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Title: The Cruelest Miles: The Heroic Story of Dogs and Men in a Race Against an Epidemic by Gay Salisbury, Laney Salisbury ISBN: 0-393-01962-4 Publisher: W.W. Norton & Company Pub. Date: June, 2003 Format: Hardcover Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $24.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.42 (19 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: A gripping yarn
Comment: This book is not only a gripping tale of heroic men and dogs working against long odds and unimaginable hardships to save Nome from an epidemic, it is a fascinating account of dogsledding, gold rushes, Alaskan history, and harsh weather. Some of the most interesting passages describe the weird acoustical effects and other strange and unfamiliar phenomena caused by extreme cold. Other reviewers have criticized these digressions for interrupting the narrative, but I found that they added depth and context. Hey, nobody seems to quibble about "Moby Dick" alternating chapters between story and natural history.
Rating: 3
Summary: Great story, not so great writing
Comment: I completely agree with one of the previous reviewers that the writing style detracts substantially from the joy of reading this book. The story is a wonderful accounting of an historic event, and the authors have researched the diphtheria epidemic, the serum run, and Alaska well. However, as stated before, the frequent digressions are frustrating and make it difficult to stay engrossed. Further, there are numerous typos and mistakes in the book. It is seldom that I find *any* mistakes in a book, yet I have found at least five in this one and I am not yet finished. More careful proofreading is needed. Nevertheless, dog lovers, history buffs, and adventure enthusiasts will all find this an enjoyable read.
Rating: 5
Summary: Majorly cool book, in more ways than one!
Comment: I adore history. I love medicine. When you combine the two of those topics and do it well, then you deserve accolades for doing so. Salisbury and Salisbury did a phenomenal job with this (which I take is their first book together). I had known about the outbreak of the 1918 influenza that killed so many Native Americans (including the indigenous tribes of Alaska). I did not know about this particular outbreak of diptheria in Nome, which was, and still is basically out in the boondocks.
For those who don't know or don't remember, diptheria is the D part of the DPT vaccine given to all children, several time prior to school years. Diptheria and whooping cough are two of the most awful childhood diseases (though both can be gotten by adults). Diptheria is not just a sore throat. The combination of the toxins of diptheria and the immune system of the child's body creates a membrane that lies across the back of the throat effectively choking/suffocating the child. Prior to the vaccine, there was an anti-toxin created (which again I didn't know) but if the child had progressed this far with the membrane then death was the ultimate outcome. In those days, tracheotomies were not automatically done; the concept had not been introduced yet. And even if that were available, the lack of cleanliness would have still put the patients at risk with that type of medical interference. Cutting the membrane did not help, as apparently it could grow back. Really nasty stuff...and those parents who are into 'natural' do not realize that 'natural' was oftentimes a killer.
This book is not just a dry gathering of newspaper articles. The authors talked to those involved, whether the children saved, or even some of the remaining 'mushers' (or their close families and friends) concerning this very good example of quiet heroism. Not only is the writing terrific, but there are some great old photographs, maps (which I needed to follow), and even the footnotes were interesting. The authors wove stories into the story, because they had to explain to the readers the background behind the use of dogs to cross such forbidding frozen country.
Sometimes we need books like this to realize just how lucky we are to have the vaccines that are so automatically given to our children. This is a great story, a great epidemiological case study, a great tribute to the doctor and mushers who rushed to save the lives of so many.
Karen Sadler,
Science Education,
University of Pittsburgh
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Title: Togo by Robert J. Blake ISBN: 0399233814 Publisher: Philomel Books Pub. Date: October, 2002 List Price(USD): $16.99 |
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Title: The Great Serum Race: Blazing the Iditarod Trail by Debbie S. Miller, Jon Van Zyle, Jon Van Zyle ISBN: 0802788114 Publisher: Walker & Co Pub. Date: September, 2002 List Price(USD): $17.95 |
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Title: Iditarod: The Great Race to Nome by Bill Sherwonit, Jeff Schultz, VI Redington ISBN: 1570612919 Publisher: Sasquatch Books Pub. Date: January, 2002 List Price(USD): $21.95 |
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Title: Dogs of the Iditarod by Jeff Schultz ISBN: 1570612927 Publisher: Sasquatch Books Pub. Date: February, 2003 List Price(USD): $15.95 |
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Title: The Silent Landscape: The Scientific Voyage of Hms Challenger by Richard Corfield ISBN: 0309089042 Publisher: Joseph Henry Press Pub. Date: September, 2003 List Price(USD): $24.95 |
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