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A
Note to Members of the Media and Web Site Developers
We.invite
you to sign up for our media email list. Our email list is confidential
and not shared with any other sources. We send out only three press
releases per year. One release announces the opening of nominations
for the new year's program--and the other two announce the winners (one
in the fall immediately after the judge's decisions are released to the
press, and a follow-up release in the spring which re-caps the winners).
To get on the mailing list, send an email to NOBA Chair Ron Watters at
wattron@isu.edu.
Press
Release for 1999 Winners
NATIONAL OUTDOOR BOOK AWARDS
Box 8128, Pocatello, ID 83209
Contact: Ron Watters (wattron@isu.edu)
(208) 236-3912
NOTE: Cover scans of
all books mention below are available for download.
See also the announcement
of the winners & reviews on our website
To download the following release
(in Microsoft Word format), click here: NOBA99a.doc
The following release consists
of three sections:
General
Release | Quick Summary of Winners | Complete
Reviews of Winners
1999 NATIONAL OUTDOOR BOOK AWARD WINNERS ANNOUNCED
The engaging and inspiring story of a man carving a masterpiece of a
cabin out of the Alaskan wilderness is the winner of the Biography Category
of the 1999 National Outdoor Book Awards (NOBA). One Man's Wilderness,
by Richard Proenneke and Sam Keith is a beautifully and simply told story
of harmony and life removed from civilization.
One Man's Wilderness is one of several books which were honored
at a special evening ceremony of the International Conference on Outdoor
Recreation and Education held in Jackson Hole, Wyoming in early November.
NOBA is the largest and most prestigious national award program for authors
and publishers of outdoor books.
Other 1999 winners include Richard Bang's The Lost River, a gripping
story of river rafting deep in the recesses of Africa. Bang's book
won the Outdoor Literature Category.
The winner of the Children's Category is The Inuksuk Book by
Mary Wallace. A fascinating book for preteens, it is about Inuksuks
which are stone structures used by the Inuits of the Arctic to communicate
with one another.
Two books won the Nature and Environment category. One is Washington's
Mount Rainier National Park, a stunning pictorial book with heart-felt
prose by author Tim McNulty. The other book, authored by naturalist
Phillip Manning is Islands of Hope, an investigation into ten wildlife
preserves that offer hope for protecting animals and ecosystems.
The winner of the instructional category was Mark Twight's Extreme
Alpinism which is a master class for accomplished climbers who risk
it all in some of the world's most dangerous places.
Scats and Tracks of the Rocky Mountains was the judge's favorite
for the Nature Guidebook category. This pocket sized book helps decipher
the signs left behind by mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians.
Winner of the Design category is Wildflowers of the Appalachian Trail
by Leonard Adkins, a colorful and elegant guide to the flora of the 2,100-mile
trail.
Trout Unlimited's Guide to America's 100 Best Trout Streams won
the adventure guidebook category. A stylishly written guide by John
Ross, it's sure to fire an angler's imagination.
The Outdoor Classic Award was won by Cache Lake Country.
John Rowland's book, first published in 1947, is about his experiences
and explorations in the lake country of the North Ontario woods.
Honorable mention went to Vermont and New Hampshire Winter Trails
by Marty Basch (guidebook category) and Spotted Bear: A Rock Mountain
Folktale by Hanneke Ippish (design category)
.
Five books were named as "works of significance" in the outdoor field
including Walking Softly in the Wilderness by John Hart, Kayaking
by William Nealy, How to Rock Climb by John Long, Expedition
Kayaking by Derek Hutchinson, and Cowstails and Cobras by Karl
Rohnke.
Complete reviews of all of the books are found on the National
Outdoor Book Awards website: www.isu.edu/outdoor/bookpol.htm
-----
A summary of the winners along with full titles and publishers follows:
History Biography Category. One Man's Wilderness: An
Alaskan Odyssey. By Sam Keith from the journals of Richard Proenneke.
Published by Alaska Northwest Books, Anchorage.
Literature Category. The Lost River: A Memoir of Life,
Death, and Transformation on Wild Water. By Richard Bangs.
Published by Sierra Club Books in conjunction with Random House, San Francisco.
Children's Category. The Inuksuk Book. Text and illustrations
by Mary Wallace. Published by Owl Books, Toronto.
