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Mad Trapper of Rat River: A True Story Of Canada's Biggest Manhunt
"The Arctic trails do indeed have their secret tales, and one of the best is that of The Mad Trapper of Rat River , equal to the legends of Bonnie and Clyde or John Dillinger. Now author Dick North (of course) may have solved the mystery of the Mad Trapper's true identity, thereby enhancing the saga."--Thomas McIntyre, author of Seasons & A Hunting Life
"A courageous and unrelenting posse on the trail of a furious and desperate wilderness outlaw . . . Lean and bloody, meticulously researched, The Mad Trapper of Rat River is a dark and haunting story of human endurance, adventure, and will that speeds along like the best fiction."--Bob Butz, author of Beast of Never, Cat of God
They called it "The Arctic Circle War." It was a forty-eight-day manhunt across the harshest terrain in the world, the likes of which we will never see again. The quarry, Albert Johnson, was a loner working a string of traps in the far reaches of Canada's Northwest Territories, where winter temperatures average forty degrees below zero.
The chase began when two Mounties came to ask Johnson about allegations that he had interfered with a neighbor's trap. No questions were asked. Johnson discharged the first shot through a hole in the wall of his log cabin. When the Mounties returned with reinforcements, Johnson was gone, and The Arctic Circle War had begun.
On Johnson's heels were a corps of Mounties and an irregular posse on dogsled. Johnson, on snowshoes, seemed superhuman in his ability to evade capture. The chase stretched for hundreds of miles and, during a blizzard, crossed the Richardson Mountains, the northernmost extension of the Rockies. It culminated in the historic shootout at Eagle River.
"A courageous and unrelenting posse on the trail of a furious and desperate wilderness outlaw . . . Lean and bloody, meticulously researched, The Mad Trapper of Rat River is a dark and haunting story of human endurance, adventure, and will that speeds along like the best fiction."--Bob Butz, author of Beast of Never, Cat of God
They called it "The Arctic Circle War." It was a forty-eight-day manhunt across the harshest terrain in the world, the likes of which we will never see again. The quarry, Albert Johnson, was a loner working a string of traps in the far reaches of Canada's Northwest Territories, where winter temperatures average forty degrees below zero.
The chase began when two Mounties came to ask Johnson about allegations that he had interfered with a neighbor's trap. No questions were asked. Johnson discharged the first shot through a hole in the wall of his log cabin. When the Mounties returned with reinforcements, Johnson was gone, and The Arctic Circle War had begun.
On Johnson's heels were a corps of Mounties and an irregular posse on dogsled. Johnson, on snowshoes, seemed superhuman in his ability to evade capture. The chase stretched for hundreds of miles and, during a blizzard, crossed the Richardson Mountains, the northernmost extension of the Rockies. It culminated in the historic shootout at Eagle River.
352 pages, Paperback
First published December 31, 1972
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
November 28, 2018
Most people are familiar with the story of the manhunt for the Mad Trapper, at least in this country. It lasted for weeks, starting in January in the Canadian north and ended with the death of the man known as Albert Johnson on the ice in the middle of nowhere. Johnson, on snowshoes and carrying a huge pack, had been chased non-stop by civilian and RCMP pursuers using dog teams and, eventually, an aircraft. He survived two previous shootouts with authorities...no, make that won two previous shootouts...and survived the dynamiting of his cabin. He had to have been an amazing individual, so rugged to have survived for so long in temperatures so low that exposed flesh would freeze in seconds. He was gaunt and emaciated, being unable to hunt or build a fire, and in spite of all that he might well have escaped if Mounties hadn't cheated by employing technology. All of them, Johnson and his pursuers, were of a breed of man the world doesn't produce any more.
