Today, in many parts of the world, as in the ancient Near East, shepherds are some of the most skilled hunters and warriors among their people.īefore facing Goliath, David described to King Saul how he defended his father’s sheep: “When a lion or a bear came and took a lamb from the flock, I went out after him and attacked him, and rescued it from his mouth” (1 Sam. They must be gentle and strong, tender and courageous, caring and fierce. Shepherds are first and foremost guardians and protectors of the sheep. A noteworthy addition to any travel collection owing to the unique nature and diversity of the material.-The Library JournalĪbout the Author JILL SHEPHERD has worked for The Tundra Times, The Anchorage Times, and has spent the last twenty years at Alaska magazine.When we hear the word shepherd, we typically think of a gentle, mild-mannered man in a relaxed posture surrounded by sheep grazing in a serene valley with beautiful hills. The tales are as diverse as the writers themselves. An Alaskan for more than fifty years, Shepherd travels extensively, photographing and writing about the people and places she visits, and claims Kodiak Island as her favorite vacation spot.
After moving to Anchorage, Shepherd worked for The Anchorage Times before starting her twenty-year career with Alaska magazine, where she is now senior editor.
She graduated from Anchorage High School and the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, after spending earlier years in Central America and California. Jill Shepherd spent twenty-seven years in Alaska's Interior, raising sled dog puppies, baby moose, and three children while co-owning a dog team, operating a wilderness fishing camp, writing for The Tundra Times, and working in public relations for the trans-Alaska oil pipeline. Other stories in this book you won't want to miss include: Don Sheldon's floatplane rescue of eight men from white water the mystery of Klutuk, the beast of the tundra how Julie Collins's sled dog saved her life the trials and tribulations of a nurse running a hospital on the arctic coast in 1921 an Athabascan writer's account of her interviews with her grandmother, a medicine woman newsworthy events across the state, and much, much more. Other chapters include the tale of the Eskimo commercial pilot, flying villagers across the Arctic the story about the young woman who conducted the 1940 census in the Interior by dog team or the story about the family who placed their automobile on a raft, hooked paddles to the axles, and steered their home-built paddle-wheeler down the Yukon River to the first road - whereupon they removed the car from the barge, and drove home to Nebraska. With compelling stories on such events as earthquakes, tidal waves, grizzly and polar bear attacks, the Russian influence, the Gold Rush, the Japanese invasion of the Aleutians during World War II, hunting and fishing, the lives of sourdoughs, and village life, The Last Frontier truly captures the essence of our largest state. Or the story about the family who placed their automobile on a raft, hooked paddles to the axles, and steered their home-built paddle-wheeler down the Yukon River to the first road-whereupon they removed the car from the barge, and drove home to Nebraska.Other stories you won't want to miss in this book include: Don Sheldon's floatplane rescue of eight men from white water the mystery of Klutuk, the beast of the tundra how Julie Collins's sled dog saved her life the trials and tribulations of a nurse running a hospital on the arctic coast in 1921 an Athabascan writer interviews her grandmother, a medicine woman newsworthy events across the state and much, much more.įrom the Back Cover Since 1935, Alaska magazine has charted the development of our biggest, most mysterious state. Or the one about the young woman who conducted the 1940 census in the Interior by dog team. Other chapters include the tale of the Eskimo commercial pilot, flying villagers across the Arctic. With compelling stories on such events as earthquakes, tidal waves, grizzly and polar bear attacks, the Russian influence, the Gold Rush, the Japanese invasion of the Aleutians during World War II, hunting and fishing, the lives of sourdoughs, village life, and much more, The Last Frontier truly captures the essence of our largest state. About the Book The best writing from 65 years of Alaska Magazine.īook Synopsis Since 1935, Alaska magazine has charted the development of our biggest, most mysterious state.