About this item
This best-selling memoir from Richard Proennekes journals and with firsthand knowledge of his subject and the setting, Sam Keith has woven a tribute to a man who carved his masterpiece out of the beyond. To live in a pristine land unchanged by man . . . to roam a wilderness through which few other humans has passed . . . to choose an idyllic site, cut trees by hand, and build a log cabin. . . to be self-sufficient craftsman, making what is needed from materials available...to be not at odds with the world, but content with ones own thoughts, dreams and company. Thousands have had such dreams, but Richard Proenneke lived them. This book is a moving account of the day-to-day explorations and activities Dick carried out alone....alone in the wilderness.
About the Author
After serving as a US Marine during World War II and attending college on the GI Bill, Sam Keith (1921-March 28, 2003) followed his dream to Alaska. He arrived on Kodiak Island in July 1952, where he secured a job as a laborer on the Adak Navy base. He befriended a group of like-minded men there, including Dick Proenneke (1916-April 20, 2003) , who shared a love of the outdoors, hard work, and self-reliance.
Keith explored the bountiful wilds of South Central Alaska while working on the Navy base, and later as a Stream Guard and Enforcement Patrolman. In his hunting and fishing trips with Dick and his friends, Keith found almost everything he sought. Through letters to his father back home, Keith chronicled his remarkable adventures in pre-statehood Alaska.
In 1973, Keith went on to write One Man's Wilderness: An Alaskan Odyssey, based on his dear friend Dick Pronneke's journals and photography. It was reissued in 1999 and won a National Outdoor Book Award (NOBA) . In 2003, portions of text from the book and some of Proenneke's 16mm movies were used in Alone in the Wilderness, which began appearing on US public television stations. The wildly popular documentary follows Proenneke as he builds a log cabin with only hand tools, and includes reflections on wildlife, weather, and the natural scenery he sees around him. More @samkeithauthor