Having taken the stiff (literally speaking) back to "civilization", the world was faced with the question: "Who the hell was this guy? The Mounties never figured it out, so Dick North took a stab at it. And what a stab he took: he spent years and years of interviewing people in places where the bush was so thick you had to come out to hunt! He wrote scads of letters and made phone calls to those principals in the case who had telephones. The book isn't about the pursuit of Johnson, although that is completely covered: Johnson is dead on the ice about a third of the way into the book. The rest of the story details North's quest for answers and provides background on the man who North suspects to be the trapper. Hint: he's American, just like so many of the outlaws we had in the Canadian mild west.
Some people will find this book boring. I thought it was a great clinic on research. North spent decades tracking Johnson down and has come up with a pretty good candidate; I thought he deserved a few hours of my time to consider his evidence.
Having taken the stiff (literally speaking) back to "civilization", the world was faced with the question: "Who the hell was this guy? The Mounties never figured it out, so Dick North took a stab at it. And what a stab he took: he spent years and years of interviewing people in places where the bush was so thick you had to come out to hunt! He wrote scads of letters and made phone calls to those principals in the case who had telephones. The book isn't about the pursuit of Johnson, although that is completely covered: Johnson is dead on the ice about a third of the way into the book. The rest of the story details North's quest for answers and provides background on the man who North suspects to be the trapper. Hint: he's American, just like so many of the outlaws we had in the Canadian mild west.
Some people will find this book boring. I thought it was a great clinic on research. North spent decades tracking Johnson down and has come up with a pretty good candidate; I thought he deserved a few hours of my time to consider his evidence.
July 28, 2008
What I learned from the book: Alfred 'Buns' King, a young man of excellent physique who volunteered to serve in the North, is TOTALLY the 1930s Benton Fraser. The rest is hampered by a dearth of solid facts.
February 23, 2015
VERY interesting background concerning the life and death of the infamous "Mad Trapper" of the Yukon. He managed to avoid a police posse for 48 days in the bitter winter months. The man had more than one alias, was a serious recluse, skilled carpenter, trapper, and hardy outdoorsman. His clever eluding and impressive physical stamina seemed to be that of a superhuman.
His identity to this day (he was finally felled on the Eagle River by a policeman's bullet through his spine in 1932) is still a mystery. Though the story is still popular, and has been retold many times through different books concerning the life of Albert Nelson (aka Albert Johnson) and even a movie- there are MANY theories surrounding the identity of the Mad Trapper but none have been proven exclusively to be true.
I would recommend this to anyone. I am currently reading the follow up written by the same journalist(Dick North) titled "Trackdown: The Search for the Mad Trapper) and is already as compelling a read.
His identity to this day (he was finally felled on the Eagle River by a policeman's bullet through his spine in 1932) is still a mystery. Though the story is still popular, and has been retold many times through different books concerning the life of Albert Nelson (aka Albert Johnson) and even a movie- there are MANY theories surrounding the identity of the Mad Trapper but none have been proven exclusively to be true.
I would recommend this to anyone. I am currently reading the follow up written by the same journalist(Dick North) titled "Trackdown: The Search for the Mad Trapper) and is already as compelling a read.
March 4, 2025
First off, who can't appreciate that a book about a manhunt in Canada's Arctic was written by a man who's surname is North.
This was a very good telling of both aspects of the man hunt for the Mad Trapper. North had written a book about the man hunt prior to this one, so it is a story he is well versed in. His personal interest is also underlying the story and easy to detect, which adds to the narrative as you feel you are listening to the tale the teller relishes relaying. The second man hunt, North's decades long search to try to confirm the identity of the Mad Trapper was equally as thrilling and suspenseful. As someone who does amateur historical research, I very much enjoyed, and could relate to, the thrills of finding a new lead, the heart ache when it doesn't pan out, and the true glee when you realize you have uncovered the person's story. While I am not sure the Mad Trapper would have appreciated North's efforts, considering the lengths he went to hide his identity, I am sure he would be able to appreciate the tenacity.
This book also made me realize how lucky I am to do my research now, where newspaper articles, book sources, and prior biographies exist at the end of a search engine. I don't have to write letters and wait for a response or get into my car and travel to places (though the beauty of Canada's North made me a little sad on this account). And I don't spend decades on one person's story. But at heart, I admire North's hunting skills and the eloquence with which he presented them in this book.
