Product Description

Hundreds of hardy people have tried to carve a living in the Alaskan bush, but few have succeeded as consistently as Heimo Korth. Originally from Wisconsin, Heimo traveled to the Arctic wilderness in his feverous twenties. Now, more than three decades later, Heimo lives with his wife and two daughters approximately 200 miles from civilization -- a sustainable, nomadic life bounded by the migrating caribou, the dangers of swollen rivers, and by the very exigencies of daily existence.

In The Final Frontiersman, Heimo's cousin James Campbell chronicles the Korth family's amazing experience, their adventures, and the tragedy that continues to shape their lives. With a deft voice and in spectacular, at times unimaginable detail, Campbell invites us into Heimo's heartland and home. The Korths wait patiently for a small plane to deliver their provisions, listen to distant chatter on the radio, and go sledding at 44° below zero -- all the while cultivating their hard-learned survival skills that stand between them and a terrible fate.

Awe-inspiring and memorable, The Final Frontiersman reads like a rustic version of the American Dream and reveals for the first time a life undreamed by most of us: amid encroaching environmental pressures, apart from the herd, and alone in a stunning wilderness that for now, at least, remains the final frontier.

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Fascinating real-life study/account        Rating:

If you have any interest in Alaska, you will like this book about a man who has chosen to live off the land in far reaches of Alaska.

Gripping        Rating:

This book grabbed me and held me captive for two days. I had to finish it, no choice. Like every great read I was sad when it ended. I felt like I had spent a few weeks with the Korth family and got to know and care about them. I want to know what happens next. I feel like I now understand the recent history of Alaska in an almost personal way. I have spent the last 25 years in the Canadian North so I have some feeling for the material. This book feels authentic, the writer has a good ear, intuition and work ethic. I am going to buy his next book and see if this was just a happy accident. Well worthwhile!

Mountain Man Dream Went Poof        Rating:

I met James Campbell when he gave a presentation for the upcoming 2010 Appleton Book Festival. He will be one of the featured authors. When he spoke of The Final Frontiersman, I couldn't wait to order the book. You see, my fantasy has been to become a "mountain man" ever since, decades ago, I saw a movie by a similar title. The solitude, the nature, the purity, the chopping your own wood, peppered my dream. And even though I'm over the hill for such an adventure, it still lingers . . . or I should say, lingered until I read The Final Frontiersman. It reads like a well-written novel but is chillingly authentic and hard to put down. I became involved with the Korth family and the difficult struggle of maintaining that kind of life. I don't envy the lifestyle any longer - that envy has turned to admiration for the skill, discipline, strength, and endurance such a lifestyle demands. This is one book I will keep on my shelf, as I would with anything that deserves a place of honor, not only for the author, but more impressively for Heimo Korth.

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