First Wilderness, Revised Edition: My Quest in the Territory of Alaska

The story behind the best-selling book One Man's Wilderness and how author Sam Keith and Dick Proenneke met and forged an everlasting friendship. "Sam, you know right well you don't want to leave this country. Don't give up on it. Me and you got to figure something out." After serving as a US Marine during World War II and attending college

About the Author :
Sam Keith (1921–2003) is most known for his work on the runaway bestseller One Man's Wilderness: An Alaskan Odyssey, a book in which Keith edited the journals and photographs of his friend Richard Proenneke’s solo experience in the wilds of Alaska. Text from the book was used in the documentary Alone in the Wilderness, and in 1999 the book was reissued and won a National Outdoor Book Award.

Review :
"Keith's 1972 best seller One Man's Wilderness described his good friend Dick Proenneke's solitary life in the wilds of Alaska. After Keith's death, his son-in-law found this manuscript. His memoir envelops the reader in the sights and sounds of the state's awe-inspiring weather and scenery, details the lives of the plants and animals that inhabit the places Keith visits, and expresses his joy in fishing trips. VERDICT: A beautifully written memoir of Alaska that will appeal to nature lovers, fishermen, hunters, and wilderness seekers." "Sam Keith is remembered for chronicling the life in the Alaska wilderness of his friend Dick Proenneke, arguably the world’s most famous recluse. He did it in One Man's Wilderness, which has sold 400,000 copies since its publication in 1973. The book, along with movie footage Keith shot, was the basis for one of PBS’s most popular documentaries. This book is a prequel . . . an unpublished manuscript and letters Keith wrote to his family about his own Alaska adventures." “Sam Keith’s One Man's Wilderness fired the imaginations of many to discover Alaska’s wild places, including my own journey to homestead a piece of wilderness in the Far North. Now, FIRST WILDERNESS, Keith’s compelling story, comes full-circle to offer a glimpse of why dreamers continue to be drawn to Alaska’s mystical wild not only to quench their thirst for adventure, but also to seek answers to define their character.” "The synchronicity of Sam Keith and Dick Proenneke's friendship and bond through a love of the wilderness and an ability to record their adventures left us with the gift of One Man's Wilderness. Now, once again Sam's words dance across the pages, bringing the reader on their own journey into the wilderness. What a treasure for his son-in-law and daughter to find." “This book is a magic carpet ride back to an Alaska we can all learn from and be inspired by. Thank you, Sam Keith.” "I love One Man’s Wilderness and the inspiring account of self-discovery by Sam Keith is a great companion to that."