Customer Reviews
Better than Winterdance - By: Ms. A. L. Hulbert, 25 Jun 2008 
Contrary to some other reviews, I absolutely loved this book & thought it was much, much, much better written than Winterdance. Yes, the chap is a journalist & it means that he is able to writein complete, grammatically-correct sentences!
There was more detailin his descriptions of the race & I enjoyed every minute of it.
I was slightly puzzled by the title though - it seems to have little relevance to the story - maybe it is just meant to get your attention?
I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone - even my mother loved it!
My lead dog was a lesbian. - By: , 30 Jun 2005 
Having read Winter Dance first which I have read several times already I was really looking forward to reading this book about the 'The Last Great Race' the Iditarod. I found this a slow read due to the fact that the author has also been a reporter & I personally thought that he was writing it like that whereby one minute he was on about himself & his dog team & the next he would go off on a complete tangent either about his past or what was happening to others on the race.
Having said this it did get better towards the end of the book when he concentrated on the last 11 teams who stuck together towards the end of the race telling you about the trials they were going through with the weather conditions they had to endure aswell as the dogs being exhausted.
The other saving grace that I found interesting was the author putin race posistions & time finished of those who took partin the race at the back of the book along with 1st & last place people & timings over the years so that sets your imagination going thinking about how technology has helped the sport plus thinking about the weathers conditions when comparing timings etc.
This is my verdict on this book others have obviously liked it & would argue the fact, but I would recommend Winter Dance & not this book.
A story about Grit - By: , 02 Mar 1999 This book was hard to put down. Every time I started to read, I wanted to know what happened next. Every chapter was a new adventure for Brian O'Donoghue. I have a deep respect for what he did. I can only imagine how it was attempting to finish the "Last Great Race", the Iditarod. This is a TRUE story about determination & strong will power to accomplish one thing, finish the Iditarod.
Frank Discussion of Other Mushers Adds to Realism of Book.. - By: , 13 Jun 1996 
I ordered this book based on rave reviews of others. Initially,
the shiftin time from one scene to another is confusing, but
once the reader gets used to the format, the book is engrossing.
Having also read Winterdance, by Gary Paulsen, I was prepared
for the descriptions of the grueling test the mushers and
dogs face. What was great about THIS book is the realism
of the event & especially the character sketches of "name"
mushers. The other mushersin the race are far more than
just names, they are real people, actingin the "sometimes great,
sometimes evil, sometimes stupid, sometimes humane" way that real
people do.
In addition, because the book spends a lot of time "in the back"
of the race, you understand that the Iditarod tests ALL the mushers,
not just the winners.
