The Last Great Race: The Iditarod

by Tim Jones

Wonderful adventure, "Author, Tim Jones is one of the most knowlegeable Iditarod writers around. He weaves history into his narrative and captures the charactor and culture of the various check points along the way. He conveys the stark splendor of the country and the competition without falling into lyrical excess. This book is for anyone intrigued by Alaska, dogs, or adventure." (comments from Associated Press)

Genres: Nonfiction

274 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1982

Reviews

[Jennifergardino · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Dad is in this book!

[E · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unlike many of the other Iditarod books I've read, this book is primarily structured around following the group of racers competing for the title, vs. having one person describe her/his journey or experiences. While that gives a nice overview of the general progression of the race, what the various check points are like, etc., I found that after awhile I didn't have a lot of interest in continuing to read. Something is lacking in the narrative structure and pace to keep the reader's interest, which, granted, is harder to do without a central protagoist or character to identify with. Because this book was written in the early 80's, however, it is a good look at the earlier years of the race.

[Rick · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good Iditarod book with a lot of detail about the geography and elements between race checkpoints.

[Carole]

great