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A review by kelly_inthe419
The Cruelest Miles: The Heroic Story of Dogs and Men in a Race Against an Epidemic by Laney Salisbury, Gay Salisbury
4.0
The Cruelest Mile was my final read for nonfiction November and it really packed a punch. If you've ever wondered how the now famous Iditarod dog sled races began and why dogs would race all that way across frozen tundra, here's the answer.
In 1925, the tiny and isolated town of Nome, Alaska, was struck by a diphtheria epedemic that was gruesome and deadly. Without enough antitoxin (read antibiotic) the town was in dire need. Its ports frozen for the winter and surrounded by snow, ice, wind and record low temperatures prevented ships as well as smaller, open cockpit (and then unreliable) airplanes to make the journey. But man, and man's best friend, had no such limits. For years, mail and other supplies were regularly brought to Nome and surrounding mining villages by dog sleds.
It was incredibly interesting reading about conflicting interests and the politics (even though Alaska wasn't yet a state) between some powerful Fairbanks leaders who wanted to promote air travel as the best solution, while the governor believed the dog sleds were the only solution. Plans were made, teams were hired at various drop off posts from Nenana in central Alaska to Nome. Under normal circumstances this was a 25-day journey. But with relay teams exchanging the serum at every point and running practically 24/7, the medicine made its way to Nome in just six days.
You may be familiar with Disney hero Balto, one of the lead sled dogs who completed the final leg of the run to bring the serum to Nome. But much of the book's attention focuses on Leonhard Seppala and his lead dog Togo. Together they completed about 200 miles - Balto was actually one of Seppala's dogs but not chosen for his specific team. We also learn about Seppala's role in bringing Siberian Huskies to Alaska and his belief that the smaller, more athletic dogs were better suited to dog sleds than the prevailing use of Malamutes and Newfoundlands.
The book also includes lots of Alaskan history and its indigenous people. The whole thing was interesting as a reader with a now vested interest in Alaska (my son lives north of Nome in a small native village as a teacher). We have been to the state several times and are always fascinated by the people and its history.
Note: There may be triggers here for some of the tales of frostbite and even death both human and canine. They made the ultimate sacrifice to save others.
In 1925, the tiny and isolated town of Nome, Alaska, was struck by a diphtheria epedemic that was gruesome and deadly. Without enough antitoxin (read antibiotic) the town was in dire need. Its ports frozen for the winter and surrounded by snow, ice, wind and record low temperatures prevented ships as well as smaller, open cockpit (and then unreliable) airplanes to make the journey. But man, and man's best friend, had no such limits. For years, mail and other supplies were regularly brought to Nome and surrounding mining villages by dog sleds.
It was incredibly interesting reading about conflicting interests and the politics (even though Alaska wasn't yet a state) between some powerful Fairbanks leaders who wanted to promote air travel as the best solution, while the governor believed the dog sleds were the only solution. Plans were made, teams were hired at various drop off posts from Nenana in central Alaska to Nome. Under normal circumstances this was a 25-day journey. But with relay teams exchanging the serum at every point and running practically 24/7, the medicine made its way to Nome in just six days.
You may be familiar with Disney hero Balto, one of the lead sled dogs who completed the final leg of the run to bring the serum to Nome. But much of the book's attention focuses on Leonhard Seppala and his lead dog Togo. Together they completed about 200 miles - Balto was actually one of Seppala's dogs but not chosen for his specific team. We also learn about Seppala's role in bringing Siberian Huskies to Alaska and his belief that the smaller, more athletic dogs were better suited to dog sleds than the prevailing use of Malamutes and Newfoundlands.
The book also includes lots of Alaskan history and its indigenous people. The whole thing was interesting as a reader with a now vested interest in Alaska (my son lives north of Nome in a small native village as a teacher). We have been to the state several times and are always fascinated by the people and its history.
Note: There may be triggers here for some of the tales of frostbite and even death both human and canine. They made the ultimate sacrifice to save others.