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Wild Alaska and the Bering Sea

READING AND TRAVEL GUIDE

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This expedition includes a $25 gift certificate to Longitude. Please use the promotion code printed on your gift certificate during checkout.

Essential Reading

Item EXALA255. Buy these 4 items as a set for $73 including shipping, 15% off the retail price.
With free shipping on anything else you order.

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Where the Sea Breaks Its Back

Where the Sea Breaks Its Back

by Corey Ford

  • EXPLORATION
  • 1992
  • PAPER
  • 206 PAGES

Ford paints a vivid portrait of Georg Steller and his first encounters with the wildlife of Kamchatka, the Bering Sea and Alaska in this gripping tale of discovery and hardship on Bering's Great Nordic Expedition of 1741. (ALA07, $16.95)

The Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands, Region of Wonders

The Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands, Region of Wonders

by Terry Johnson

  • NATURAL HISTORY
  • 2003
  • PAPER
  • 191 PAGES

An up-to-date, fact-filled illustrated primer on the region, its geography, marine and terrestrial life, mineral resources, industry and culture. (ALA197, $25.00)

Marine Mammals of Alaska

Marine Mammals of Alaska

by Kate Wynne

  • FIELD GUIDE
  • 2007
  • FLEXI-BOUND
  • 75 PAGES

Designed for use in the field, this indispensable guide features large color photographs, key information and detailed range maps for all the whales, seals and other marine creatures of Alaska and the Bering Sea across to Russia. (ALA08, $25.00)

Alaska Explorer Map

Alaska Explorer Map

by Ocean Explorer Maps

  • 2002
  • MAP

An informative, well-illustrated map of all Alaska at a scale of 1:3,800,000, aimed at cruise and expedition travelers in the region. (ALA153, $11.95)

 
Alaska, An American Colony

Alaska, An American Colony


by Stephen Haycox

  • HISTORY
  • 2006
  • PAPER
  • 372 PAGES

This engaging, scholarly history, divided between Russian exploration and the American period, offers a cultural, political and environmental overview of Alaska, also exploring the colonization and exploitation of its indigenous people and the power of myth in shaping our national perceptions of the region. (ALA160, $18.95)

Bering, The Russian Discovery of America

Bering, The Russian Discovery of America


by Orcutt Frost

  • HISTORY
  • 2003
  • HARD COVER
  • 330 PAGES

The first modern biography of the great explorer -- and an excellent account of still little-known regions of Kamchatka and the Russian Far East. The author draws on new evidence to reinvigorate the life and adventures of the seafaring Dane. (SIB33, $35.00)

Coming into the Country

Coming into the Country


by John McPhee

  • CULTURAL PORTRAIT
  • 1976
  • PAPER
  • 438 PAGES
  • FAVORITE

McPhee's lyrical portrait of frontier life and some unforgettable Alaskan characters captures the spirit of the place like no other. (ALA04, $18.00)

Faith, Food, and Family in a Yupik Whaling Community


by Carol Zane Jolles

  • CULTURAL PORTRAIT
  • 2002
  • PAPER
  • 376 PAGES

An overview of the people of Gambell on St. Lawrence Island in the Bering Sea. (ALA182, $26.95)

Russians in Alaska, 1732-1867

Russians in Alaska, 1732-1867


by Lydia Black

  • HISTORY
  • 2004
  • PAPER
  • 344 PAGES

A masterful overview of the ordinary men and women of the first Russian colony in Alaska. (ALA241, $29.95)

The Aleutian Islands, Living on the Edge


by Ken Wilson

  • CULTURAL PORTRAIT
  • 2008
  • HARD COVER
  • 300 PAGES

A well-realized portrait of place, comprising oral history from the native Unangan people, essays on island life and hundreds of images of the Aleutians' natural wonders and wild weather. (ALA288, $45.00)

