/ Iditarod Books / The Iditarod in General

The Iditarod in General

The Iditarod is set against the (much) bigger backdrop of Alaska. This category includes some selected general-purpose reference works to assist non-Alaskans (or even for Alaskans who are not quite familiar with their home state) to better understand the Last Frontier.

The Iditarod: The Most Demanding Race of All

by Bella Levorson
George Attla

Publisher: American Publications, Rome, NY (1974)

Intended Audience: Middle school and up

George Attla is still a name to be reckoned with in Alaska mushing circles. Although his chief fame has always been as a highly successful and respected sprint musher, like most sprint drivers he took a try at the Iditarod. This out-of-print book is believed to be the first about the race by someone who actually ran it (Attla ran the first two Iditarods).

Iditarod Silver

by Lew Freedman
Jeff Schultz

Pages: 168

Publisher: Epicenter, Seattle (1997)

ISBN: 0945397577

Intended Audience: Grades 3 and up

This is the official Iditarod 25th Anniversary commemorative book, with Lew Freedman's knowledgeable text and Jeff Schultz's breathtaking photos. This has probably been the most-autographed book in Iditarod history--in the 1997 race, every musher probably signed hundreds of these before reaching Nome, and more after getting there.

Spirit of the Wind

by Lew Freedman

Pages: 223

Publisher: Epicenter, Seattle (2001)

ISBN: 0945397923

Intended Audience: Grades 7 and up

This is the stirring biography of George Attla, the little-known Athabascan Indian from the tiny Koyukuk River village of Huslia, who limped to the starting line in the 1958 Fur Rendezvous World Championship sled dog race in Anchorage. Attla’s record-setting victory shocked the mushing establishment and ushered in a new era of sled dog racing. Becoming a mushing legend wasn’t easy. Years of Attla’s boyhood were spent in hospital beds far from home. Finally returning to Huslia, his knee permanently fused as a result of crippling bone tuberculosis, Attla turned to dog mushing to escape alienation and anger. Spirit of the Wind tells of Attla's rivalry with mushing greats such as Alaskan Gareth Wright and "Doc" Lombard from New England; of his canny race strategy; of his remarkable success raising the world's fastest dogs; and of his many personal triumphs and tribulations.

1049 Miles: The Call of the Iditarod

by Terry Adkins

Publisher: T.O. Adkins, (1977)

Intended Audience: Middle school and up

One of the first books published about the Iditarod by an Iditarod musher, this slim, long-out-of-print volume is more a collector's item than a bestseller. It contains the often earthy and generally rough-edged observations of Terry Adkins, who didn't run the first Iditarod because he was the race's sole veterinarian. He eventually headed up the long trail to Nome 21 times, more than any other musher--and he's not done yet.

Iditarod Country: Exploring the Route of the Last Great Race

by Tricia Brown
Jeff Schultz

Pages: 64

Publisher: Epicenter, Seattle (1998)

ISBN: 0945397666

Intended Audience: Grades 4 and up

Vignettes of villages and checkpoints along the trail--glorious photos and interesting stories.

One Second to Glory

by Lew Freedman

Pages: 229

Publisher: Epicenter, Seattle (2001)

ISBN: 0970849346

Intended Audience: Grades 7 and up

In 1978, Dick Mackey claimed the most dramatic victory ever in the Iditarod Sled Dog Race, crossing the finish line in Nome a mere one second ahead of Rick Swenson after a two-week, 1,149-mile run from Anchorage. Many years later Alaskans still shake their heads in amazement. Mackey's colorful stories are told in his own words in interviews with Lew Freedman, outdoor adventure writer for the Chicago Tribune and long time former sports editor of the Anchorage Daily News. Freedman has written seventeen books about Alaska.

Father of the Iditarod The Joe Redington Story

by Lew Freedman

Pages: 317

Publisher: Epicenter, Seattle (1999)

ISBN: 9945397755

Intended Audience: Grades 8 and up

In a place where respect is not easily earned, the name of this homesteader, pilot, and visionary dog mushers generates awe. His is the classic image of an Alaska pioneer-- rugged, independent, determined, hard-working. Meet Joe Redington, Father of the Iditarod, a man who found his destiny in Alaska. Almost single-handedly, Redington rescued Alaska dog mushing from extinction. With ambition, an abiding love for sled dogs and refusal to accept "it can't be done," Redington created a legacy in a thousand-mile race across Alaska that has thrilled the world for more than twenty-five years, the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.

Iditarod Spirit

by Kim Heacox

Pages: 144

Publisher: Graphic Arts Publishing Co., Portland (1991)

ISBN: 1558680675

Intended Audience: Grades K and up

A big-format coffee-table book; magnificent pictures.

A Fan's Guide to the Iditarod

by Mary H. Hood

Pages: 412

Publisher: Alpine Publications, Loveland, CO (1996)

ISBN: 0931866855

Intended Audience: Grades 4 and up

Undoubtedly the most complete reference yet published for the Iditarod. Loaded with information on everything from musher statistics to checkpoint data to race rules to background on dogs.

Iditarod: The 1,000-Mile Marathon

by Bill Harris

Pages: 64

Publisher: Cresent, (1986)

ISBN: 0517601869

Intended Audience: Grades K and up

Picture book. Excellent color photographs of the Iditarod.

Adventures of the Iditarod Air Force

by Ted Mattson

Pages: 154

Publisher: Epicenter, Seattle (1997)

ISBN: 0945397593

Intended Audience: Grades 5 and up

The Iditarod wouldn't be possible without the volunteer pilots in the Iditarod Air Force who donate their time, their planes, and their expertise every year to move everything from dog food to dogs to dog doctors along the trail in conditions that are sometimes simply beyond belief. More than a few IAF pilots have caught the mushing bug and have run the race themselves, several more than once. Mattson's book is a collection of stories from different pilots and races, ranging from quiet reflection to wild adventure. This is a very different look at a critical behind-the-scenes component of the race.

Iditarod: The Great Race to Nome

by Bill Sherwonit
Jeff Schultz

Pages: 144

Publisher: Alaska Northwest, Anchorage (1991)

ISBN: 0882404113

Intended Audience: Grades K and up

Jeff Schultz's photographs and Bill Sherwonit's text combine for an excellent look at the Iditarod. Works on two levels--kids will love the pictures, adults will enjoy the added depth with the text

Racing the Iditarod Trail

by Ruth Crisman

Publisher: Dillon, New York (1993)

ISBN: 0875185231

Intended Audience: Grades 4-8

Using the 1991 race as a backdrop, the author covers many aspects of the Iditarod, from the trail to the checkpoints to the terrain and people involved, in a start-to-finish format with color photos.

Dashing Through the Snow: The Story of the Junior Iditarod

by Sherry Shahan

Pages: 48

Publisher: Millbrook, Brookfield, CT (1997)

ISBN: 0761302085

Intended Audience: Grades 3-6

A look at the Junior Iditarod with photos. Good background and reference.

Mush: Across Alaska in the World's Longest Sled-Dog Race

by Patricia Seibert
Illustrated by Jan Davey Ellis

Pages: 32

Publisher: Millbrook, Brookfield, CT (1994)

ISBN: 0395645379

Intended Audience: Grades K-5

A good book to give children their first overview of the Iditarod. Fine illustrations with a brief history of Alaska.