Nature and the Environment Category. Washington's Mount Rainier
National Park: A Centennial Celebration. By Tim McNulty.
Photographs by Pat O'Hara. Published by The Mountaineers, Seattle.
Nature and the Environment Category (2nd winner). Islands of Hope:
Lessons from North America's Great Wildlife Sanctuaries by Phillip
Manning. Published by John F. Blair, Winston-Salem, NC.
Instructional Category. Extreme Alpinism: Climbing Light, Fast
and High. By Mark Twight and James Martin. Published by
The Mountaineers, Seattle.
Nature Guidebook Category. Scats and Tracks of the Rocky Mountains:
A Field Guide to the Signs of 70 Wildlife Species. By James Halfpenny.
Illustrated by Todd Telander. Published by Falcon Press, Helena,
MT.
Design and Artistic Merit Category. Wildflowers of the Appalachian
Trail. By Leonard Adkins. Photographs by Joe and Monica
Cook. Published by Menasha Ridge Press. Birmingham, AL.
Adventure Guidebook Category. Trout Unlimited's Guide to America's
100 Best Trout Streams. By John Ross. Published by Falcon
Press, Helen, MT.
Outdoor Classic Award. Cache Lake Country: Life in the
North Woods. By John J. Rowlands. Published by The Countryman
Press, Woodstock, VT.
Guidebook Honorable Mention. Vermont and New Hampshire Winter Trails.
By Marty Basch. Published by The Globe Pequot Press, Old Saybrook,
CT.
Design Honorable Mention. Spotted Bear: A Rocky Mountain Folktale.
By Hanneke Ippisch. Illustrated by Hedvig Rappe-Flowers. Designed
by Kim Ericsson. Published by Mountain Press Publishing, Missoula,
MT.
Titles named Works of Significance in the outdoor field include: Walking
Softy in the Wilderness: The Sierra Club Guide to Backpacking by John
Hart. Kayaking: An Animated Guide of Intermediate and Advanced
Whitewater Technique by William Nealy. How to Rock Climb by
John Long. Expedition Kayaking by Derek Hutchinson. Cowstails
and Cobras II: A Guide to Games, Initiatives, Ropes Courses & Adventure
Curriculum by Karl Rohnke.
-----
Full reviews of each book follows:
History-Biography Category Winner:
One Man's Wilderness: An Alaskan Odyssey. By Sam
Keith from the journals of Richard Proenneke. Published by Alaska
Northwest Books.
Lots of books have been published about intrepid souls who head off
into the wilderness, build their own cabin, and live a life removed from
civilization. But if you were to pick one which comes closest to
truly describing that experience, this is the book. Richard Proenneke
has a refreshingly simple and wonderful outlook on life, and like the warmth
from a potbelly wood stove, you can't help but be drawn to him and his
engaging story. You'll be there right alongside him on the shore
of Twin Lakes, helping him carve out a masterpiece of a cabin, and then
settling in with him for a full and introspective life in the Alaskan bush.
Literature Category Winner:
The Lost River: A Memoir of Life, Death, and Transformation
on Wild Water. By Richard Bangs. Published by Sierra Club
Books in conjunction with Random House.
Since the early 1970s, Richard Bangs has been in the vanguard of river
exploration. He is particularly known for his bold ventures deep
into the recesses of Africa. In nearly a dozen books, Bangs has written
of his experiences, but in this book we see and learn more of him than
ever before. Primarily this book is about his 1996 pioneering run
of Ethiopia's Tekeze River, but the most interesting and telling part of
the story is the long, and sometimes tragic, path which led him there.
Children's Category Winner:
The Inuksuk Book. Text and illustrations by Mary Wallace.
Published by Owl Books.
An Inuksuk is a stone structure, a type of road sign, used by the Inuits
of the Arctic to communicate important information. They show the
way when travelers are a long way from home, or warn of dangerous places,
or point to a place of reverence. This 64-page book, which will intrigue
children of the pre-teen years, consists of a series of short stories about
the Inuksuk and its importance in the Inuit culture.
Nature and the Environment Category (Two Winners):
Washington's Mount Rainier National Park: A Centennial Celebration.
By Tim McNulty. Photographs by Pat O'Hara. Published by The
Mountaineers.
Mount Rainier, published on the 100th anniversary of the founding of
the park, is an absolutely stunning book filled with breathtaking photography.
