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"Winners of 2018 National Outdoor Book Awards Announced" Also see the winners & reviews on our website
Art for Use by Media Sources: National Outdoor Book Award Medallion High & Low Resolution Scans of the Covers of Winning Books (2018 Award Winners)
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PRESS RELEASE NOTE: High & low resolution cover scans of all books mentioned below are available for download.
The following release consists of three sections: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Ron Watters (208) 282-3912 - wattron@isu.edu
2018 NATIONAL OUTDOOR BOOK AWARD WINNERS ANNOUNCED A race to reach the North and South Poles. A trip down the Arkansas River. An investigation of a murder deep within the Grand Canyon. These stories and more are among the winners of 2018 National Outdoor Books. The exploration of the North and South Poles is the subject of this year’s winner of the History/Biography category: “To the Edges of the Earth” by Edward Larson. Larson concentrates on one year when explorers are on the verge of attaining some of the great prizes in polar exploration. That year is 1909. Expeditions are underway at the top and bottom of the globe. It is the year in which some of the great figures in exploration make their marks: US Naval Officer, Robert Peary; African American adventurer, Matthew Henson; Italy’s Duke of the Abruzzi; and Britain’s Ernest Shackleton. “‘To the Edges of the Earth’ is quite simply great writing backed up by great research,” said Ron Watters, chair of the National Outdoor Book Awards. “To give you some idea of the extent of the research for the book, Edward Larson, the author, travelled to the South Pole. If you enjoy adventure literature, you can’t go wrong with this book.” Larson’s book is one of fourteen winning books in this year’s award program. Sponsors of the program include the National Outdoor Book Awards Foundation, Idaho State University and the Association of Outdoor Recreation and Education. Awards are presented in ten, often highly competitive, categories. The competition in the History/Biography category was so intense this year that the judges chose a second winner. That second winner is “Elevations: A Personal Exploration of the Arkansas River” by Max McCoy. The book describes McCoy’s kayaking experience on the Arkansas River from its source in Colorado, across Kansas to an ending point near the Oklahoma border. “It’s not only a story about kayaking the Arkansas River, it’s also about the cultural history of the river,” said Jim Moss, an outdoor industry attorney and a long time judge for the program. “McCoy does an excellent job of blending stories of the river’s past as he paddles his way downstream.” The investigation into a murder in the Grand Canyon is the subject of the winner of the Outdoor Literature Category. Titled “Pure Land,” it was written by Backpacker Magazine’s Southwest Editor, Annette McGivney. McGivney’s research involved repeated trips down an eight-mile trail to the small Native American village of Supai and nearby Havasu Creek, a popular backpacker’s destination. “This is an extraordinarily well crafted work,” said Watters, “Over a period of years, McGivney dug deeply into two lives, both who come from greatly differing backgrounds and cultures, and both who came together one fateful and tragic day. The deeper she digs, however, the more she finds her own life drawn into the narrative. In the end, the book is no longer about two lives. It’s about three.” Two winners were selected in the Natural History Literature category. The first is “A Naturalist at Large,” consisting of a collection of essays by Bernd Heinrich. “Henrich is one of the finest nature writers of our time,” said Watters, “He writes in a down-to-earth, easy going style that all can enjoy.” The other winner in Natural History is “Rising: Dispatches from the New American Shore” by Elizabeth Rush. Rush’s book addresses climate change and specifically focuses on the rise of sea level along America’s coastlines. She visits Maine, Rhode Island, Louisiana, Florida, Oregon and California, where she examines damage to coastal environments and interviews people whose homes and livelihoods are at risk or have already been washed away. John Miles, who is a judge for the awards program and the former Dean of Environmental Studies at Huxley College, calls Rush’s book “a powerful work and a sophisticated analyses about one of the most pressing issues of our time.” The winner of the Design and Artistic Merit category is “Sage Grouse: Icon of the West.” This coffee table sized book is filled with photographs by Noppadol Paothong. "In nearly every photo, he has managed to obtain the perfect marriage of subject, angle, light and background," said James Moss. "This is an outstanding work of art and a testament to this enduring icon of the west." The Children’s Book winner is “Oregon & Washington 50 Hikes With Kids” by Wendy Gorton. Gorton’s book is designed to be taken along on hikes with children. The hikes were carefully evaluated by Gorton for their appropriateness for children, primarily in the 3-8 year range. Along with each hike, she has included a treasure hunt in which children try to find the flora and fauna pictured in the book. Complete reviews of these and the other 2018 winners may be found at the National Outdoor Book Awards website at: www.noba-web.org. Here is a list of winners. History/Biography. Winner. “To the Edges of the Earth: 1909, the Race for the Three Poles.” By Edward J. Larson. William Morrow, New York. ISBN 9780062564474. History/Biography. Winner. “Elevations: A Personal Exploration of the Arkansas River.” By Max McCoy. University Press of Kansas, Lawrence, KS. ISBN 9780700626021. Outdoor Literature. Winner. “Pure Land: A True Story of Three Lives and the Search for Heaven on Earth.” By Annette McGivney. AUXmedia, Detroit. ISBN9780998527888. Natural History Literature. Winner. “A Naturalist at Large: The Best Essays of Bernd Heinrich.” By Bernd Heinrich. