Cultured Travel Guide Books - Land of the Radioactive Midnight Sun: A Cheechako's First Year in Alaska |
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List Price: $24.95
Our Price: $10.00
Your Save: $ 14.95 ( 60% )
Availability:
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Binding: Hardcover
Dewey Decimal Number: 979.86
EAN: 9780312285548
ISBN: 031228554X
Label: Thomas Dunne Books
Manufacturer: Thomas Dunne Books
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 288
Publication Date: 2003-11-01
Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books
Studio: Thomas Dunne Books |
| Spotlight Customer Reviews: |
Customer Rating: 
Summary: An excellent, hilarious read for anyone thinking about moving to Alaska
Comment: I was stationed at Eielson at the same time as Sean but mainly knew him from his hilarious and entertaining (and eventually banned) columns in the base newspaper. I found the book by accident years later while stationed at Elmendorf AFB in Anchorage, AK. Sean's account so perfectly encapsulates life as a Cheechako in the interior of Alaska it has to be a must read for anyone thinking of moving to, or even visiting, the heart of the last American frontier. Sean's newspaper columns were the topic of conversation every week in what was probably the most read USAF base paper in history - and his book is an ongoing laugh-fest with a style all his own, though very reminiscent of great humorists writers like Dave Barry. His experiences, while typical of a young, single guy (as I was at the time), give a true picture of what Alaska is all about. You don't have to know about Alaska or like the military to find this book a fascinating and eminently enjoyable read - but if you've ever been in the military, visited or thought about visiting Alaska - this is a book you can't pass up!
Customer Rating:
Summary: An all-American guy's refreshing and honest look at the Last Frontier
Comment: Sean Michael Flynn didn't save the world when he went to Alaska; he didn't feed the bears or teach the Eskimos and he didn't climb the highest mountain. But that's not what he set out to do. Flynn was stationed at Eielson Air Force Base in the Alaskan Interior, and while there he decided to make the best of an opportunity to do things most people never get a chance to do. Here he delivers an immeasurably entertaining trip through his first year on the Last Frontier, filled with first-hand experiences written with a wit and humor that would make Dave Barry proud. (At times he made me laugh unlike any writer has been able to do since Lewis Grizzard. Yet is humor is refrshingly effortless...Flynn isn't the class clown, but he's the guy you know who can tell a story that'll leave you rolling on the floor.) Flynn never tries to be a hero, instead using a self-deprecating manner that lets you know he's 'one of us'". His "likeability" makes this a truly refreshing read. You'll really begin to enjoy the time you're spending with him (and that's not easy to accomplish with the written word.) He'd never say so himself, but the reader can tell that Flynn's an all-American guy-next-door...the kind of guy that other guys would like to hang out with and girls would like to take him home to their parents. In this book, he conveys that although the real Alaska might not be everything it's cracked up to be, in many ways, that's one of things that makes Alaska so much more. What's great about this book is everything that it's not---it's not a book about someone who goes to Alaska to communicate with the bears, or live off the land, or become a bush pilot, nor is it one of those books about someone who goes to Alaska to try to find himself. But in the end, that's exactly what he ends up doing. An absolutely fantastic read!
Customer Rating: 
Summary: A must read if you get orders to Eielson!
Comment: Having been stationed at Eielson during the same time as Flynn, I can vouch for his accuracy in the descriptions of the whole "Interior of Alaska" experience. I'm thankful that he wrote this, because now when people ask what it was like up there, I just tell them to buy the book. Overall I liked his stories and his range of topics, but sometimes they seemed to drag on a bit, especially when they dealt with his lack of female options. He more than makes up for that, with poking fun at a sometimes stuffy US Air Force, and his quest for becoming a sourdough. A great book to pick up when you think life in the lower 48 is tough and you need a chuckle.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Puts Alaska on your "must go" travel list
Comment: Well-written, insightful, educational, and entertaining. Funny without making fun of people. Really brings Alaska and its residents to life, providing a fascinating glimpse of the state unavailable to most visitors (i.e., way beyond the typical 7-night cruise ship experience.) I began reading it because of my interest in military history (the author was stationed there as an Air Force officer), but the quality of writing and greater focus on non-military experiences was a pleasant surprise. I now want to quit my job, pack my bags, and head immediately to Alaska.
Customer Rating:
Summary: A smooth, entertaining read
Comment: Sean's style and story-telling ability flow quickly, easily and smoothly. You're happy to go along for the ride, and during the trip you learn so much about one of the smallest, most unique cultures in this American sea of cultures, and about one of the most beautiful yet challenging places on the planet. Things you could learn only by living them. But just as importantly, you laugh as you watch him grow from cheechako to sourdough. A must-buy for anyone into reading humor, or about the military, or Alaska. Get it now!!
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| Editorial Reviews: |
"In New York City, a Cheechako (chee CHA-ko) would be the kid who just fell off the turnip truck. No street smarts. A pink windbreaker. A subway map sticking from his back pocket...In Alaska, a Cheechako is even easier to spot. He's the guy with his tongue stuck to a metal pole. A tenderfoot. A greenhorn."
Land of the Radioactive Midnight Sun is the story of Lt. Sean Michael Flynn as he tries to survive his first year in Alaska. With romantic notions of Jack London and Bush piloting, Lt. Flynn requests a transfer to Eielson Air Force Base outside of Fairbanks, Alaska. He is a bit unnerved at how easy the transfer goes through.
From a rugby game on a frozen river to living across from Santa's Village to random moose attacks to soaring over the Bush in an F-16, Land of the Radioactive Midnight Sun is a hilarious trial-by-many-errors account of what it takes to become a true Alaskan.
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