Frank Barr's adventurous life as a pilot unfolds through his experiences flying various aircraft, from the Jenny to the Super Cub. He navigates the challenges of transporting passengers and freight to remote Alaskan and Yukon villages, showcasing the rugged beauty and isolation of the region. The narrative highlights his dedication to aviation and the vital role he played in connecting these secluded communities.
Journalist and historian Cole offers a fresh, absorbing account of the high and low points of a half century of statehood, and the challenges faced by a new generation of leaders who have stepped forward to lead Alaska.
In the 1970s, the world's largest construction companies invaded Alaska in a wild rush to build the 800-mile $8 billion trans-Alaska pipeline. Workers by the tens of thousands headed north, hoping to make their fortunes working on the pipeline, in a stampede that dramatically affected Alaska. With the avalanche of big money and new arrivals came new drugs, prostitution, gambling, and violent crime. Rapid economic and social changes ultimately touched the lives of virtually every Alaskan. Journalist Dermot Cole, dean of the Alaska press corps, recalls the best of the pipeline stories with humor, authenticity, and drama.
In the winter of 1908, six cars left Times Square bound for Paris. They were embarking on a remarkable motor race across the world that would capture everyone’s imagination. In this book, Dermot Cole weaves a thrilling account of the improbable journey west from New York to Paris, the varied characters, and the nascent automobile industry. Drawing from the drivers’ journals and extensive newspaper reports, Cole details the many hardships, triangulations, and physical extremes encountered along the route as the drivers attempted to race from coast to coast, cross the Bering Strait to Russia, traverse Siberia, and onward.Hard Driving delves beyond the riveting headlines to explore the race’s implications for global politics and diplomacy and how the automobile became a viable mode of transportation.