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Boston. ISBN 9780544986831. Natural History Literature. Winner. “Rising: Dispatches from the New American Shore.” By Elizabeth Rush. Milkweed Editions. Minneapolis. ISBN 9781571313676. Design and Artistic Merit. Winner. “Sage Grouse: Icon of the West.” Photographed by Noppadol Paothong. Text by Kathy Love. Design by Stephanie Thurber and Susan Ferber. Laguna Wilderness Press, Laguna Beach, CA. ISBN 9780984000739. Nature and the Environment. Winner. “The Snake and the Salamander: Reptiles and Amphibians from Maine to Virginia.” By Alvin R. Breisch. Illustrated by Matt Patterson. John Hopkins University Press. Baltimore. ISBN 9781421421575. Classic. Winner. “NOLS Cookery.” Edited by Claudia Pearson. Illustrated by Mike Clelland. Stackpole Books, Lanham, MD. ISBN 9780811719810. Children’s Category. Winner. “Oregon & Washington 50 Hikes With Kids.” By Wendy Gorton. Timber Press, Portland, OR. ISBN 9781604698008. Children’s Category. Honorable Mention. “Belle’s Journey: An Osprey Takes Flight.” By Rob Bierregaard. Illustrated by Kate Garchinsky. Charlesbridge, Watertown, MA. ISBN9781580897921. Children’s Category. Honorable Mention. “The Kid’s Guide to Birds of Minnesota.” By Stan Tekiela. Illustrations by Elleyna Ruud. Design by Jonathan Norberg. Adventure Publications, Cambridge, MN. ISBN 9781591937869. Outdoor Adventure Guides. Winner. “Discovering the John Muir Trail: An Inspirational Guide to America’s Most Beautiful Hike.” By Damon Corso. Falcon Press, Guilford, CT ISBN 9781493031245. Nature Guidebooks. Winner. “Butterflies of the Pacific Northwest.” By Robert Michael Pyle and Caitlin C. LaBar. Timber Press, Portland, OR. ISBN 9781604696936. Instructional. Winner. “The Ultimate Guide to Whitewater Rafting and River Camping.” By Molly Absolon. Falcon Press, Guilford, CT ISBN 9781493032334.
History/Biography. Winner. To the Edges of the Earth: 1909, the Race for the Three Poles. By Edward J. Larson. William Morrow, New York. ISBN 9780062564474. In this absorbing book, historian Edward Larson trains his sights on one year: 1909. It is a momentous year when explorers are on the cusp of attaining some of the great prizes of exploration. During the year, expeditions are underway to the North and South Poles, as well as to the Himalaya and Karakoram, seeking the so-called third pole, the “altitude pole.” It is the year in which some of the great figures in exploration make their marks: US Naval Officer, Robert Peary; African American adventurer, Matthew Henson; Italy’s Duke of the Abruzzi; and Britain’s Ernest Shackleton. Based on exhaustive research – including a journey taken by Larson to the South Pole – this book is an accomplished and exceptional historical work.
History/Biography. Winner. Elevations: A Personal Exploration of the Arkansas River. By Max McCoy. University Press of Kansas, Lawrence, KS. ISBN 9780700626021 When author Max McCoy slips into a kayak and begins to paddle the Arkansas River in Colorado, it is the start of two journeys. One journey takes him down the river. The other journey takes him through time. From the river’s headwaters in Colorado, across Kansas to his ending point near the Oklahoma border, McCoy seeks out the river’s cultural history, past and present. He stops to visit the site of a Japanese internment camp. He spends time in a town rocked by labor unrest in 1914, and he climbs to the top of a clock tower to view a massive flood and irrigation dam. Each stop becomes a story, well told and well researched, each blending into an insightful whole.
Outdoor Literature. Winner. Pure Land: A True Story of Three Lives and the Search for Heaven on Earth. By Annette McGivney. AUXmedia, Detroit. ISBN9780998527888. Havasu Creek. Its aqua colored waters, quiet pools and breathtaking falls, deep in the Grand Canyon, is one of the most beautiful places in all of the American Southwest. It’s truly a backpacker’s paradise, and many thousands have made the eight-mile hike into Supai, a small, remote Indian village, to spend time there. But in 2006, the serenity of Havasu was shattered when a young Japanese woman was murdered by a Native American. Author Annette McGivney, Backpacker Magazine’s Southwest Editor, investigates the circumstances behind the incident. What emerges from her investigations is a captivating and an extraordinarily well crafted story, and one which takes a surprise twist, as she finds her own life inexorably drawn into the narrative.