The Cold War, A New History

The Cold War, A New History


by John Lewis Gaddis

  • HISTORY
  • 2006
  • PAPER
  • 333 PAGES

Beginning with World War II and ending with the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Yale historian recounts the strategic dynamics and major personalities that drove the age. (RUS436, $17.00)

The Landscape of History, How Historians Map the Past

The Landscape of History, How Historians Map the Past


by John Lewis Gaddis

  • HISTORY
  • 2002
  • PAPER
  • 208 PAGES

Distinguished historian John Lewis Gaddis provides a stimulating analysis of the field of history. Persuasive, readable and controversial, this book seeks to clarify the historian's role and method. Is it art or science? (GEN252, $15.95)

The Native People of Alaska

The Native People of Alaska


by Steven Langdon

  • CULTURAL PORTRAIT
  • 2002
  • PAPER
  • 128 PAGES

A brief overview of the indigenous peoples of Alaska, with 55 photographs, maps and illustrations. Organized by group, it includes chapters on the northern, Bering Sea and Aleut Eskimos, people of the interior and Pacific Northwest coast. (ALA181, $9.95)

The Thousand-Mile War, World War II in Alaska and the Aleutians

The Thousand-Mile War, World War II in Alaska and the Aleutians


by Brian Garfield

  • HISTORY
  • 1996
  • PAPER
  • 456 PAGES

A gripping account of the Aleutian Island campaign (1942-43), originally published in 1969. Many of the islands, depicted in black-and-white photographs, are littered with WWII era runways, huts and other relics. (ALA114, $24.95)

We Now Know, Rethinking Cold War History


by John Lewis Gaddis

  • HISTORY
  • 1998
  • PAPER
  • 425 PAGES

An analytical synthesis of Cold War events presented with the value of hindsight. (RUS191, $24.99)

Working on the Edge, Surviving in the World's Most Dangerous Profession

Working on the Edge, Surviving in the World's Most Dangerous Profession


by Spike Walker

  • HISTORY
  • 2003
  • PAPER
  • 280 PAGES

Enthralling, if not somewhat pulpy, these true-life tales of crab fishing expeditions off the coast of Alaska capture all the danger and adrenaline that go with making a living at sea. (ALA158, $15.95)

The Harriman Expedition to Alaska, Encountering the Tlingit and Eskimo in 1899

The Harriman Expedition to Alaska, Encountering the Tlingit and Eskimo in 1899


by George Bird Grinnell | Polly Burroughs | Victoria Wyatt

  • EXPLORATION
  • 2007
  • PAPER

With original illustrations from the 1899 Harriman Expedition, this handsome collection of essays features George Bird Grinnell's valuable account of the people and culture of the region. (ALA246, $14.95)

To a Distant Island

To a Distant Island


by James McConkey

  • BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
  • 2000
  • PAPER

A transporting tale combining exquisite language and insightful commentary on Chekhov and his remarkable journey in 1890 from Moscow to Sakhalin Island in the Russian Far East. (RUS269, $14.95)

A Dream in Polar Fog

A Dream in Polar Fog


by Yuri Rytkheu | Ilona Yazhbin Chavasse

  • LITERATURE
  • 2006
  • PAPER
  • 337 PAGES

A lyrical tale of life in the Arctic, traditional ways, and cultural encounters, this absorbing novel follows the fate of a young Canadian explorer stranded among the Chukchi people on the edge of the Bering Sea. (SIB44, $15.00)

Drop City


by T. Coraghessan Boyle

  • LITERATURE
  • 2004
  • PAPER
  • 512 PAGES

T.C. Boyle's ninth novel brings his celebrated wit and narrative flair to the story of two competing communes that relocate to interior Alaska in the 1970s in a high-stakes search for utopia. (ALA316, $16.00)

The Sea Runners

The Sea Runners


by Ivan Doig

  • LITERATURE
  • 2006
  • PAPER
  • 288 PAGES

This novel of high adventure and derring do, originally published in 1983, evokes the land and people of the Russian Alaska. (PNW200, $13.00)

