Product Description

"Erickson, a rugged individualist if ever there was one, knows his stuff. Erickson misses little, describing the natural wonders of the region, the people who dwell at the remote outposts where gasoline costs nearly as much as good cognac, and the adventures of the first explorers to the great White North, including trappers, Jesuits and prospectors for gold."
--Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

"A blend of stunning landscapes, wildlife, myths, and experience, True North reveals Erickson's love of nature and his passion for truth."
--The Humanist

Leaving behind the comforts of civilized life and armed with only a few essentials, dentist-turned-bush pilot GEORGE ERICKSON captures the exhilarating thrill of roughing it in the wild, flying his Piper Cub Special seaplane into the far reaches of the north. Nearly losing his life--twice--Erickson sets up camp on unexplored lakes and rivers, fishes for trout, struggles with bad weather, dodges forest fires, and and mingles with polar bears, killer whales, musk oxen, and caribou.

In the spirit of Antoine de Saint-Exupery, Charles Lindbergh, and other great aviators, he is an engaging traveling companion. This is much more than a travelogue, however, as Canada's Reader's Showcase aptly describes: "Erickson applies a rare love to the rough, dangerous, and frankly, really, really far-flung lands of the Canadian sub-Arctic. He proves himself to be an expert and avid pilot, storyteller, philosopher, environmentalist, dreamer, and perhaps most impressively, fashioner of some really cool fishing lures."

Replete with personal detail, scientific observation, and historical facts--the most chilling being the story of a group of explorers who starved to death in the very cabin he is visiting--TRUE NORTH is an extraordinary travel narrative that will appeal to flying enthusiasts and armchair travelers alike.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #173662 in Books
• Published on: 2003-08-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 328 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9781592281565
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Review
"Erickson has an ample supply of courage. He writes about a history that most of us know little about and an outdoor lover's paradise that only a lucky few will ever get the chance to witness firsthand. Erickson is not only a brave adventurer in his own right, but he can also weave a good story. Not bad for a retired dentist from Minnesota, eh?"
--Chicago Tribune
-- Review

Review

From the Back Cover
Leaving behind the comforts of civilized life, award winning author and bush pilot George Erickson takes readers on an unforgettable journey in his Piper Cub Special seaplane, through the pristine landscapes of Alaska, the Yukon, and the Northwest Territories. Landing on unexplored lakes and rivers, fishing for trout and pike with his unique handmade lures, the author also struggles with bad weather, dodges forest fires, and mingles with polar bears, killer whales, musk oxen and caribou.
Replete with personal detail, scientific observation, and historical facts - the most chilling being the story of a group of explorers who starved to death in the very cabin he is visiting - True North is an extraordinary travel narrative that will appeal to flying enthusiasts and armchair travelers alike.

Customer Reviews

A different kind of travel.
This is a story of travel in the Canadian Arctic, in Nunavut, in the Northwest Territories, in Yukon and Alaska. It is an exciting and informative tale. Erickson is an experienced pilot who has taken many journeys into the far north, where there are few roads, but every lake is an airport for a small seaplane. Every stream and inlet is a fisherman's paradise, and catching a trout or char for lunch is a matter of minutes.

Erickson is passionate about flying, and the technology that makes it possible. He introduces us to the sciences of flight, of navigation, of nature's flora and fauna. A truly engaged person, Erickson has much respect for the Inuit. He tells us about their history and present life. The eastern half of northern Canada has become the Nunavut Territory with an Inuit (not Eskimo) legislature and administration, and a constitution similar to other Canadian territories. At 772,000 square miles Nunavut is larger than Alaska or Quebec.

We learn a lot about the region. Aside from his own experience, Erickson is very familiar with the history of the land and peoples. He recounts events in the history of the Hudson Bay Company, which was founded in 1670 and is jokingly known as "Here Before Christ." Yet more than any other institution it explored, opened, settled and exploited the region.

A discussion about navigation leads Erickson into describing the growth of ancient astronomy and how it was revived by Copernicus and Galileo. An examination of horsetails, ancient plants, leads him into a consideration of Darwin and what he learned on a different journey aboard the Beagle. Flying along a fault scarp brings to mind the story of Alfred Wegener and the beginning of plate tectonics research. Every stop suggests new ideas.

This is an enjoyable travel story. It avoids the many qualities of heroic bragging. Rather the author emphasizes the insistent need for care, precision, and experience. The northern woods do not suffer fools gladly. Plane wrecks, graves, and lost limbs testify how easy it is to come to harm. But there is a strong quality of everyman in this book, a feeling that I could do this journey given the time, money, and strong enough desire.

A Good Read !!
As a retired mechanical engineer and private pilot I thoroughly enjoyed George Erickson's book "True North: exploring the Great Wilderness by Bush Plane".

He combines description of the vast and wonderous beauty of the Canadian Wilderness with the adventure of flying alone in a small float plane with the occasional sojourns into the realm of science, such as an explanation as to how as airplane flies. But you won't need an engineering degree or a pilots license to enjoy the book because it's all skillfully presented in layman terms. A good read!

This is not a book about flying
Despite what the cover and title may lead you to believe, this book is not about flying. There are some well written flying sequences, but the author spends much more time lecturing us on the evils of Western society, Christianity, and all the evils wrought by the advancement of civlization in general. It is not worth the price.