Pioneer Road: Anthology of the Alaskan Highway is a compilation of
accounts from the men who built the Alaskan Highway. Work
on the Alaska Highway began in earnest on February 14, 1942, in the wake of Japanese attacks on Pearl Harbor in December 1941. The main purpose for this seemingly impossible task was to connect Alaska to the rest of the United States in an effort to protect this isolated northern front from potential wartime attacks. Time was of the essence. After its completion, the Alaska Highway extended 1,400 miles beginning in Dawson Creek, British Columbia, Canada to Delta Junction, Alaska. The work was completed in two phases: highway construction undertaken by military personnel and the building of permanent bridges by various
civilian contractors. This book describes the long thankless shifts of back breaking labour by dozens of military and civilian individuals in environmental conditions that included either bone freezing cold or horrible mosquito infestations. Moreover, many of the men describe in their
accounts how they made lifelong friendships or how they met their wives while working on the Alaska Highway. Pioneer Road: Anthology of the Alaskan Highway is both entertaining and informative. The first person accounts allow the reader unique insight into the trials and triumphs of these men. Furthermore, these accounts give the book a feeling of an uncle telling stories about his adventures in a natural, often humorous way in spite of the heaviness of the subject. I am extremely glad that someone wrote these important experiences down for the benefit of us and for future generations.