Buildings of Alaska traces Alaska's architecture from the earliest dwellings made of sod, whalebone, and driftwood to the glass and metal skyscrapers of modern-day Anchorage. Focusing on the various cultural traditions that have helped shape the state's architecture, the volume also explores how Alaska's buildings reflect Alaskans' attempts to adapt to the unique conditions of their environment. Alison K. Hoagland examines the contributions to the state's architectural history of three major cultural groups: native Alaskans, Russian settlers, and Americans from the lower 48. Divided into six regions - South Central, Southeastern, Interior, Northern, Western, and Southwestern - entries cover such structures as aboriginal houses, Russian Orthodox churches, log roadhouses, false-front commercial buildings constructed during the gold rush, concrete Moderne public buildings of the 1930s, and high-rise office buildings erected during the oil boom of the 1970s and 1980s. Buildings of Alaska contains over 250 magnificent photographs, drawings, and maps, and will serve as an authoritative reference for scholars and students of architectural history, a compelling source of information for the general reader, and a splendid guidebook for the traveler.

Pt. I consists of a step-by-step guide to constructing a log cabin including tools, site selection, foundations, joining techniques etc. Pt. II outlines the history of log building in Alaska.

This book should prove most helpful as a "how to" guide for a man working alone to build a strong, yet simple log cabin made to last. It can be a log cabin that a man can be proud to call his home or for a getaway home away from home on the weekend. I built the 13 by 41 foot cabin shell, including cutting down the trees and peeling off the bark, in three months while camping out in a tent. Cutting down the trees and pilling off the bark took more than half of the time in completing the shell of the cabin. It was hard work, but by using the trees on my property I saved money and it gave me a more satisfying feeling of accomplishment as I lived my dream. After about three months work the cabin was up and we moved from our tents into the cabin, however, the electrical wiring, well and plumbing, septic system, interior walls, chimney, and 8 by 28 foot add-on, which are covered in varying details (less on the wiring and plumbing) in this book, were worked on as I got the time and money. Overall, to complete the cabin, it took about four to five months time. The 757 square foot cabin was completed in about four months by working long hours, six days a week. The long camping experience was an ordeal for my wife, but my son and I enjoyed it. We thank God for His help and guidance through it all. The plans contained in this book are designed to allow a man working alone to build a cabin in a short time that will last a life time. I include an additional chapter about building a pergola type patio cover out of red cedar. 48 pictures are included in this book. Happy trails!

Diversity has always been central to Alaska identity, as the state’s population consists of people with many different backgrounds, viewpoints, and life experiences. This book opens a window into these diverse lives, gathering stories and poems about lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer life into a brilliant, path-breaking anthology. In these pages we see the panoply of LGBTQ life in Alaska today, from the quotidian urban adventures of a family—shopping, going out, working—to intimate encounters with Alaska’s breathtaking natural beauty. At a time of great change and major strides in LGBTQ civil rights, Building Fires in the Snow shows us an Alaska that shatters stereotypes and reveals a side of Alaska that’s been little seen until now.

The actual building of the line is described and the controversial issues of environmental impact, timing, planning and accountability are discussed.

This is the first detailed account of the 5,000 black troops who were reluctantly sent north by the United States Army during World War II to help build the Alaska Highway and install the companion Canol pipeline. Theirs were the first black regiments deployed outside the lower 48 states during the war. The enlisted men, most of them from the South, faced racial discrimination from white officers, were barred from entering any towns for fear they would procreate a "mongrel" race with local women, and endured winter conditions they had never experienced before. Despite this, they won praise for their dedication and their work. Congress in 2005 said that the wartime service of the four regiments covered here contributed to the eventual desegregation of the Armed Forces.

An unexpected architectural phenomenon-something like a halved tin can turned on its side-swept across the American landscape after World War II: the Quonset hut. Originally designed during the war for use as makeshift housing for soldiers and their families around the world, the seemingly ubiquitous Quonset hut housed a rapidly expanding nation in the 1940s and 1950s both at work and at play. From recording studios-a Quonset was responsible for the birth of the "Nashville sound"--To the 1948 congressional campaign headquarters of Gerald Ford, to an endless variety of incarnations including bars, movie theaters, classrooms, supermarkets, restaurants, and houses of worship, the Quonset hut was the shape of a nation in need of affordable, easy-to-build shelter. Quonset Hut: Metal Living for a Modern Age is a fascinating look at a surprising architectural sensation and offers a refreshing, revealing, and untold story of a true American icon.