Cliches about Alaska are legion: to mention the name is to conjure up images of the Frozen North, mushing huskies, and grizzled sourdoughs panning for gold. In this book, author William R. Hunt shows how misleading such images are. Alaska, writes William R. Hunt, is not the "last wilderness," and it has not been built solely by the self-reliant efforts of hardy pioneers. Instead, it has struggled from its earliest days as an American possession until today for government aid to support commercial and economic development. The real story of Alaska is the story inherent in the disparity between government policies urged by Alaskans and government policies actually dictated from Washington, DC. The issue of conservation versus development makes Alaska of special interest to all Americans today. Our northernmost state is not what most Americans on the "Outside" think it is; but as author Hunt shows, all Americans have a stake in the future of Alaska and therefore can benefit from understanding the reality of its colorful history.

William Burns is best known as ‘America’s Sherlock Holmes’ and became director at the Bureau of Investigation, to be immediately followed by J. Edgar Hoover. But before he became director, Burns had a long, highly publicized career as a government detective for the Secret Service, then as the head of the famed Burns International Detective Agency, which he founded after leaving government service. These successes encouraged Burns to start his own agency and he successfully competed with his hated rival, the Pinkerton Detective Agency. He was a public hero for many years (except among labor union men who remembered his questionable tactics in the notorious McNamara case involving the bombing of the Los Angeles Times). But to the general populace, he was a white knight protecting the public interest until he disgraced his government office.

Quotations, brief commentary, and stunning photographs celebrate the majestic land, wildlife, and people of Alaska

Bernarr Macfadden (1868-1955) entertained and instructed Americans for decades. He championed physical exercise, fasting, and diet reform and was the relentless scourge of established doctors. He presented his views in Physical Culture, a popular magazine featuring photographs of strong men and healthy women and articles promoting the healthy life. While some critics derided him as a health nut, no one could dispute his genius as a magazine publisher. He established the world's greatest magazine publishing empire through the innovation of such popular publications as True Story, the first confession magazine; True Detective; and many others.

William J. Burns (1880-1930) was the immediate succor of J. Edgar Hoover at the Federal Bureau of Investigation. He had taken the director's job when Warren Harding was elected and appointed Burns' friend, Harry Daugherty, as Attorney General. Both Daugherty and Burns misused their offices and were forced to resign.