Father of the Iditarod: The Joe Redington story

by Lew Freedman

Meet rugged, independent, determined, and hard-working Joe Redington, Father of the Iditarod, a man who found his destiny in Alaska. In an inspirational biography, Lew Freedman chronicles Redington's birth on the Chisholm Trail and his boyhood in the Depression -- homeless, motherless, roaming the country looking for work. Alaska was his rebirth in 1948. On his own piece of dirt, a man could raise a family, hunt, fish, run dogs, and stand up for what he believed. Redington helped rescue Alaska dog mushing from extinction, creating a legacy in a thrilling thousand-mile race across Alaska, the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography

319 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1996

Reviews

[Chris Bauer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simply put, Joe Redington must be the toughest guy ever!. Multiple crashed planes, broken back and limbs; getting lost in the Alaskan wilderness, 20k miles mushing to Nome and back? Pretty amazing.

This biography was fascinating in scope, covering his life from an early age, tracing his life in Alaska. A remarkable view into what life was really like back in the Alaskan homesteading days.

Just a fascinating read about a remarkable man.

[Diane Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even as a long-time fan of the Iditarod, I did not know much about Joe Reddington. This humdinger of a book changed all that! A very interesting, enjoyable, entertaining read for anyone who appreciates an individual's devotion to a cause, a sport and, mostly, their dogs, this is required reading. Joe Reddington was larger than life and the world could use a few more like him. Thanks for everything, Joe. Mush!

[Kristi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was loaned to me by a couple (Jim and Jo, business associates with my husband) who live in Alaska. They knew Joe Redington personally and love him. He helped Jim race in the Iditarod one year. Having heard Jim's stories of preparing for and participating in the race it was interesting to learn a little bit more about the origins of the race.

The book had some discrepancies and seemed to drag on a bit. Thus, 3 stars.

[Lauri · Rating 4 out of 5]

How many times can a man survive a plane crash? Evidently, pretty many. Enjoyed learning about the founding of the race. This was published in 1999 shortly after Joe's death. I'd love to see an update that talks about the changes in the race since that time. I was thrilled to see the husband of a friend from a message board quoted several times in the book.

[Carole]

great