This was a very good telling of both aspects of the man hunt for the Mad Trapper. North had written a book about the man hunt prior to this one, so it is a story he is well versed in. His personal interest is also underlying the story and easy to detect, which adds to the narrative as you feel you are listening to the tale the teller relishes relaying. The second man hunt, North's decades long search to try to confirm the identity of the Mad Trapper was equally as thrilling and suspenseful. As someone who does amateur historical research, I very much enjoyed, and could relate to, the thrills of finding a new lead, the heart ache when it doesn't pan out, and the true glee when you realize you have uncovered the person's story. While I am not sure the Mad Trapper would have appreciated North's efforts, considering the lengths he went to hide his identity, I am sure he would be able to appreciate the tenacity.
This book also made me realize how lucky I am to do my research now, where newspaper articles, book sources, and prior biographies exist at the end of a search engine. I don't have to write letters and wait for a response or get into my car and travel to places (though the beauty of Canada's North made me a little sad on this account). And I don't spend decades on one person's story. But at heart, I admire North's hunting skills and the eloquence with which he presented them in this book.
March 18, 2024
Interesting Story but Exhausting
The author was a passionate researcher and journalist and I applaud him for the tremendous effort he put forth in solving the mystery of just who the Mad Trapper was. But it could have been a much shorter (and thereby enjoyable) book had he not chronicled every rabbit hole in which he plunged only to come back to square one. But an interesting and fascinating story of a formidable outlaw.
The author was a passionate researcher and journalist and I applaud him for the tremendous effort he put forth in solving the mystery of just who the Mad Trapper was. But it could have been a much shorter (and thereby enjoyable) book had he not chronicled every rabbit hole in which he plunged only to come back to square one. But an interesting and fascinating story of a formidable outlaw.
December 4, 2024
A neat (true) story of this individual living in the wilderness of Canada.
The story slows during the investigation, post manhunt.
The story slows during the investigation, post manhunt.
February 13, 2016
During the Christmas season in 1931, a trapper along the Rat River in Canada went to the police to say that his reclusive neighbor Albert Johnson had been springing his traps. Police went to check - the initial step in these cases was to speak to the accused before anything else was done. They were met with gunfire. They returned with a warrant and were fired upon with intensity. Overnight, Johnson disappeared, starting a 48-day manhunt that ended in his death. However Albert Johnson was an alias.
For years the story of the Mad Trapper flew around western Canada, always with suggestions on who Johnson actually was. His identity is the focus of this book.
North, a journalist, became fascinated with the question and spent years pursuing the answer. He came up with a very plausible true identity and he shows us all the steps he took to discover it. He used various technical experts - fingerprint, forensic artists - and even tried to have the body exhumed to re-check fingerprints. His writing is very informal and he never avoids a cliche if he can find one to use.
Although the identification seems correct, there is nothing in that person's background to explain WHY he ran. John Johnson from North Dakota was a youthful murderer (two people) and a horse thief who served his time and then disappeared. Johnny Johnson was also a recluse like Albert and avoided people whenever he could. But, as far as can be determined, he committed no crimes in Canada that would cause him to fear the police.
To me, THAT is the bigger question. Why did he feel he had to run? Did he have a psychotic break? He was a little bit older than is usual for a man to become schizophrenic, but he was so reclusive all his time in Canada, no one got to know him well enough to say if he had changed over time.
While North had probably discovered the truth about his identity, no one will be able to figure out why.
For years the story of the Mad Trapper flew around western Canada, always with suggestions on who Johnson actually was. His identity is the focus of this book.
North, a journalist, became fascinated with the question and spent years pursuing the answer. He came up with a very plausible true identity and he shows us all the steps he took to discover it. He used various technical experts - fingerprint, forensic artists - and even tried to have the body exhumed to re-check fingerprints. His writing is very informal and he never avoids a cliche if he can find one to use.