Large format books are often accompanied by dull, inane text, but not this
one. The mountain and its surrounding environment are described in
beautiful, heart-felt prose. A sensitive and synchronous collaboration
between writer, photographer and publisher, this books succeeds wonderfully.
Every sacred mountain should have its story so handsomely told.
Nature and the Environment Category (Second Winner):
Islands of Hope: Lessons from North America's Great Wildlife
Sanctuaries by Phillip Manning. Published by John F. Blair.
Naturalist Phillip Manning visits ten wildlife preserves in four North
American countries, investigating the animals and ecosystems that the sanctuaries
protect. In a simple and understanding style, Manning helps readers
learn how refuges work, their history and the challenges facing them.
There is caution, of course, in the book's message, but mostly the message
is of abiding hope for the future.
Instructional/How-to Category Winner:
Extreme Alpinism: Climbing Light, Fast and High. By Mark
Twight and James Martin. Published by The Mountaineers.
In both temperament and content, this book is a clear departure from
past instructional texts in mountaineering--and outdoor texts in general.
Directed to accomplished climbers, this a master class for those who risk
it all by venturing into some of the most dangerous places in the world.
Content of the class: character, attitude, training, fitness, nutrition,
clothing, equipment and technique. Class instructional aids: well
designed book with graphic and dramatic color photographs throughout.
Nature Guidebook Category Winner:
Scats and Tracks of the Rocky Mountains: A Field Guide to the Signs
of 70 Wildlife Species. By James Halfpenny. Illustrated
by Todd Telander. Published by Falcon Press.
In this book, conveniently sized to fit in the back pocket, nationally
renowned tracker, Dr. James Halfpenny helps decipher the signs left behind
by mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians. The 145-page guide is
a real bargain and includes clear and understandable drawings and concise
descriptions of the scats, tracks and gait patterns of 70 Rocky Mountain
species.
Design and Artistic Merit Winner
Wildflowers of the Appalachian Trail. By Leonard Adkins.
Photographs by Joe and Monica Cook. Published by Menasha Ridge Press.
From a practical standpoint, this book is a field identification guide
of the flora of the 2,100-mile Appalachian trail--and an excellent one
at that. But it is much more than a guidebook. It is a work
of art and a feast for the eyes. Wildflowers of the Appalachian Trail
is designed with grace and elegance and filled with exquisite, full-page
color photographs. It is rare to find a guidebook where every photograph
is perfect, but this is one. If you're hiking or traveling in the
Appalachian country, this is one book that you don't want to be without.
Design and Artistic Merit Honorable Mention:
Spotted Bear: A Rocky Mountain Folktale. By Hanneke Ippisch.
Illustrated by Hedvig Rappe-Flowers. Designed by Kim Ericsson.
Published by Mountain Press Publishing.
This enchanting children's book is the story of how bears, some bears,
at least, get their spots. It is a wonderfully designed book and
beautifully illustrated with Hedvig Rappe-Flowers' rich and colorful paintings.
For young children--and adults too--it is certain to provoke wonder and
excitement.
Adventure Guidebook Category Winner:
Trout Unlimited's Guide to America's 100 Best Trout Streams.
By John Ross. Published by Falcon Press.
These are the streams that fire an angler's imagination: 100 of them
in 30 states across the US, voted the best places to catch trout by members
of Trout Unlimited. The writing in this well organized guide is strong,
lively and stylish. It makes you want to grab your rod and hit the
road.
Adventure Guidebook Category Honorable Mention:
Vermont and New Hampshire Winter Trails. By Marty Basch.
Published by The Globe Pequot Press.
Designed for all levels, from consummate winter recreational skiers
and snowshoers to beginners and families, Winter Trails covers the best
places to snowshoe and cross-country ski in Vermont and New Hampshire.
Outdoor Classic Award:
Cache Lake Country: Life in the North Woods. By
John J. Rowlands. Published by The Countryman Press.
This book, first published in 1947, carries the reader back to an earlier,
simpler time in the twentieth century. It's about John Rowland's
life on Cache Lake, a lake located in forests of northern Ontario reached
only by canoe. Rowlands writes of the seasons, the wildlife, and
his explorations with nearby northwoods neighbors including a Cree Indian
chief and an artist. The book is interspersed with descriptions and
drawings of Rowland's hand-made backwoods inventions and woodcraft projects
of all manner and shape. Full of a down-to-earth eloquence and commonsensical
backcountry wisdom, it's a cozy and heartwarming book to curl up with.
