I just recently finished reading Alone in the Wilderness about Dick Proenneke and couldn’t put it down. Ended up getting the DVD set about him too. For anyone who has read it, do you have any recommendations for other books a long the same line? I of course have read/seen In to The Wild, but enjoyed the Proenneke book/movie much more if that tells you something.

Thanks

I have the DVD - he was awesome! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/bowdown.gif" alt="" /> I'll have to think about other related books. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

I'm trying to read "The Road" by Cormac McCarthy, but I may just have to see the movie instead. His literary style is too smart for a dummy like me. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/paperbag.gif" alt="" />

The Road is on my list to read, but I'm looking for more non-fiction w/ a slant on wilderness living or survival. I need to print out FerFals story and give that a read

Tom, are pass arounds permitted here? If so, I'd lend out my copy if people wanted to check it out. I can't think of a Dog here who wouldn't dig the story of Proenneke.

I got those DVDs in a pass around, really cool. I bought all of Tom Brown's books and they have some good info...alot of it is bs though. I can't get into his "spirit" stuff. There is just as much good personal info about the guy as bad so take it with a grain of salt. None-the-less his books are an easy read.

are they fiction or non fiction?

If not, you're welcome to set it up on my forum.

bc, the books/dvd I'm talking about are non-fiction. Richard Proenneke pretty much bailed to Alaska, built a cabin by himself--by hand and lived there by himself for the next few decades. He documented a lot of it. The cabin is still there, now owned by the National Parks.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Proenneke

http://www.minifarmhomestead.com/outdoors/richardproenneke.htm


It's a shame that so many know about Christopher McCandless but not Richard Proenneke.

Andy, thanks for the offer...if Tom says it's a no go, I'll definitely take you up on that.

McCandliss was a moron... pure and simple.. no matter his philosophy, and underlying ideals... The movie about him was worthless and served only to romanticize his stupidity... While I did not read the book upon which the film was based, it has been indicated to me that the author did not hold him up on a pedestal as the movie did.... While I certainly do not wish death on anyone, I think that this spoiled brat gained only the inevitable conclusion to his misbegotten wander lust.... had he the intelligence afforded him in the movie, he would have learned from those mentally equipped and offering to teach him, and perhaps lived the dream he had.... instead, his arrogance did him in.... idiot...

That kid, and the movie were both folly.... sorry if I offend, but its my opinion...

Doc

Doc,

While I may have chosen other words to say it, in essence, I agree with you. I think romanticize is the key word with the McCandless story. I have to admit that when I first stumbled upon the book and then to a lesser degree the movie, I was quite enamored with the whole notion. I was raised a city boy...lived most of my youth in Hollywood, but always had a great interest in the outdoors. The thought of saying screw it....and moving to Alaska was a pretty magnetic one, so its easy to see how so many others got caught up in the hype.

It's only after you dig a lot deeper in to the knowledge well, as to what it takes to actually survive in the kind of situation that McCandless put himself in, do you start to have the sentiment that you and I share now. I spent some time in Healy Alaska...which is the town closest to where McCandless died....the few locals that I spoke with are even more matter of fact than you were when it comes to expressing their thoughts on McCandless.

Proenneke is pretty much the polar opposite of McCandless and truly does deserve respect and admiration. I hope his story is one day told to a wider audience.

i like the tom brown field guide series and there are a lot of them to chose from so far i've read about half of them.