Although the identification seems correct, there is nothing in that person's background to explain WHY he ran. John Johnson from North Dakota was a youthful murderer (two people) and a horse thief who served his time and then disappeared. Johnny Johnson was also a recluse like Albert and avoided people whenever he could. But, as far as can be determined, he committed no crimes in Canada that would cause him to fear the police.
To me, THAT is the bigger question. Why did he feel he had to run? Did he have a psychotic break? He was a little bit older than is usual for a man to become schizophrenic, but he was so reclusive all his time in Canada, no one got to know him well enough to say if he had changed over time.
While North had probably discovered the truth about his identity, no one will be able to figure out why.
May 11, 2023
If there's one lesson I learned from this book it's that it's probably best not to read True Crime books (not a subject I read a lot about so it didn't really occur to me) written prior to the prevalence of DNA testing. About a quarter of this book is dedicated to proving Albert Johnson was a man named John Johnson who has since been eliminated by DNA. Normally I wouldn't hold this against the author (though it would affect my recommendation of the book) if not for the fact that his proof wasn't all that great. It mainly relied on the positive identification from photos by quite elderly people who barely knew Johnson from decades earlier as well as some questionable assumptions about the fingerprints being incorrect when even they would seemingly have ended the debate. The author doesn't really act like a sensationalist I just think he spent so much time investigating this lead that he was unwilling to drop it. His case that Arthur Nelson and Johnson were the same man is much better but not very enlightening as he was almost as mysterious as the Mad Trapper. But his case that prior to using those names he was John Johnson wasn't that good even prior to DNA testing in my opinion.
On top of that he spends a lot of time going into investigations that he already knew were dead ends. I guess it was good to put those theories to rest in print but I wasn't really interested in reading about people he already knew were not Albert Johnson.
Another problem I had was that I was more interested in reading about the actual events and the manhunt than I was speculation about who he could have been, since I knew going in that the identity was still a mystery. Unfortunately the actual events are breezed through and only make up about 1/8 of the book with the rest being mostly useless speculation.
On top of that he spends a lot of time going into investigations that he already knew were dead ends. I guess it was good to put those theories to rest in print but I wasn't really interested in reading about people he already knew were not Albert Johnson.
Another problem I had was that I was more interested in reading about the actual events and the manhunt than I was speculation about who he could have been, since I knew going in that the identity was still a mystery. Unfortunately the actual events are breezed through and only make up about 1/8 of the book with the rest being mostly useless speculation.
February 25, 2018
This is definitely a worthwhile read. This book is actually three different parts. The first part is the events around the events lead to and the pursuit of the mysterious ‘Mad Trapper’ Albert Johnson. It also covers the history of Arthur Nelson years earlier in other parts of Canada and who is strongly believed to later used the alias of ‘Albert Johnson’ and became the ‘Mad Trapper’.
The second part of the book is about the author’s thirty year pursuit to prove that Arthur Nelson and Albert Johnson were the same person and back history of who Arthur Nelson was since he also has a missing pervious history prior to showing up about 5 years prior to the death of the Mad Trapper. This is a very interesting part of the book as the author talks about not only how he gathered information, but how many false leads he followed until proven wrong. Until finds an individual by the name of John Konrad Johnson from North Dakota.
The third book of the book is about the interesting history of the young outlaw, Johnny Johnson which sort of parallels the life of Butch Cassidy. It ends with the attempts to prove positive that John Konrad Johnson, aka, ‘Arthur Nelson’, aka ‘Albert Johnson’, is in fact the Mad Trapper of Rat River. The author really presents his evidence well, including photos and documents. The only lacking evidence is verifiable fingerprints. The author presents sound reasoning why that John Johnson’s and Albert Johnson’s fingerprints don’t match in which it was an error of taking the post-mortem prints where some of the fingerprints might had been mislabeled for their location; ie the right index finger was labeled left index finger. (There is evidence in the description in a letter about Albert Johnson’s prints which supports an error was made.). Since the original fingerprints inks of Albert Johnson are missing, the author tried to get the body exhumed to get new fingerprints but the request was denied. So, this is no way to positively prove that John Konrad Johnson was the Mad Trapper, but I think did a very good job of showing that could be him.
