in the Alaskan Wilderness.

[Ruth Conrad · Rating 3 out of 5]

A friend brought this book back from her vacation in Alaska. The author has survived many exciting misadventures in Alaska, and I would not want to ever experience any of them.

[Kati Polodna]

Saw this book in Juneau and had a good laugh over the cover.

[Holly Newton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very funny, great quick read!