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Thunder on the Tundra: Football Above the Arctic Circle Paperback – August 1, 2008

by Lew Freedman (Author)
3.4 3.4 out of 5 stars 12 ratings
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This is the moving story of high school students in an isolated village at the top of Alaska starting a football team. Against long odds the Whalers had to practice and play in extreme conditions and travel hundreds of miles from home when they went on the "road," flying for each game.They ended their first season victorious, while maintaining their subsistence hunter-gather culture.
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Previous page
  1. Print length
    261 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Alaska Northwest Books
  4. Publication date
    August 1, 2008
  5. Dimensions
    5.5 x 0.73 x 8.5 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0882407422
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0882407425
  8. Lexile measure
    1080L
  9. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 7 Up—The isolated tundra town of Barrow, AK—traditional home to an Inupiat Eskimo whaling community—might not seem like the ideal place to start a football program. But, faced with escalating teen dropout rates and boredom-borne substance-abuse problems, the superintendent of North Slope Borough Schools stubbornly worked to create the Barrow High School Whalers. The team first suited up and began practicing on their barren, rock-riddled gridiron in 2006—once, that is, they had actually figured out how to put on their pads. With a team presumably more prepared to hurl harpoons than 30-yard touchdown passes, and the nearest "crosstown" rival hundreds of seemingly impassible miles away, the Whalers drew the attention of ESPN, which aired a human-interest piece on their improbable initial season. The segment drew the attention of one Floridian football mom who, convinced of the sport's redemptive powers in channeling youthful energies, raised enough money for an artificial turf field and attendance at a football camp in Florida. Her pigskin philanthropy seemed to galvanize once-wavering community support, and what follows is a game-by-game account of their emergent second season—one in which the team learns to win and to lose as a cohesive unit, and does so with nearly perfect dignity. Though the book probes a bit less into the individual teen lives potentially salvaged by adopting a completely alien Lower 48 sport than one might have hoped, it does, nevertheless, provide rare insight into adolescent, academic, and family life on America's quickly changing final frontier.—Jeffrey Hastings, Highlander Way Middle School, Howell, MI
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Say you are a fan of Thoroughbred racing, but you are a little hazy about Whirlaway’s Triple Crown campaign in 1941, or even Seattle Slew’s march to glory in 1977. If so, this is the book for you. Drape, the current turf writer for the New York Times, has combed his paper’s archives for the most memorable writing about the Triple Crown races—the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness, and the Belmont. There are guest pieces by such literary lights as Laura Hillenbrand and Bill Barich, but the bulk of the articles are by the Times’ own turf writers, who have included the incomparable Red Smith, the keenly observant Steven Crist, and Drape himself, who proves to be as adept at organizing these myriad clippings as he is at evoking the beauty and excitement of his favorite sport. These brief pieces weren’t designed to be read in one sitting, but most racing fans will begin with Sir Barton’s 1919 Kentucky Derby win and all too soon find themselves at Rags to Riches’ victory in last year’s Belmont. --Dennis Dodge

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Alaska Northwest Books (August 1, 2008)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 261 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0882407422
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0882407425
  • Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 1080L
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 13.6 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.73 x 8.5 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    3.4 3.4 out of 5 stars 12 ratings

About the author

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Lew Freedman

Lew Freedman

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Lew Freedman is a veteran newspaper sportswriter and experienced author of more than seventy five books about sports and Alaska subjects. He spent seventeen years at the ANCHORAGE DAILY NEWS in Alaska and has also worked for the CHICAGO TRIBUNE and PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER. Lew is recipient of over 250 journalism awards. For more information please visit: www.LewFreedmanBooks.com, @LewFreedman on Twitter, or at his #ThunderontheTundra Facebook fan page.

Customer reviews

3.4 out of 5 stars
3.4 out of 5
12 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Ryan McGowan
3.0 out of 5 stars It was alright
Reviewed in the United States on December 30, 2012
Verified Purchase
It had potential to be a really good football story. Football in the arctic, it certainly is interesting. But, the book wasn't written as good as it could have been. The actual game writing reminded me of the Matt Christopher football books I read when I was a kid, not a good look at football. And the stuff about global warming didn't belong in here. It was still a decent story, but anyone who is serious fan of football should know this isn't anything like Friday night lights or the junction boys.
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janet leigh walker downing
5.0 out of 5 stars True story
Reviewed in the United States on May 23, 2023
Verified Purchase
True story. Liked the way it was written. Learned about the far north. PS someone I know taught school there.
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Victor Ignatiev
4.0 out of 5 stars Football In Alaska And A New Found Respect For It!
Reviewed in the United States on April 5, 2020
Verified Purchase
This is a good book for anyone who is a football fan and wants to know what it is like in Alaska. It follows a team in Barrow, Alaska from the beginning of the season to the end. It goes into detail about the team, the coaches, and the families that are all part of the community and the team itself. It talks about the life of football and life the players have to be a part of in the community in Alaska. It puts into perspective what some might take for granted and also puts a look into the elements of playing football, like the weather and the field conditions. A pretty good read, there are a few slow spots in the book and sometimes it does not flow as well as it should. A good read for sure.
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Paul A. Spangler
3.0 out of 5 stars Tried to like this, but good information otherwise
Reviewed in the United States on July 17, 2012
Verified Purchase
Interesting book on the football program and some out of the ordinary events with good people and others excited for this idea. I didn't particularly like the writing style.
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book
Reviewed in the United States on March 22, 2019
Verified Purchase
Interesting look at introducing high school football to a town on the Arctic Ocean.
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Gerard F. Zemek
4.0 out of 5 stars Football In Alaska
Reviewed in the United States on October 29, 2008
This is a quick read about a High School in Alaska. Barrow decides to start up a football team. Interesting story about the coach and players. I enjoyed the game descriptions the best.
One person found this helpful
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Dale Ruckle
3.0 out of 5 stars Thunder on the Tundra
Reviewed in the United States on August 12, 2008
I liked the book. I liked the background information. In the event, you have been to Barrow, it is a vivid recount of the life in Barrow. It captures the outlook of the elders of Barrow and their heritage.

The global warming part leaves me cold. The mention of Al Gore leaves me more frost bitten an any game the Whalers play.

My grandson was part of the team. If I overlook the parts about global warming, I would rate the book a 6 star.

It is a book I will keep and revisit. Fran Tate and Joe add a new prescriptive to Barrow, The Bower's restaurant (just outside the rib arch) serves the best oriental food money can buy.

The price is right for a look at the Barrow Whalers. Don't ask them about global warming when there is 2 feet of snow on the field in May 2008.
One person found this helpful
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shana lalomia
5.0 out of 5 stars The Heart of the Matter
Reviewed in the United States on July 28, 2008
I am a lover of all things arctic, so I picked this up. I was pleasantly surprised at the cultural relevance of this strory. Hats off to Lew Friedman for capturing the magnificent Alaskan Arctic and its Inupiat people in such beautiful detail.

However, that isn't why I am raving about this book. It is such an inspirational, moving portrait of boys and high school football...and winning and losing...and character building...and teamwork

and the reason the game is played. You will laugh out loud, you will cheer, you will cry....

I hope they make a movie!

Go Whalers!!!!
2 people found this helpful
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