The second part of the book is about the author’s thirty year pursuit to prove that Arthur Nelson and Albert Johnson were the same person and back history of who Arthur Nelson was since he also has a missing pervious history prior to showing up about 5 years prior to the death of the Mad Trapper. This is a very interesting part of the book as the author talks about not only how he gathered information, but how many false leads he followed until proven wrong. Until finds an individual by the name of John Konrad Johnson from North Dakota.
The third book of the book is about the interesting history of the young outlaw, Johnny Johnson which sort of parallels the life of Butch Cassidy. It ends with the attempts to prove positive that John Konrad Johnson, aka, ‘Arthur Nelson’, aka ‘Albert Johnson’, is in fact the Mad Trapper of Rat River. The author really presents his evidence well, including photos and documents. The only lacking evidence is verifiable fingerprints. The author presents sound reasoning why that John Johnson’s and Albert Johnson’s fingerprints don’t match in which it was an error of taking the post-mortem prints where some of the fingerprints might had been mislabeled for their location; ie the right index finger was labeled left index finger. (There is evidence in the description in a letter about Albert Johnson’s prints which supports an error was made.). Since the original fingerprints inks of Albert Johnson are missing, the author tried to get the body exhumed to get new fingerprints but the request was denied. So, this is no way to positively prove that John Konrad Johnson was the Mad Trapper, but I think did a very good job of showing that could be him.
February 9, 2022
I read the authors original book about the Mad Trapper of Rat River a while back and couldn't put it down. So the follow up on this story caught my eye.
The author has a fascination about the story that borders on being an obsession however he brings to light some really interesting insights about the Mad Trappers identity and the times and places in which he lived.
You have to give Dick North credit as the majority of his research involved actually travelling to remote places in Northern BC and the Yukon to interview old timers in hopes of uncovering clues about the Mad Trappers true identity. Lots of letter writing and old fashioned research...no Googling here!
The main story about the Mad Trapper and his gun battle with the RCMP actually only makes up a short part of the book. The rest is made up of Dick North's investigation into the identity of the Mad Trapper.By far I found the storyline about Johnny Johnston the most interesting.
I found the book hard to follow at times with all the different names and locations mentioned...I think the author was just so passionate about his research he didn't want to leave anything out.
All in all its an interesting and at times a tedious read. The book also ends a bit abruptly...I thought it was building up to some great reveal but it just kind of abruptly ended.
I think it's safe to say the mystery has been solved as to the identity of the Mad Trapper...I agree with Dick North's conclusions given what he discovered in his research.
All in all a good book!
The author has a fascination about the story that borders on being an obsession however he brings to light some really interesting insights about the Mad Trappers identity and the times and places in which he lived.
You have to give Dick North credit as the majority of his research involved actually travelling to remote places in Northern BC and the Yukon to interview old timers in hopes of uncovering clues about the Mad Trappers true identity. Lots of letter writing and old fashioned research...no Googling here!
The main story about the Mad Trapper and his gun battle with the RCMP actually only makes up a short part of the book. The rest is made up of Dick North's investigation into the identity of the Mad Trapper.By far I found the storyline about Johnny Johnston the most interesting.
I found the book hard to follow at times with all the different names and locations mentioned...I think the author was just so passionate about his research he didn't want to leave anything out.
All in all its an interesting and at times a tedious read. The book also ends a bit abruptly...I thought it was building up to some great reveal but it just kind of abruptly ended.
I think it's safe to say the mystery has been solved as to the identity of the Mad Trapper...I agree with Dick North's conclusions given what he discovered in his research.
All in all a good book!
