Alaska — James A. Michener

To the north lies Alaska, the vast untamed land that master storyteller James Michener now reveals in all of its awesome, sweeping majesty.

The native peoples of Alaska have spent millions of lifetimes confronting the most fearsome elements of destruction -- the bitter winds of Mother Nature, the unlimited might of the great armies of the world. Here are the men and women who tried to tame the land, seize its bounty, and lay claim to the elusive spirit that holds native and visitor alike.

In a novel that ranges from the near-forgotten past to the highly technological present, from self-defense to self-determination, here is Alaska's emotional and at times violent history. It is a stirring portrait of a human community living on the edge of the world, claiming a bold heritage of survival against all odds.