Kings of the Yukon is the story of Weymouth who travels canoeing along the Yukon lane from Canada to Alaska. A journey of 2000 miles that is thrilling, exciting, full of stories, inspiring and informative.
The clear, perfect and original picture of the Alaskan landscape makes me know that life. This is truly beautiful and amazing reading. This is not about ordinary travel stories because there are stories from people that the author met. Blend with real experiences and wind that truly penetrates the soul.
I was amazed because this book was very beautiful and full of strength. The migration journey of salmon where they eventually live or die after going through the longest journey in the world. Culture, economy, human relations and society are only a small part of this cycle. This view makes things that I did not know before become clearer and I understand them well. Thank you for Little, Brown and Company; Adam Weymouth and NetGalley.

This is a book that takes you along with the author as he travels the Yukon River in Alaska and a study of salmon fishing as he goes. I never expected to learn so much about salmon in my life but it is done in a very accessible way by the author. As time has crept forward, the giant salmon of the past are no longer around and Alaskans are forced to deal with a life much different than previous generations. Due to overfishing and many other factors, fishing isn't what it used to be. It is a great book that shows a simpler time where man provides for themselves and their family without outside interference. If you love the outdoors, pick up this book.
Thank you Netgalley, Adam Weymouth and Little, Brown and Company for the ARC for my honest review.

A multi-layer, engrossing book that is so much more than what I thought it would be. I'm very glad I read it.
It's 1/3 nature book, 1/3 science and 1/3 travelogue, but written in such a readable style that the reader is sucked in and immersed in the world of salmon before they know it. It's charming, it's informative and I'm proud to say that it taught me much more than I expected.
I'll never look at salmon in the same way again.

What an enjoyable story that gives insight into the wild Yukon River, the salmon who head back to spawn and the people who depend on both the river and the fish. Mr. Weymouth travels the length of the Yukon on a 4 month journey where he catalogs what he finds with climate change, fish habitat and environmental pollution and how it affects man and wildlife. The history of the fishing industry and the native population along the river is fascinating and interesting. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I was enthralled by the grand adventure described in “Kings of the Yukon: One Summer Paddling Across the Far North.”

Solo adventurer Adam Weymouth thrills us with his poetic narrative of journeying by canoe across Alaska along the entire 2,000-mile Yukon river, where he follows the migration of king salmon over a four-month period.

The author also reveals the connection of people and fish through moving portraits of the individuals he encounters, giving us a powerful look into indigenous cultures in this riveting account of one of the last wild places on earth. Highly recommended!

Pub Date 15 May 2018

Thanks to Little, Brown and Company and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are fully mine.

#KingsOfTheYukon #NetGalley

This is so much more than a book about salmon! If you have any interest in life in Alaska, this book will provide you with many insights as you follow a 2000-mile canoe trip on Yukon River over four months. The many characters you meet who depend on the salmon and the river will provide you with admiration for the challenging lifestyle they have, never mind the challenging lives of the salmon. The author provides a deeply descriptive narrative that I thoroughly enjoyed and I think you will too!

The people, the river, and the fish. Kings of the Yukon is a book about more than just salmon. Author Adam Weymouth journeyed down the entire length of the Yukon River, along the way meeting local residents, native peoples, seeing the incredible sights and learning more about the salmon.

The King Salmon is a dying breed. The author paddled the entire length of the Yukon River, from Canada to Alaska. Along the way, he talked to many people involved in the salmon fishing industry, First Nations people whose culture depends on the salmon, cannery workers, people in fish camps, and more.

The King salmon is also called the Chinook. It is native to the northwest and the Arctic. Over many years, the fish runs have collapsed, to the point that many First Nations people upriver have voluntarily stopped fishing for them, hoping that the populations will rebound. Not only that, but the fish that do return now are much smaller than historically. This may be because fishermen select the largest fish and this leaves only the smaller ones to make their way back to their natal streams, where they spawn.

The salmon’s story goes beyond just Alaska and Canada though. Salmon is shipped worldwide from there. It is served in fine restaurants and stores. Salmon used to be in many river systems from which it is now missing. The author tells us about the salmon as he makes his way downriver.

