The Cruelest Miles: The Heroic Story of Dogs and Men in a Race Against an Epidemic

I’ve read every book I could find regarding the near-miraculous run to bring antitoxin to Nome, Alaska in 1925. This book is among the best, if not the very best, publication regarding that extraordinary race to save the children of that isolated outpost. The authors did a prodigious amount of research, which they used to enhance and expand the story. If you love dogs and adventure stories, you can’t do much better than this real life review of one of the most extraordinary feats of the 20th century.

I’m still reading it it’s pretty interesting

Very interesting account of a diphtheria outbreak in Nome, Alaska during the mid 1920’s and the efforts to bring in sufficient antitoxin to suppress the epidemic. It is a race against time as the outbreak spreads and deaths ensue. The stories of the delivery by dog sleds is truly amazing. Drivers and dogs had to endure temperatures 50-60 degrees below zero, horrendous wind chill and moving ice while battling blizzard conditions. The reader feels as though they are on the sled along with the driver. The bond between the driver and dog comes to the fore as trust is the key to survival.My one quibble with the book is that there are tangential stories, some interesting and others that detract from the story.

A pretty good book centered on the Nome Alaska mercy run to get serum to a diphtheria infected town.This is a good history that of necessity weaves a lot of background into a story highlighting arguable the most famous dog-sled event in history.Nome Alaska is cut off from everywhere not months of the year. Dog-sled is the only method of transportation and even then the nearest hamlets are scores of miles away. The distance to ports and cities that can supply things like drugs needed to combat disease are more than 500 miles away. The distance is made more challenging by temperatures that can reach sixty degrees below zero.The book weaves the history of Nome, the peopling of the Seward Peninsula, the Siberian Husky's introduction into Alaska and its critically assumed role of travel mainstay, territorial politics and ambitions, and early 20th century disease into a pretty good book.The dog and weather aspects are the most interesting. The intricacies of dog team behavior and the ability of handlers to communicate with their lead dogs on a level we mortal pet owners could only wish for was fascinating to learn about. Anyone who think dogs are smarter than they look will find a lot of confirmation in these pages. The brutal cold of Alaska, coupled with its desolate remoteness, were also interesting to delve into.A good book. It plods in a couple of places and the background and tangental information is extensive. Given how little is known about half the (mostly Eskimo, Athabaskan or mixed-blood) drivers, stretches of the route to Nome are mentioned in passing (and I learned in the book that while "Eskimo" can be offensive in Canada and Greenland, it is not so much considered so among Alaskan natives). The tales from the trail where interviews and reminiscences made details of what it was like to travel by dog-sled in beyond miserable conditions are riveting.

This is an incredible story! I got the gift for my dad who just got back from Alaska, and he had heard of the general story, but the book really brought the story to life. He ended up finishing it in two days and- I love this- got him back to reading regularly:) I guess it reminded him how exciting reading can (and should!) be. Definitely a fascinating read.

This is the story of the 1925 diphtheria epidemic in Nome, Alaska, and the dog sled race to bring some life-saving antitoxin to the 70 or so patients eventually afflicted with the horrible disease. Diphtheria slowly strangles its victims from the inside by coating the throat with membranes that gradually close off the windpipe altogether. Aside from being gnarly and terrifying, it's also hugely contagious, so not only could the disease outbreak have wiped out the fledgling community of Nome, but it could have spread throughout the Alaskan Interior. Containing and then halting the spread of the disease, and curing the Nome patients, therefore, was of dire urgency.Too much of the book focuses on the political crosscurrents battling to bring the serum up to Nome by other means than dogsled, and I found this material boring and distracting. Much more interesting sections covered:# the medical facts about diphtheria - e.g., its signs and symptoms (gross, but fascinating) and its treatment# the Alaskan gold rush and its impact on the Territory# the surprisingly rich history culminating in the dominance of dogsleds in Alaska as a means of travel and transport# the extraordinary physical challenges associated with the extreme Alaskan cold# the phenomenal professionalism, selflessness, and dedication of the dogs on the teams.That said, I began to feel like this story would have been better covered by an extended article for Outside magazine (for example) than in an overlong and dead-horse-beating book-length treatise. I enjoyed this book up to a point, but I put it down when the dogs had already brought the medicine to the suffering people (hope I'm not spoiling by telling you that, but unless you're completely cynicism-free you've already guessed that there'd have been no book if the dogs had been unsuccessful) and the book was continuing on seemingly with no end in sight. Perhaps more rigorous editing could have condensed and organized the book so that its climactic ending really came at the end.The authors are first cousins, and their product was clearly a labor of love. All in all it's a read that requires a bit of dedication but it's worth it.

This is how history should be presented: Tell the truth without placing blame. Realize that the people involved did not know the future and everyone did their best to make life better for all. They did not dwell on the mistakes but pushed forward to the goal of getting the serum to Nome. I believe it is not a good idea to force people to do something. I believe the best results are achieved through full disclosure and open discussion of all possible actions and all possible consequences. Only then can people believe that their leaders have their best interests in mind.This has been eloquently portrayed in this book by the authors.Well Done!

Winter 1925 - eine Epidemie bedroht Nome, ein kleines Dorf am äusserten Zipfel Alaskas. Das lebensrettende Serum muss auf schnellstem Weg dorthin gebracht werden. Aber wie? Die Behringsee ist seit Monaten zugefroren, auf dem Landweg führen keine Strassen oder Bahnlinien dahin und die Fliegerei steckt noch in den Kinderschuhen und ist bei diesen eisigen Temperaturen unzuverlässig. Die Lösung: Musher mit ihren Schlittenhunden sollen eine insgesamt 700 Meilen lange Stafette bilden, vom letzten Bahnhof in Nenana bis an die Westküste in Nome.Ein wahres Ereignis verpackt in eine spannende und mitreissende Erzählung. Das Buch gibt einen wahrheitsgetreuen Spiegel jener Zeit wieder. Es zeigt die wildromantischen Seiten des unberührten Alaska genauso wie die unbarmherzige, Leid und Todbringende Wildnis. Heute erinnert das alljährlich durchgeführte Iditarod-Schlittenhunde Rennen von Anchorage nach Nome an die Helden von damals.Ein Muss für jeden Husky- und Alaskafan."The Crulest Miles" ist nur auf Englisch erhältlich - gute Sprachkenntnisse sind daher eine Voraussetzung. Ansonsten ist das Buch ein empfehlenswertes Lesevergnügen für jedermann.

Absolutely brilliant reading. Salisbury and Salisbury's first book superbly researched and written in a way that should appeal to a wide audience. The book could well be used in educational work complimenting the Iditarod Run (takes place March 2015). Excellent coverage not just the absolutely incredible events, but also of the many characters involved. Leonard Sepala and Togo should find a special place in every readers' memory. You will never be reluctant to take your dog out on a cold morning ever again after reading this. I "warmly" recommend it.

A riveting book, we'll researched and written. Would highly recommend to anyone who loves a bit of history & adventure. The things that we humans (with some help from dogs) can achieve are truly astonishing!

nothing