Man on Ice: Russia vs the USA - in Alaska

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Many thanks to the people of Little Diomede for their hospitality during my stay including Opik Ahkinga, Frances Ozenna, Gabriel Ozenna, Robert Soolook, Andrew Milligrock, John Ahkvaluk, Joan Kaningok and Henry Soolook who guided in our helicopter. I have borrowed names and drawn on your stoicism and bravery, but all characters are fictitious. Pilot Michael Kutyba from Erickson Helicopters dodged the weather to fly us in and out. Poloumi Basu came with me capturing the people and atmosphere of the Bering Strait and the Diomedes with her superb photography. In Nome, Jim and Bernadette Stimpfle and Sue Steinacher gave time and insight and Nancy Fiskaux and her family found accommodation even when their beautiful Angel Camp by the Sea was full up. In Anchorage, thanks to Tandy Wallack of Circumpolar Expeditions and to Colonel Patrick Carpentier and Colonel Charles Butler at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson which is responsible for protecting the US and Canadian borders and is home to the Eskimo Scouts and to Jon Gordinier for showing us around. Hugo Gurdon, Michael Barone at the Washington Examiner and others guided me through the pitfalls of a fractious transition and thanks to Dan Burton, Claire Bolderson, Bob Drogin, Matthew Felling, Craig Fleener, Claudia Milne, Cait Murphy, Larry Moffitt, Carrie Roller, Claudia Rosette, Harlan Ullman, Andrew Wilson and to the many who prefer to remain anonymous.

Only skilled hands bring a book to publication. My thanks to Martin Fletcher, Mary Sandys, Constance Walker and Don Weise for their advice and editing of the raw manuscript; to David Grossman my agent of more than twenty years, and Kate Lyall Grant and her very professional team at Severn House.