Natural History Literature. Winner. A Naturalist at Large: The Best Essays of Bernd Heinrich. By Bernd Heinrich. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Boston. ISBN 9780544986831. If you haven’t read any of Bernd Heinrich’s essays, this book is an excellent way to become acquainted. Heinrich is one of the finest nature writers of our time, and he writes in a down-to-earth, easy going style that all can enjoy. He’s ever curious, always asking questions, and inviting the reader to join in with that curiosity. In one essay he might be reasoning the purpose of airy, waxy filaments draped over Woolly Aphids. In another, he is discovering that some insects are not as cold blooded as we originally thought, finding, for example, that the temperature of the White Lined Sphinx Moth is a sizzling 111 degrees F. In still another, he deliberates about evolution and whether Olympic strength and endurance athletes have reached the physical limits of the human body. Informative, insightful, always full of surprises, A Naturalist at Large, is Heinrich at his inquisitive best.
Natural History Literature. Winner. Rising: Dispatches from the New American Shore. By Elizabeth Rush. Milkweed Editions. Minneapolis. ISBN 9781571313676 In this penetrating work, Elizabeth Rush addresses the rise of sea level along America’s coastlines. Traveling to Maine, Rhode Island, Louisiana, Florida, Oregon and California, she interviews those on the front lines of climate change. She writes as a journalist but makes no pretense that her reporting is dispassionate. Rather, she feels deeply for the people whose homes and livelihoods are at risk or have already been washed away and moans the irreparable damage to coastal environments. This, too, is an examination of her own life and the connections between it and her subject: family, relationships, and the dangers of a young woman on journalistic assignments. With sophisticated analyses of her observations, Rising is a powerful work about one of the most pressing issues of our time.
Design and Artistic Merit. Winner. Sage Grouse: Icon of the West. Photographed by Noppadol Paothong. Text by Kathy Love. Design by Stephanie Thurber and Susan Ferber. Laguna Wilderness Press, Laguna Beach, CA. ISBN 9780984000739. Nothing beats being in the field watching the sensational mating dance of the sage-grouse. There is, however, a close second, and that is paging through Noppadol Paothong’s stunning photography of the bird. Paothong’s artistry as a photographer and his passion as a naturalist is clearly evident in this large format book. In nearly every photo he has managed to obtain the perfect marriage of subject, angle, light and background. Moreover, the accompanying written material, with finely tuned captions and insightful text written by Kathy Love, raises the high bar established by Paothong’s splendid photography. This is truly a superb work of art and prose, and a testament to this enduring icon of the west.
Nature and the Environment. Winner. The Snake and the Salamander: Reptiles and Amphibians from Maine to Virginia. By Alvin R. Breisch. Illustrated by Matt Patterson. John Hopkins University Press. Baltimore. ISBN 9781421421575 Alvin Breisch’s long time work with reptiles and amphibians is clearly evident in this elegant and resourceful book. A total of 83 different species are showcased and described in a refreshing, conversational style. Scattered about the text are delightful nuggets of information. The Smooth Greensnake, for instance, “is a bit of a picky eater.” What gives this book the “wow” factor are the 94 paintings by master illustrator Matt Patterson. Patterson’s painstaking work is near perfection with each subject rendered anatomically correct and beautifully arranged in its natural habitat.
Classic. Winner. NOLS Cookery. Edited by Claudia Pearson. Illustrated by Mike Clelland. Stackpole Books, Lanham, MD. ISBN 9780811719810 The “NOLS” in NOLS Cookery stands for National Outdoor Leadership School, a non-profit organization that has been sending groups into wilderness areas for 50 years. During that time, they’ve learned a thing or two about outdoor recipes. Now in its seventh edition, this is the classic guide to backcountry cooking. Introductory chapters cover planning, nutrition, packaging, equipment, and environmental considerations. Included also, are helpful hints on the use of lightweight backpacking stoves and techniques of cooking over fires. The bulk of the book, of course, is filled with nutritious and tasty recipes, guaranteed to have been well tested over the years.
Children’s Category. Winner. Oregon & Washington 50 Hikes With Kids. By Wendy Gorton. Timber Press, Portland, OR. ISBN 9781604698008 This lovely and engaging book is designed to be taken along on hikes with children. Each of the hikes has been carefully evaluated by author Wendy Gorton for their appropriateness for children, primarily in the 3-8 year range. The hikes by themselves will be exciting for children, but the book is also a learning tool to help stimulate young minds. There is plenty to see and treasures to be found. In fact, Gorton has created treasure hunts for each of the hikes in which children try to find the flora and fauna pictured in the book. Included also are the trail essentials: how to get there, difficulty, hiking time, and . . . oh yes, perhaps most important: restroom availability.
