The Final Frontiersman - James Campbell

The Final Frontiersman

By James Campbell

  • Release Date: 2007-11-01
  • Genre: Biographies & Memoirs
Score: 4.5
4.5
From 132 Ratings

Description

The inspiration for The Last Alaskans—the hit documentary series now on the Discovery+—James Campbell’s inimitable insider account of a family’s nomadic life in the unshaped Arctic wilderness “is an icily gripping, intimate profile that stands up well beside Krakauer’s classic [Into the Wild], and it stands too, as a kind of testament to the rough beauty of improbably wild dreams” (Men’s Journal).

Hundreds of hardy people have tried to carve a living in the Alaskan bush, but few have succeeded as consistently as Heimo Korth. Originally from Wisconsin, Heimo traveled to the Arctic wilderness in his twenties. Now, more than three decades later, Heimo lives with his wife and two daughters approximately 200 miles from civilization—a sustainable, nomadic life bounded by the migrating caribou, the dangers of swollen rivers, and by the very exigencies of daily existence.

In The Final Frontiersman, Heimo’s cousin James Campbell chronicles the Korth family’s amazing experience, their adventures, and the tragedy that continues to shape their lives. With a deft voice and in spectacular, at times unimaginable detail, Campbell invites us into Heimo’s heartland and home. The Korths wait patiently for a small plane to deliver their provisions, listen to distant chatter on the radio, and go sledding at 44 degrees below zero—all the while cultivating the hard-learned survival skills that stand between them and a terrible fate.

Awe-inspiring and memorable, The Final Frontiersman reads like a rustic version of the American Dream and reveals for the first time a life undreamed by most of us: amid encroaching environmental pressures, apart from the herd, and alone in a stunning wilderness that for now, at least, remains the final frontier.

Reviews

  • I enjoyed the book but enjoyed the television show much more. I wish it hadn’t been cancelled.

    5
    By ElmoJake
    Elmo Jake
  • Love this

    5
    By dlave518
    I got to “know” the Korth family via The Last Alaskans show on tv. This book, however, made me feel like I was almost part of the family. If it wasn’t for the fact that I’m probably the biggest wimp when it comes to mosquitoes, I’d pick up and move to he bush! Thank you for putting down on paper the lives of this family.
  • The Final Frontiersman

    5
    By Mainetrapper
    Great book! I rarely finish a book that I start. I couldn't stop reading this book. I really enjoyed the adventures and way of life!
  • Couldn't Put It Down

    5
    By MoabBill
    This is one of the best books I've read that incorporates the dangers and struggles of a family living in the remote ANWAR and Brooks Range area with Alaskan history and folklore. Every chapter is interesting and captures the spirit of life in remote Arctic Alaska. I love the style and descriptions that put you right there. A must read for anyone who loves Alaska.