Alaska: Images of the Country

by Galen A. Rowell (Photographer), John McPhee

Selections from McPhee's description of life in modern Alaska are accompanied by color photographs of the region, its animals, and its beautiful scenery

Genres: Nonfiction, Travel

146 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1981

About the author

Galen Avery Rowell (August 23, 1940 – August 11, 2002) was a wilderness photographer, adventure photojournalist and mountaineer. Born in Oakland, California, he became a full-time photographer in 1972.

Reviews

[Ace Varkey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fun, quick, 'through the lives of people' read of Alaska. I loved the pictures and since I had once met Galen Rowell, I found them more meaningful. McPhee is, as ever, an insightful, clever writer. I enjoyed wandering through Alaska via the stories of people McPhee had met or heard about. He gives a brief history of the state which is lamentably incomplete -- my only gripe with the book. The rest is pure entertainment from interesting homesteaders to bears. If you are planning a trip to Alaska and don't want to arrive there a virgin or a know-it-all, this might be the book for you.

[J.D. Gormaz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This classical book brings together two giants in their respective fields.

[Pat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this as a preparation for a summer 2015 Alaska trip. My edition had photos by Galen Rowell--but it was a surprisingly middling collection. I spent the summer of 1976 in AK as a camp cook, so the state McPhee is writing about in this dated account is the one I experienced. I really liked the descrpiptions of backcountry life, but I didn't really glean any current, useful info for my trip.