First Wilderness, Sam Keith
First Wilderness, Sam Keith
List: $19.99 | Sale: $13.99
Club: $9.99

First Wilderness
My Quest in the Territory of Alaska (Revised Edition)

Author: Sam Keith

Narrator: Michael Kirby

Unabridged: 9 hr 3 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 01/17/2023


Synopsis

After serving as a US Marine during World War II and attending college on the GI Bill, Sam Keith decided to seek adventure in Alaska as a laborer on the Adak Navy base. There he befriended Dick Proenneke, whose shared love of the outdoors, hard work, and self-reliance quickly bonded an alliance between the two. Together they explored the wilds of South Central Alaska, while working on the Navy base, hunting and fishing with friends and breathing in the great outdoors. Keith was ready to leave after three years of finding almost everything he sought—not realizing then how his fate was intrinsically tied to his friend's and how it would lead to writing the bestselling book One Man's Wilderness.

Sam Keith passed away in 2003. But in 2013, his son-in-law and children's book author/illustrator Brian Lies discovered in an archive box in their garage a book manuscript, originally written in 1974 after the publication of One Man's Wilderness. First Wilderness is the story of Keith's own experiences, at times harrowing, funny, and fascinating. Along with the original manuscript are excerpts from his journals, letters, and notebooks, woven in to create a compelling and poignant memoir of search and discovery. Foreword by Nick Jans, one of Alaska's foremost authors and photographers, and afterword by Keith's daughter Laurel Lies.

About Sam Keith

Sam Keith was an American author whose most notable work was the 1973 bestseller One Man's Wilderness, which he coauthored from the journals and photographs of Richard Proenneke's solo experiences in Alaska.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Randal on September 07, 2018

What a fantastic book! It will leave you hungering for your own Alaska adventure. The author is best known for his book chronicling another Alaskan pioneer, Dick Proennecke (One Man's Wilderness). In this book he writes about his own Alaskan obsession, his journey there to work at any job he could f......more

Goodreads review by Blake on January 24, 2022

I did not expect this to be in the same league as his first book “One mans wilderness,” but it really is. One man’s wilderness detailed his good friend Dick Proeneke’s success as a man who made a life for himself as a homesteader in the wilds of Alaska for decades. This details Sam’s yearning to do......more

Goodreads review by John on November 16, 2014

I have to start off by saying that I won my copy of "First Wilderness" on GoodReads. With that said it was very well written, easy to read and extremely interesting. Anyone that enjoys the outdoors will love this book, and after reading it I added "Alaska" to my bucket list. Thanks Mr. Keith for a g......more

Goodreads review by Hunter on January 29, 2025

Kieth was very cool.......more

Goodreads review by Jacob on February 01, 2021

In Sam Keith's youth he lived any young man's dream: move to the great wide, white North Country and enjoy nature in all it's glory, immerse oneself in everything Alaskan, as a sort of a coming-of-age passage before a more responsible, civilized life comes - but only after the dreams of life's secon......more