Works of Significance in the Outdoor Field
Although the following books entered in this year's contest were not
selected as winners, the judges wanted to recognize their value and importance
in the outdoor field. All of them have gone through multiple editions
and printings. And all are tried-and-true books which have done much
to make outdoor skills, techniques and the outdoor experience more understandable.
Walking Softy in the Wilderness: The Sierra Club Guide to Backpacking
by
John Hart. Literate, environmentally sensitive, and chocked full
of valuable advice, John Hart's book is one of the finest texts ever published
on backpacking.
Kayaking: An Animated Guide of Intermediate and Advanced Whitewater
Technique by William Nealy. Quirky, creative, humorous, and uncommonly
useful, this is a classic in the whitewater kayaking world.
How to Rock Climb by John Long. Now in its third edition,
John Long's plain-speaking book remains the standard text of rock climbing
technique.
Expedition Kayaking by Derek Hutchinson. Thirty-year sea
kayaking veteran and inveterate expeditioner, Derek Hutchinson, tells how
it's done in this, the fourth edition of his colorful and eminently instructive
book.
Cowstails and Cobras II: A Guide to Games, Initiatives, Ropes Courses,
& Adventure Curriculum by Karl Rohnke. Penned by one the
great innovators of the experiential education field and stuffed to the
brim with adventure games and initiatives, this immensely resourceful book
is an outdoor education classic.
# # #
To download the above release (in Microsoft Word format), click here:
NOBA99a.doc
If you are unable to use
the Microsoft Word document, above, a simple way to transfer the press
release to your word processor is to highlight the text of the above press
release with your mouse, choose EDIT--COPY, and then paste it in your word
processor. Another way is to choose FILE--SAVE AS (TEXT) on your
Browser Menu. This method saves the entire page, but once you open
the file in your word processor, you can delete any text you don't want.
Note that both of the above methods will not retain formatting.
Cover Scans of
all 1999 Winning Books
For your convenience, we have made high resolution
scans of all 1999 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. To download, click on one
or more of the following:
History Biography Category. One
Man's Wilderness
Literature Category. The
Lost River
Children's Category. The
Inuksuk Book
Nature and the Environment Category. Washington's
Mount Rainier National Park
Nature and the Environment Category (2nd winner). Islands
of Hope
Instructional Category. Extreme
Alpinism: Climbing Light, Fast and High
Nature Guidebook Category. Scats
and Tracks of the Rocky Mountains
Design and Artistic Merit Category. Wildflowers
of the Appalachian Trail
Adventure Guidebook Category. America's
100 Best Trout Streams
Outdoor Classic Award. Cache
Lake Country: Life in the North Woods
Guidebook Honorable Mention. Vermont
and New Hampshire Winter Trails
Design Honorable Mention. Spotted
Bear: A Rocky Mountain Folktale
Works of Significance: Scan
of the five covers.
National Outdoor Book Awards Medallion
Zip file of the covers of all winning books above (8,627 kb): NOBAScan99.zip
* Low resolution (72 dpi) scans suitable for website
images are also available: 1999
Winners.
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 medallion was scanned with a graphic-quality scanner
at 300 dpi, a resolution suitable for most print media work. The
scan was saved in a TIFF file format. To download, click on the following:
Winner Medallion
National.Outdoor
Book Awards Winner Medallion
(Scanned as a TIFF file
and available for download in three file types)
Winner Medallion TIFF format: MedalWin.tif
(878 Kbytes)
Winner Medallion TIFF format (placed in a zip file): MedalWin.zip
(281 Kbytes)
Winner Medallion TIFF format (placed in a self-extracting zip file:
MedalWin.exe
(310 Kbytes)
(Note on self-extracting zip file: After downloading,
select START, RUN "MedalWin.exe" to extract MedalWin.tif)
Honorable Mention
Medallion
National.Outdoor
Book Awards Honorable Mention Medallion
(Scanned as a TIFF file
and available for download in two file types)
Honorable Mention Medallion TIFF format: MedalHon.tif
(744 Kbytes)
Honorable Mention Medallion TIFF format (placed in a zip file):
(MedalHon.zip)
(283 Kbytes)
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