WELCOME TO THE WEB PAGE OF ARCHIE SATTERFIELD

I know, I know. This newsletter has been used (by me, of course)to promote my books and nothing has been said about me. That is intentional because I think most writers, myself included, are, like small children, better seen (read) than heard. But I will share some of my recent mild adventures with you.

I recently moved back to Washington, this time to stay. I am living on Whidbey Island and feel that I am getting away with something because the house I am renting is on a steep hill with a gorgeous view of the Strait of San Juan De Fuca. Every night a light goes on from Smith Island, a rocky small island just off the coast. Perfect.

Like many other writers, I have several of my books on Amazon's Kindle and a few more with iUniverse, but although I manage to sell a few copies each month, the books I have written do not appeal to a broad cross-section of readers.

But I am alive, writing, and I recently went on a diet. How can I complain, right?

A review of After the Gold Rush: This is a charming book about a world that existed for only a short period of time, but yet lives on in small ways a century after its demise. Yes, that's a contradiction of sorts, as is the title of my review. But that reflects the world that Archie Satterfield writes about -- the vibrant and colorful, but harsh and bitterly cold, Yukon Territory. In the early 1970s, Satterfield set out on a venture down the Yukon River (actually, it flows south to north, so there's another strange thing), to see what aspects of the Klondike Gold Rush of the 1890s were still around. He was an experienced and capable Northwest camper -- hardly a greenfoot -- and thus able to handle camping in true wilderness conditions and making friends with the handful of folks living in the isolated areas. The book gives a sense of the isolation and natural beauty that existed along the river in the 1970s, and it references some of the great stories (true and apocryphal) about the 3-year gold rush period. Yes, it has stories of generous prostitutes and overnight riches. But it also tells about starvation and isolation and loss. Remarkably, 70 years after the gold rush ended, remnants of buildings and machinery was still visible all over the place. And fewer than 1,000 people lived in Dawson City, which had been the hub of the area for that short, frenzied period. The people choosing to live in the Yukon -- and there were pehaps 15,000 of them stretched across an enormous territory -- loved their isolation and the need to focus on the day-to-day in order to survive the unforgiving land. For many of these people, their only connections to the outside world were radios and telegraphs (in the 1970s!). Satterfield seeks out these iconoclasts out, and he seems to be accepted, because he's got enough spunk and skills to be one of them. He visits ghost towns that have one person as a caretaker. He fishes for food in nearly pristine rivers, while swatting away hordes of flies. While he's a tourist, he's not a lazy tourist. And yet, he stays grounded as an "Outsider," a person who's not choosing to live in the Yukon. Of course, Sattefield's book is a bit of a museum piece at this point. It's 35 years old, things have changed. Most prominently, Canada's relentless search for mineral wealth and oil has transformed some of its remote regions. And as tourism has become a bigger industry (and it was No. 2 behind mining even when Satterfield visited), it's harder to find the "real" Yukon anymore. And, of course, global warming might turn a climate that Satterfield predicts will never be good for anything more than subsistence farming into something new. This is an obscure book, but it's worth seeking out if you have any interest in the Northern Territories and want to prime yourself for a real trip to the region, not a 5-day tourist jaunt.

5.0 out of 5 stars Real People, Real Stories, Really Fascinating, June 3, 2010
By
Dynila (Austin Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Home Front: An Oral History of the War Years in America, 1941-1945
I cannot recommend this enough. History tends to be very dry and sanitized by the people who write it. Generally the only good, juicy, HUMAN parts that survive are personal stories (journals, private letters).

The entire book is filled with first person accounts of life in the US during WWII. Sure, everyone has seen the Rosie the Riveter poster, but the stories in this book talk about real life during that time period. People live in tents, they travel for the first time, they have sex, they divorce--My parents were pariahs in the Catholic church for being divorced in the 70s - I had had no clue that there was such a rash of divorces after WWII.

The book is chock full of the kind of information that never makes it to the textbooks, y'know, the parts that actually make it interesting.

Backroads & Byways of Missouri has been a slow starter. It was published a few years ago and not a lot happened. But for some reason, 2010 brought a flurry of very nice reviews and increased sales. That's just fine with me. Here are some of the comments and reviews:

"You could also make do for about a month using Archie Satterfield’s . . . “Backroads & Byways of Missouri: Drives, Day Trips & Weekend Excursions.” Satterfield makes Missouri a fun place to be. He takes you to the home of Mark Twain at Hannibal. He also drifts down U.S. 160, as it connects Poplar Bluff to Branson over the course of 200 miles. -- By Joe Tennis, Features Writer, Bristol (TN) Herald Courier

I do a lot of motorcycle road trips and this book is great! There are a lot of hidden places in Missouri that I was not aware of. Good Read! -- J. Ivey


Besides being a good travel guide this book has a lot of interesting history included that make the places come alive. I highly recommend it.-- Karen R. Koch 5.0 out of 5 stars BackRoads & ByWays of Missouri, Drives, Day Trips & Weekend Excurions, June 5, 2010 By FleetR "FleetR" (Chesterfield, MO USA) Fabulous book. Well written, great factual history that grabs the reader and makes them a part of why the area discussed by the author is worthwhile visiting. My wife and I just returned yesterday from his Kansas City, Weston and St. Joseph trip as well as his Gallatin, Jamesport and Kirksville trip, coupled with some of the bed and breakfasts in between, followed up by the Edina to Bethel ride. We also had time to drive along The Great River Road Ride and stay at The Garth Mansion in Hannibal. The Garth Mansion was SUPURB!! (FOR SURE)and deeply added pleasure to our already great trip. PLUS, YOU CANT BEAT THE HOME MADE FOOD and AMBIANCE AT GARTH MANSION>>>>>THE BEST BY FAR>>>> We had a blast!!!!! We followed his suggestions to the letter and added some of our own. We were more than 100% satisfied and will follow the exact route for the rest of the book.. His clarity of his presentation and accuracy of his suggestions/​experiences was precisely our experiences. This book is EXACTLY what we had been looking for. He made our driving experience fun, easy, spontaneous and, sometimes, suprise filled. There is no way this could not be fun for you. I PROMISE,,Give it a shot...you wont be sorry I promse!! Fleet Rand (Real name)


Great Travel Companionby MikeMO

Reader Rating:
See Detailed Ratings

May 25, 2009: This book details ten of the best road trips in Missouri. The author provides a great narrative for each excursion. I love his style. Take the book with you on your outings and you'll have a great travel companion. Each trip is detailed with interesting information about unique places to eat, area history, and the lovliest little places to stay.

As a Missouri native, I've learned many new things about my home state. I would recommend this book to both current residents and future visitors of the Show Me state.

Michael J. Honeywell

Missouri Native

Travel Enthusiast