November 6, 2017
This was a good book with a lot of names, places, and dates. You had to circle back and dig thru the beginning to find the reference to a name. At the end of the book, the author made a reference to a person who The Mad Trapper had met. He did not make any sort of connection as to who the person was. I assumed the name would be in the beginning of the book, and so I started my research there. It doesn't feel right when I have to research the book I'm reading. The author was a former journalist, who is not used to writing long books, so maybe that was the reason it was so confusing. It also did not help that I kept putting the book down and picking it up again. But it held my interest enough to want to pick it up again. I knew I could find the answer as to who the Mad Trapper in Wikipedia, and didn't want to spoil the ending, so I stayed away. All in all, this was a good book, that I will remember. I do not usually read true crime, but I did not have a book to read this summer and found this at a small store. I think this only holds an interest to people regionally however.
September 1, 2025
Have you ever thought, you know, I want to read a book containing every gold rusher’s name ever, most of which seem to start with “A” (Albert, Archie, Arthur, Alfred, Angus, Andrew, Alan) or are Pete? And that tracing the almost day-to-day movements of one guy in the Yukon sounds fascinating? No?
The first section of the book, detailing the murder and subsequent manhunt/shootout was great. It was well-researched, described thrillingly, and had a satisfying outcome. North spent the remainder of the book tracking Johnson/Nelson’s meanderings through the Yukon in minute detail in an effort to prove the man’s identity. I have to admit, North did the damn research.
Only one other reviewer mentioned that Nelson’s demeanor and actions may have been due to mental illness, particularly paranoid schizophrenia. It struck me that his distrust of people was pathological rather than antisocial.
Overall, I don’t think I’d recommend the book.
The first section of the book, detailing the murder and subsequent manhunt/shootout was great. It was well-researched, described thrillingly, and had a satisfying outcome. North spent the remainder of the book tracking Johnson/Nelson’s meanderings through the Yukon in minute detail in an effort to prove the man’s identity. I have to admit, North did the damn research.
Only one other reviewer mentioned that Nelson’s demeanor and actions may have been due to mental illness, particularly paranoid schizophrenia. It struck me that his distrust of people was pathological rather than antisocial.
Overall, I don’t think I’d recommend the book.
May 6, 2018
It was a well-written, interesting tale of the actual manhunt which ended with the death of the mad trapper and of North's multi-year and multi-book efforts (some might say obsession) with trying to solve the mystery of the identity of the mad trapper. Unfortunately, North was not able to exhume the trapper's body to confirm his theory that the trapper was a convicted criminal from North Dakota by the name of Johnny Johnson. When the body was exhumed in 2009, subsequent testing, including DNA testing, ruled Johnson out. Still a good read though ultimately its claim to have solved the mystery was incorrect. North died in September 2013.
August 17, 2018
A theater professor once counseled my class of aspiring playwrights to never make your main character a writer. There is no way to show the work of writing and have it be believable and relateable. I feel similarly about the second two-thirds of this book. The story quickly stopped being about the story and became about phone calls and enlarged, grainy photos. In the end, we’d wandered around in the wilderness of doubt for so long, I don’t think anything could convince me to believe in any identity.
January 26, 2024
The Mad Trapper is the true story of a mysterious and violent man who eluded the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in the harsh wilderness of the Yukon and Northwest Territories during the winter of 1931-1932. It’s a mystery thriller with an historical account, making it an engaging read for those interested in true crime and Canadian history. While it may not provide a definitive answer to the mystery, it offers an immersive and suspenseful narrative with appeal to readers interested in the challenges of extreme survival and obviously true crime. It’s curious.
August 28, 2023
The whole story of the actual manhunt is over in 60 pages. I would give those 60 pages 4 stars. The rest of the book is North explaining how spent 50 years solving the mystery of the Mad Trapper's identity. It's sort of interesting. A bit hard to follow.
The story itself is fascinating. North however is not an especially good writer.
The story itself is fascinating. North however is not an especially good writer.