I enjoyed how the science of salmon was woven into the story of his journey. The people he meets all have something to say about the salmon. He sees tiny villages, fishing camps, and big cities as he goes. Everywhere, he eats salmon, from fresh caught from the river to canned. As a reader, you get a glimpse into this world that not many of us will ever see. It’s remote and difficult to get to. Seeing things from the river gives you a unique perspective on this story. Although King Salmon are found on the river where I live, I learned more in this book about them than I have ever before. I highly recommend it. It’s eye-opening to see how humans have affected every ecosystem on earth. The point will come when our harvests are no longer sustainable. This book will show you the effects of this.

It’s a good solid read and will leave you with plenty to think about later.

I mistakenly thought this was a memoir about a canoe ride up the Yukon. Since I love adventure stories, it seemed a perfect choice for me. Little did I know, I would learn more about King Salmon than I ever thought possible. I was pleasantly surprised, however, with the author's beautifully descriptive voice, and I felt I was right there with him in that canoe. His writing about the plight of the salmon could have stood alone as an interesting nonfiction in its own right, but what really kept me interested were the accounts of the people he met along the way. Not a boring life story in the entire bunch. And just when I thought I had learned enough about salmon to last me a lifetime, I found myself tearing up at the end of the book. The ending really drove home what these poor creatures are up against, as well as so much of the natural world, which is obviously under assault by humans.

5 King Salmon stars to Kings of the Yukon! 🐟 🐟 🐟 🐟 🐟

We traveled to Alaska and the Yukon Territory on our honeymoon, and I must say, I have never seen anything more majestic, pristinely beautiful, and untouched, as the Yukon, its waters, the land, the mountains.

In Kings of the Yukon, Adam Weymouth weaves a tale of adventure, his own in fact, as he travels the Yukon River by canoe in order to study the migration patterns of the king salmon, also including the history of the fish.

But this book isn’t just about salmon...Weymouth shows the connection between the people of Alaska and fish by painting descriptive vignettes of the characters he meets along his journey.

I found the writing to be as stunning, intriguing, and pristine as the Yukon. Well-done, Adam Weymouth!

Thank you to Adam Weymouth, Little, Brown and Company, and Netgalley. Kings of the Yukon will be available on May 15, 2018.

My reviews can now also be found on my shiny new blog! www.jennifertarheelreader.com

'There’s a salmon colored girl

Who’s set my heart awhirl...'

Adam Weymouth’s Kings of the Yukon combines parts travelogue, science journal, history, and serious warning in the compelling story of his canoe trip down the Yukon River in the summer of 2016. Weymouth presents a startling case for the protection of the king salmon in a well-balance argument. He enlightens the audience to the complexities of the issue through the science, the Native American cultural bonds, and the globalization of the industry. The lure of the fish is expertly contrasted with the problems a of shrinking population and the cost overfishing and climate change has wrought on their habitat.

Weymouth weaves all this through the story of his float from top of the salmon run at the headwaters of the Yukon to their habitat in the Bering Sea. He describes the animals and scenery with jealousy-inducing detail. As a side note: My classes (high school English teacher) are currently reading Krakauer’s Into the Wild. I told them about this book today and we had a good time mapping out Weymouth’s journey.

From reality stars to scientists to Native elders, each of the the book’s cast of characters provides a unique voice that provides necessary knowledge of The Last Frontier. The life cycle of the salmoninae, living above the Arctic Circle, the cost of substance abuse, the Gold Rush, farmed salmon, the net, the spear, the fish wheel. Much like Rinker Buck’s The Oregon Trail, Weymouth describes a time that has past and the costs of that change. 

The travelogue is a type of writing that attracts the fellow adventurer and the envious spectator. My hope is that this book will create awareness of this cause and commit both parties to action. Kings of the Yukon serves as a homage to the animals, the people, the land, and the journey. The paddle is the only way this story could have been written. Excellent job Mr. Weymouth.

Thank you to NetGalley, Little, Brown, and Co., and Adam Weymouth for the advanced copy for review.