Official Review: Alaska Man by George Davis

[LV2R]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Alaska Man" by George Davis.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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Most of you have probably watched the television shows of Buying Alaska and The Alaskan Bush People (the Brown family). Alaska seems like a foreign and faraway place to most people, even to Americans. The wildlife, mountains, and scenery capture our attention whenever we see a show about Alaska.

Alaska Man: A Memoir of Growing Up and Living in the Wilds of Alaska by George Davis is book one of a trilogy. Davis moved to Alaska when he was just 15 years old and fell in love with the wilderness and way of life there. He learned to fly small airplanes that helped him haul fish and get around to better hunting grounds. He described himself as a hard worker, law-abiding, strong, brave, and capable man who fit well in the Alaskan wilderness.

Davis was able to make a living by commercial fishing, trapping, hunting, and starting an Alaskan Gulf Coast Adventure business. He stood up to troublemakers and often made peace by being tough but fair. It seems that George Davis (though not a native Alaskan) truly is an Alaskan man. He was able to adapt to the environment and situations to make things work.

I enjoyed reading about the descriptions of Alaska and how it was not sugarcoated as a great place to live. Instead, it takes a certain rugged and tough kind of person to thrive in such harsh places. I best liked that Davis tried, to the best of his ability, to abide by all the rules of hunting, trapping, and fishing. He also showed a lot of integrity and honesty in his businesses and in dealing with people.

I didn’t like how some people broke the law, bullied, and pestered others because they thought they could get away with it. I least liked how Davis named some of the characters he came across as “Weirdo” and “Fairy.” People may indeed act weird or strange, but I don’t think it is necessary to name them in that way.

I rate Alaska Man by George Davis 3 out of 4 stars. I noticed many missing commas and a few misspelled words to make me think that this book was not professionally edited. Therefore, I had to take one star away from the rating. However, the story of the author’s life is quite interesting and entertaining to not give a lower rating than a three star.

People who are interested in sports fishing and big game hunting would definitely benefit from this book and may want to contact someone like Davis for planning a trip to Alaska. It is important to connect with someone who has experience and knowledge about Alaska, before heading off with a fishing pole and tent. People who are thinking about living in the wilds of Alaska would like this book the most. It gives great descriptions of what it is like to live off the land and waterways. For most of us, the book makes an interesting read to find out about Alaska, a place that most of us will probably never visit.

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Alaska Man
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Like LV2R's review? Post a comment saying so!

[InStoree]

Yeah, let's find out more about Alaska! I'm also curios about David's business attitude. He seems to be firm and grounded. Thanks for your 'indigenous' review! I'll add the book to my list.

[kandscreeley]

I do think it's a bit off to name the characters weirdo, etc. However, I am curious about Alaska and what it's like to live there. Sounds interesting enough that I may have to look into it. Thanks!

[clancy8]

Seems to be an intriguing read.
Davis going to Alaska at age 15
really want to know more about Davis and Alaska as well.
just so curious to read this.
nice review.
Great job!!

[Elvis93]

what a book this can be. Discovering Alaska, Davis adapting to life in this region. I think I will be a happy man reading this book. Good review.

[Elvis93]

what a book this can be. Discovering Alaska, Davis adapting to life in this region. I think I will be a happy man reading this book. Good review.

[BelleReadsNietzsche]

Sounds like a good book for those interested in Alaska! It seems like my perceptions of it (even as someone who lives in the U.S., and yes, who sometimes sees it as a "far off place") may not be that far off from reality. It does seem to take a certain kind of grit. Thanks for the review!

[Kelyn]

Although I do enjoy the occasional episode of The Alaskan Bush People, my interest isn't really stirred by this book. I find it amazing that anyone can (or would want to) live there and succeed though. His slurs against people would most probably turn me off too. I think I'll give this one a pass, but thanks for the review!!

[nooregano]

I really enjoy it when memoirs don't overly sugarcoat the early experiences of the author. It's really refreshing!

Thanks for the candid review!

[Kajori Sheryl Paul]

I would like to know more about how Davis settled in Alaska. I would definitely like to know more about Alaska. Though, I find the way Davis names the characters "Weirdo" and "Fairy" a bit disconcerting.

Thank you for the detailed review.