A very fun read, especially for anyone interested in either the state of Alaska or in aviation, especially the history of aviation "on the frontier" such as it was. This is anything but a typical, dry biography, nor is it the type of Alaska Bush Pilot narrative that became popular in the 1980s and 1990s, that focused entirely on the stories in the cockpit and mentioned nothing of the rest of the world. While it certainly does discuss aviation, and Jorgy's life in the skies, it also spends time addressing the history of Alaska, the difficulties of growing up there in the 1940's and 1950's, the challenges and prejudices of being a Native Alaskan at that time, especially in a field like aviation, and more. The stories are touching and for the most part interesting, both to pilots and non-pilots alike, and the book tends to be a quick read. However what it lacks is structure - it feels like a series of interviews more than a single, continuous narrative, and the threads connecting all of those stories can be tenuous (at best) sometimes. Overall if you can handle the challenge posed by the lack of a traditional biographical structure it is a good, mostly fun read. ( )

One of the jobs I wanted to work at when I was younger was to be a Lighthouse Keeper, the other was to be a bush pilot. Never got to be either of them, but in Jorgy I get to at least read about what it would have been like to be a pilot in the wilds of alaska and canada. I have read a number of narratives like this, but I think this is one of the best. Captured therein is a sense of time and place that no one else but an experienced pilot of 85,000 hours of flight time could do. His time in the air extended from 1943 to 2001...an amazing accomplishment in my eyes...and in many a pilots experience. Reading Jorgy is a pleasure for me, his writing is like his flights...no fuss, no muss, quick and to the point. A great read!! ( )

A very interesting biography. While other Alaskan pilot biographies focus just on flying adventures, this one presents just as fully a history of aviation and a history of Alaska. There are loads of photos as well: cultural, historical, and aeronautical. ( )

The tone and style of this book, which is pretty laid back, belies the risks Holger "Jorgy" Jorgensen took as he pursued a career in aviation in Alaska spanning approximately 55 years. It also chronicles what it was like to grow up a native Alaskan at a time when prejudice against them meant their lives, which were already difficult, was made even more so.

Jorgy had a lot of moxie and was extremely bright, traits which come through in reading his story. Reading this book is more like listening to an old Alaska hand tell stories, and boy did he have stories.

After reading this book, I can imagine what it was like to take off from an airfield, into a low ceiling, climb out above the clouds and flying with just a radio signal for navigation to a lonely airport, having to drop back down through the clouds and rely on flaming 55 gallon oil drums to help you find the runway. His stories relate numerous adventures like this over his long flying career and what is amazing is that he lived to tell about them. Pilots, used to flying in the lower 48 with all kinds of navigational aids including GPS will, I think, find this book especially amazing and entertaining.

Some have commented this book is a little too laid back for them. But I think, if you're interested at all in aviation, Alaska, or especially the combination, you can think of reading this book as sitting down on a cold night next to a pot-bellied stove and listening to a gifted raconteur rattle off one story after another; if that appeals to you, I think you'll really like this book. ( )

A fun read, but certainly not a traditional biography. If you are looking for a straight storyline with a clear start and end, you may be in for a surprise if you pick up this book. In general, this book is pieced together by segments and articles, as if the author is developing a portrait of a person instead of a life story told in the tradional, narrative storyline. With that said, the life of Jorgy is interesting, and this book is worth a look. ( )