July 3, 2018
A great historical Canadian crime novel set in 1932. Has lots of photos including post mortem shots of the mad trapper. His identity is still unknown. Would make a great cold case to use modern DNA to try and find out who he was. His belongings are still in a museum.
December 26, 2018
Quite interesting. This book is really two stories: the Mounties' manhunt in the 1930's for a trapper called Albert Johnson, and Dick North's quest to trace the real identity of the man. Fascinating window into life in the North country.
December 31, 2020
Not being from Canada, I cannot relate to the backstory given in this book and a number of references were unfamiliar to me. However, what could have taken half the time to relate was made into 300 pages of complicated speculation about a dead man's identity.
September 21, 2017
Very Detailed Good Book.
March 13, 2018
An amazing book for lovers of Canadian history, mystery, and the outdoors. A great Canadian tale researched very well by Dick North.
Read
July 26, 2020A man with superhuman strength and willpower. To understand how the mounties and men of the north lived in Canada back in the day, this is a must read!
January 15, 2023
Pretty great short read. Policing in the frontier of Canada.
February 3, 2023
4.5 stars
June 17, 2024
The information in this book was complete and interesting, but it wasn't written in a particularly engaging manner.
December 26, 2024
Very interesting and thoroughly researched. The death photos were very unnerving. Not sure why they were reproduced so many times throughout the book
August 22, 2025
Such an interesting true crime story from Canada. Loved learning more about this!
February 8, 2016
I found The Mad Trapper of Rat River by Dick North sitting on my bookshelf unread, apparently purchased years ago. Since I've been in a mood for historical novels, I thought I'd delve into this non-fiction account of the chase of a 1930's criminal by the Canadian Mounties in the Arctic Circle.
While I am an American Midwesterner and unfamiliar with the geography and culture of the Canadian North Country, with the help of maps and the excellent descriptive prose, I was easily drawn into Part One: Albert Johnson, the chase and death of the Mad Trapper.
Part Two: Arthur Nelson, is where the author retraces the travels and back history. This was slow and tedious reading; yet, the footnotes and pictures kept my confusion at tolerable levels and my curiosity intact.
Part Three: Fifty Years of False Leads and Part Four: A Northern Legacy of the Wild West were the most interesting. The procedure and detective work that Mr. North carefully pursued, along with the interesting people he interviewed in attempting to accurately identify the Mad Trapper's true identity grabbed and held me captive while I flipped to the bibliography, appendix sections, and index often.
The ending was anti-climatic, but, then again, this is history, not fiction. I can recommend this book for history buffs.
While I am an American Midwesterner and unfamiliar with the geography and culture of the Canadian North Country, with the help of maps and the excellent descriptive prose, I was easily drawn into Part One: Albert Johnson, the chase and death of the Mad Trapper.
Part Two: Arthur Nelson, is where the author retraces the travels and back history. This was slow and tedious reading; yet, the footnotes and pictures kept my confusion at tolerable levels and my curiosity intact.
Part Three: Fifty Years of False Leads and Part Four: A Northern Legacy of the Wild West were the most interesting. The procedure and detective work that Mr. North carefully pursued, along with the interesting people he interviewed in attempting to accurately identify the Mad Trapper's true identity grabbed and held me captive while I flipped to the bibliography, appendix sections, and index often.
The ending was anti-climatic, but, then again, this is history, not fiction. I can recommend this book for history buffs.
August 6, 2011
The true story of the largest (and strangest) manhunt in Canadian history. This book is essentially two stories. The first is the story of the actual manhunt and eventual death of Albert Johnson, the second deals with trying to find out who Johnson actually was. The first part is an incredible story of survival in one of the most inhospitable places on Earth. How Johnson survived on the run for 42 days is incredible as is the story of how the Mounties and their posee eventually caught him. The sceond part is interesting but sometimes a little dry and there is no 100% conclusion as to Johnson's identity. This is a great story for anyone interested in Canadian hstory and the Far North as this is (despite connections to the US) an essentially Canadian story.
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