White Sky, Black Ice

White Sky, Black Ice


by Stan Jones

  • MYSTERY
  • 2003
  • PAPER
  • 264 PAGES

In this first rate murder mystery state trooper Nathan Active returns to Chukchi from Anchorage to confront a memorable cast of characters -- and figure out why two young men have killed themselves. (ALA164, $14.00)

Guide to the Birds of Alaska

Guide to the Birds of Alaska


by Robert Armstrong

  • NATURAL HISTORY
  • 2008
  • PAPER
  • 364 PAGES

A handsome photographic introduction to Alaskan birds, illustrating all 443 species. (ALA09, $27.95)

Into Brown Bear Country

Into Brown Bear Country


by Will Troyer

  • NATURAL HISTORY
  • 2005
  • PAPER
  • 200 PAGES

Filled with up-close photographs, this is an excellent introduction to the brown bears of Kodiak and Katmai, mixing natural history with the author's own experiences studying and photographing bears for nearly fifty years. (ALA222, $24.95)

Alaska Wildlife

Alaska Wildlife


by Pocket Naturalist

  • FIELD GUIDE
  • 2000
  • PLASTIC CARD

This laminated card features color drawings and short descriptions of commonly encountered birds, mammals and reptiles of Alaska. We also carry Alaska Birds. (Item ALA207) (ALA123, $5.95)

Alaska's Bears

Alaska's Bears


by Bill Sherwonit

  • FIELD GUIDE
  • 1998
  • PAPER
  • 96 PAGES

This shirt pocket photographic guide to grizzlies, black bears and polar bears covers ecology, natural history and conservation. (ALA63, $12.95)

Birds of East Asia: China, Taiwan, Korea, Japan, and Russia

Birds of East Asia: China, Taiwan, Korea, Japan, and Russia


by Mark Brazil

  • FIELD GUIDE
  • 2009
  • PAPER
  • 520 PAGES

Brazil's comprehensive guide, featuring 234 color plates, includes Japan, Taiwan and the islands along with the adjacent areas of Asia from Kamchatka to Korea. (JPN332, $39.95)

Marine Mammals of the Eastern North Pacific

Marine Mammals of the Eastern North Pacific


by Sea Grant Alaska | Pieter Folkens

  • FIELD GUIDE
  • 2010
  • PLASTIC CARD
  • 8 PAGES

This 8-panel waterproof card illustrates Alaska's whales, dolphins, sea otters and seals. (ALA143, $10.00)

National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America

National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America


by Jon Dunn

  • FIELD GUIDE
  • 2011
  • PAPER
  • 576 PAGES

From Alaska to Baja California, Nova Scotia and Florida, this guide is the veteran's choice for birding anywhere in the United States. Tabbed for easy access, the color range maps in this sixth edition are outstanding. (FG09, $27.95)

Smithsonian Handbook: Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises

Smithsonian Handbook: Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises


by Mark Carwardine

  • FIELD GUIDE
  • 2002
  • PAPER
  • 256 PAGES

In the trademark, graphic Eyewitness style, this sturdy guidebook colorfully describes the world's cetaceans with numerous illustrations, range maps, fluke drawings and a few paragraphs on each species. (FG02, $20.00)

The Nature of Alaska

The Nature of Alaska


by James Kavanagh

  • FIELD GUIDE
  • 2006
  • PAPER
  • 176 PAGES

This clear illustrated field guide to mammals, birds, seashore life, fishes, trees, shrubs and wildflowers features 300 color illustrations. (ALA137, $14.95)

More Recommendations

Here are some other groups of books that might be of interest

Longitude provides recommended reading for travelers in partnership with the leading tour operators and travel programs for hundreds of destinations worldwide. We've got the classic, new and hard-to-find books and maps to help you get the most out of your adventures.