The Alaska Highway: A Portrait of the Ultimate Road Trip

Rating:
Summary: Photographic portrait of scenes along the Alaska Highway
Review: A delightful little book showing mostly native wildlife and scenics, as well as people and sights and signs along the Alaska Highway. Almost all the photographs have captions that tell the locations along the highway where they were taken, and the text gives an entertaining general narrative describing the highway from start to finish.

This is not a travel or wildlife field guide, but an inspiring pictorial book for a photographer or nature lover, showing and describing areas where many of the wild animals and interesting sights may be found. Erwin and Peggy Bauer, who both passed away this past year, were outstanding partners in a wildlife photography career spanning many many years.

I plan to travel the Alaska Highway this summer by RV and definitely will be taking this little book with me.

Rating:
Summary: Where's the highway?
Review: I was rather disappointed when I finally received this book. The cover is a perfect example of my problem with the book. Take notice of the subtitle, "A Portrait of the Ultimate Road Trip". Now notice the picture of the highway to the left, and a seperate picture of a brown bear to the right. For a book about something as visually exciting as the Alaska Highway and it's surroundings, I counted only 3 pictures that actually included beautiful scenery with the actual Alaska Highway. No pictures of wildlife and the highway. How about a picture of a brown bear crossing the road or a beautiful sunset blanketing the highway with golden rays of sunlight. If that is what you expected, you won't find it here.
In several instances the words describe how often one will encounter bison heards, grizzly bears, caribou, and moose crossing the highway, but not once is there an image of any of these creatures near anything remotely resembling asphalt. There are great pictures of these animals by themselves, but they could be stock photography from who know's where. The author's describe a mountain range coming into view as a beautiful backdrop to the Alaska Highway, so then why do they not show me a picture of the highway backdropped by this awesome mountian range? Instead they show me a picture of a lynx!?
Maybe my expectations of this book were too literal, and I expected too much from it. I mean I love dogs, but when I buy a book on the Alaska Highway I want to see it, not close ups of people's cute dogs. I counted 5 dog pictures, compared to the 3 pictures of the actual Alaska Highway. I think this book should be renamed; "The Alaska Highway and the Dogs That Live Off to the Side".
I must say that this book did make me more interested in the Alaska Highway, but not for anything it did, but for what it didn't do. It described the most beautiful images, but left your imagination to paint the picture. Disappointing.....unless you like dogs.

Rating:
Summary: Where's the highway?
Review: I was rather disappointed when I finally received this book. The cover is a perfect example of my problem with the book. Take notice of the subtitle, "A Portrait of the Ultimate Road Trip". Now notice the picture of the highway to the left, and a seperate picture of a brown bear to the right. For a book about something as visually exciting as the Alaska Highway and it's surroundings, I counted only 3 pictures that actually included beautiful scenery with the actual Alaska Highway. No pictures of wildlife and the highway. How about a picture of a brown bear crossing the road or a beautiful sunset blanketing the highway with golden rays of sunlight. If that is what you expected, you won't find it here.
In several instances the words describe how often one will encounter bison heards, grizzly bears, caribou, and moose crossing the highway, but not once is there an image of any of these creatures near anything remotely resembling asphalt. There are great pictures of these animals by themselves, but they could be stock photography from who know's where. The author's describe a mountain range coming into view as a beautiful backdrop to the Alaska Highway, so then why do they not show me a picture of the highway backdropped by this awesome mountian range? Instead they show me a picture of a lynx!?
Maybe my expectations of this book were too literal, and I expected too much from it. I mean I love dogs, but when I buy a book on the Alaska Highway I want to see it, not close ups of people's cute dogs. I counted 5 dog pictures, compared to the 3 pictures of the actual Alaska Highway. I think this book should be renamed; "The Alaska Highway and the Dogs That Live Off to the Side".
I must say that this book did make me more interested in the Alaska Highway, but not for anything it did, but for what it didn't do. It described the most beautiful images, but left your imagination to paint the picture. Disappointing.....unless you like dogs.

Rating:
Summary: Where's the highway?
Review: I was rather disappointed when I finally received this book. The cover is a perfect example of my problem with the book. Take notice of the subtitle, "A Portrait of the Ultimate Road Trip". Now notice the picture of the highway to the left, and a seperate picture of a brown bear to the right. For a book about something as visually exciting as the Alaska Highway and it's surroundings, I counted only 3 pictures that actually included beautiful scenery with the actual Alaska Highway. No pictures of wildlife and the highway. How about a picture of a brown bear crossing the road or a beautiful sunset blanketing the highway with golden rays of sunlight. If that is what you expected, you won't find it here.
In several instances the words describe how often one will encounter bison heards, grizzly bears, caribou, and moose crossing the highway, but not once is there an image of any of these creatures near anything remotely resembling asphalt. There are great pictures of these animals by themselves, but they could be stock photography from who know's where. The author's describe a mountain range coming into view as a beautiful backdrop to the Alaska Highway, so then why do they not show me a picture of the highway backdropped by this awesome mountian range? Instead they show me a picture of a lynx!?
Maybe my expectations of this book were too literal, and I expected too much from it. I mean I love dogs, but when I buy a book on the Alaska Highway I want to see it, not close ups of people's cute dogs. I counted 5 dog pictures, compared to the 3 pictures of the actual Alaska Highway. I think this book should be renamed; "The Alaska Highway and the Dogs That Live Off to the Side".
I must say that this book did make me more interested in the Alaska Highway, but not for anything it did, but for what it didn't do. It described the most beautiful images, but left your imagination to paint the picture. Disappointing.....unless you like dogs.

Rating:
Summary: A delightful book
Review: The authors provide a view of the Alaska Highway as it is in this century, not the previous century. The Alaska Highway of this century is not the dusty, gravel road of the previous century. This book allows the reader to formulate expectations of an Alaskan Highway journey in 2003. The authors also provide information on likely places to spot caribou, bison, muskoxen, and wolves. Their photographs capture wildlife, scenery, relaxing side trips, local humor, and glimpses into the past in a vibrant, brillant, informative, and tantalizing manner. The text is refreshing. I'm glad I bought this book and I would recommend it to others. For those planning to travel the Alaska Highway in the near future, this book is a great supplement to the 55th Anniversary (2003) edition of The Milepost.

Rating:
Summary: Not What I Expected
Review: The description of this book indicates it is hardcover. It IS NOT a hardcover book. It's also very small. There are a lot of good pictures, but little writing. If you are looking for a nice hardcover book with lots of details - this is not it.

Rating:
Summary: Not What I Expected
Review: The description of this book indicates it is hardcover. It IS NOT a hardcover book. It's also very small. There are a lot of good pictures, but little writing. If you are looking for a nice hardcover book with lots of details - this is not it.