Children’s Category. Honorable Mention. Belle’s Journey: An Osprey Takes Flight. By Rob Bierregaard. Illustrated by Kate Garchinsky. Charlesbridge, Watertown, MA. ISBN9781580897921. In this book, for the 7 to 10 year age group, children follow the work of a Dr. B., a scientist who studies osprey. What makes this book so appealing is that it is based on a true story of an osprey named Belle – and it was written by the real Dr. B. The story is about Belle’s early life on Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts where she learns to fly and catch fish on her own. With the coming of fall, she sets off on an amazing 4,000 mile journey to South America. Along the way she is chased by a falcon and is even caught in a hurricane. Delightfully illustrated, entertaining and educational, this book is sure to be a childhood favorite.
Children’s Category. Honorable Mention. The Kid’s Guide to Birds of Minnesota. By Stan Tekiela. Illustrations by Elleyna Ruud. Design by Jonathan Norberg. Adventure Publications, Cambridge, MN. ISBN 9781591937869. This pocket-sized book is the perfect guide for budding bird watchers. Bird expert Stan Tekiela has done a dandy job of boiling down bird identification to short and simple sentences that kids from 8 to12 years old will easily understand. Each bird is illustrated with a full-page photo. On the opposite page from the photo, Tekiela provides one-sentence identification clues: what to look for, where to find them, what they eat, etc. His final flourish is to end each bird segment with a fun factoid called “Stan’s really cool stuff.”
Outdoor Adventure Guides. Winner. Discovering the John Muir Trail: An Inspirational Guide to America’s Most Beautiful Hike. By Damon Corso. Falcon Press, Guilford, CT ISBN 9781493031245 You get a little something more than a guidebook with this fine and colorful work on the John Muir Trail. Yes, it is a guidebook. It includes mileage charts, elevation profiles, sidebars and maps, but it is also a photographic essay. From front to back, the book is filled with Damon Corso’s tantalizing color photographs. The narration accompanying the photography is nicely done and adds a personal touch. From Yosemite Valley through Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks to the summit of Mt. Whitney, Corso keeps your interest by describing his experiences on the trail: waiting out rainstorms, crossing swollen streams, coming across unforgettable campsites, and making friends along the way.
Nature Guidebooks. Winner. Butterflies of the Pacific Northwest. By Robert Michael Pyle and Caitlin C. LaBar. Timber Press, Portland, OR. ISBN 9781604696936. In this outstanding guide, over 200 different butterflies found in the Pacific Northwest are pictured and described. All the small details which make a topnotch guide are present: hardy paper cover, color-coded layout, range maps, comparison plates, crisp color photography and clear and understandable text. It’s the perfect guide for Northwest butterfly enthusiasts young and old.
Instructional. Winner. The Ultimate Guide to Whitewater Rafting and River Camping. By Molly Absolon. Falcon Press, Guilford, CT ISBN 9781493032334. Author Molly Absolon’s intent for this book was to provide a helpful instructional guide for folks just getting into whitewater rafting. With a solid overview of the sport, and accurate, up-to-date information, she accomplished that goal quite handily. All the essential elements of multi-day whitewater trips are covered, all nicely packaged in an attractive, full color guide. # # #
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(Note: if you need high resolution scans of the winning books from previous years, see Past Press Releases.) Low Resolution Scans (72 dpi) If you need low resolution scans for blogs, websites and other Internet uses, the following zip file includes all 2018 Winners: Low Resolution JPG's High Resolution Scans (300 dpi) For your convenience, we have made high resolution scans of all NOBA winners. The covers were scanned with a graphic-quality scanner at 300 dpi, a resolution suitable for most print media work. All scans were saved in a TIFF file format. When downloading the following image files, we suggest using your browser's SAVE option. On some browsers, you can do this by right clicking and selecting SAVE LINK AS. History/Biography. To the Edges of the Earth
 NOBA Medallion
The following links will download a high resolution scan of the NOBA medallion. The medallion is copyrighted. However, media sources (such as newspapers, periodicals and other news outlets) may use it without permission to illustrate informational articles on the NOBA program. The scan was saved in a TIFF file format. When downloading the following TIFF image files, we suggest using your browser's SAVE option. On some browsers, you can do this by right clicking and selecting SAVE LINK AS. To download, click on the following: . Winner Medallion Winner Medallion TIFF format (300 dpi): MedalWin.tif (878 Kbytes) Winner Medallion TIFF format (600 dpi): MedalWin600.tif (4.8 MBytes) Note that versions of medallion for use on the web are available: here Honorable Mention Medallion Honorable Mention Medallion TIFF format (300 dpi): MedalHon.tif (744 Kbytes) |
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