Two more reviews from LibraryThing

Varroa says this about the book:

A very interesting biography. While other Alaskan pilot biographies focus just on flying adventures, this one presents just as fully a history of aviation and a history of Alaska. There are loads of photos as well: cultural, historical, and aeronautical.

Sdmcrae notes this:

The tone and style of this book, which is pretty laid back, belies the risks Holger "Jorgy" Jorgensen took as he pursued a career in aviation in Alaska spanning approximately 55 years. … Some have commented this book is a little too laid back for them. But I think, if your interested at all in aviation, Alaska, or especially the combination, you can think of reading this book as sitting down on a cold night next to a pot-bellied stove and listening to a gifted raconteur rattle off one story after another.

Little League coach

A new review on Amazon from E. cassellius:

I've read the book and it is a first class read of an accomplished Aviator and a great man. I found one omission I would like to add to Jorgy's biography. He coached me in Little League baseball in Alaska in the 60's. Thank you Holger Jorgenson....

And another review: Curling the hair of the FAA

Here's another one on Amazon by pilot Mike Meiser of Anchorage:

Jorgy is an unembellished look at Alaskan Aviation through the eyes and actual words of Holger Jorgensen, one of Alaska's most respected pilots. It takes the reader through the ending days of the Nome Gold Rush to the coming of the jet age. If you are an aviation enthusiast, a history buff, or you'd just like to meet an amazing Alaskan Eskimo Pilot who touched many, many lives, this is a must for you! ... Jorgy traces his rough beginning in the gold mines to the left seat of jets and turboprops, flying all over the world. Don't expect him to pull punches or mince words. That wouldn't be Holger. For example: suffering macular degeneration late in his life, he talks of flying blind (in more ways than one) on his last flight, a tale that would curl the hair of an FAA inspector.

Good thing there's a statute of limitations!

Jorgy's life story follows the coming of age of commercial aviation in America's flyingest state, Alaska. Holger Jorgensen's leadership and mentoring changed Alaskan aviation and the lives of those he touched for the better, and forever. I heartily recommend this excellent book.

New review on Amazon: a keeper

A new review on Amazon is titled "What is really exciting about Alaska:"

Back when I traveled the world while home schooling several kids, when we landed into a new country, we learned to head to the local library (or it's equivalent) for advice. "What are the stories about this place we need to read? What will orient us to this country, its landscapes and and weathers, the people who have lived here long and ones who have come lately? What stories do you recommend?"

"Jorgy" is just such a keeper. The story begins with his hybrid parentage, Eskimo mother and Norwegian gold miner father, and the challenges of village life on Alaska's Seward Peninsula prior to World War II. Rich in details about kid's games, schooling, methods of hauling water and wood, hunting, fishing, and mining work, we also get to see the prejudice he experienced from both cultural wings of his heritage and the effect of his mother's remarkable work in independently raising five children after his dad's death in a mining accident. Jean Lester does a remarkable writing job throughout--her perfect invisibility --allows us to simply listen to Jorgy's unfolding story. From the glamor-and risks- of early aviation, wartime changes and post war possibilities via the GI bill, at each step, we see this young village kid making step by step choices into an extraordinary life. Hollywood would be hard pressed to match the appealing glamour we see in many of the photos of Jorgy, his wife, family and of course the many handsome airplanes, but there is grit throughout which underscores the inherent drama of early bush and commercial flying.

Now that's a review!

LibraryThing review: this book is worth a look

From LibraryThing comes another review:

A fun read, but certainly not a traditional biography. If you are looking for a straight storyline with a clear start and end, you may be in for a surprise if you pick up this book. In general, this book is pieced together by segments and articles, as if the author is developing a portrait of a person instead of a life story told in the tradional, narrative storyline. With that said, the life of Jorgy is interesting, and this book is worth a look.

Midwest Book Review

The Midwest Book Review just released this review, appearing in the August Small Press Bookwatch Biography Shelf:

Just because one only has an eighth grade education doesn't mean one can't make something of oneself. "Jorgy: The Life of Native Alaskan Bush Pilot and Airline Captain Holger Jorgy Jorgensen" tells of Jorgy's adventures flying over the skies of every continent in the world (except South America and Antarctica) as a runner of equipment for science, among other duties. A straight no nonsense account of a life in the skies, "Jorgy" is as educational as it is entertaining.

New review from the News-Miner

David A. James has given a somewhat mixed review, but has this to say: "Overall, the book is a valuable addition to the ever-growing library of Alaskan narrative history. Jorgensen is an openly opinionated and frequently very humorous guide." James picks up on the civil rights aspect of Jorgy's experiences, talking about the movie theatre in Nome:

While living in Nome, Jorgensen also directly confronted the local segregation with an act that provides the most dramatic moment in the book. Nome’s theaters were sectioned off at the time, with only one area of seats open for Natives. At the behest of a white friend who wanted this practice abolished, Jorgensen went on a date and deliberately sat in the white section of the theater. This led to his arrest, but his friend (who was also the father of his date) bailed him out, hired a lawyer, and succeeded in opening the theater to all patrons.

This incident, similar to Rosa Parks’ act of civil disobedience in Montgomery, Ala., a few years later, reminds us that although Alaska was far removed from the South, racism was every bit as prevalent (though far less violent). It’s an important piece of civil rights history, and one that should be taught in the state’s schoolrooms.