Aunt Phil’s Trunk Volume Two – Bringing Alaska’s History Alive by Laurel Downing Bill is a continuation of a series of books that detail the history of Alaska. Running from 1900 to 1912, Volume 2 covers an incredible amount of history. Following on from the great Gold Rush, this account follows the Vaudeville period, of how the actors spent their time entertaining the gold miners. Stories include those of the railway men who used guns to settle their disputes, early accounts of the criminals of Alaska and how the lawmen dealt with them – and of how, sometimes, the criminals were in fact those who were supposed to be protecting the law! It tells the story of how the mail route was built, of the Iditarod Trail, which is still used to this day, and it ends with a massive volcanic eruption in 1912 – the eruption that was responsible for the Valley of 10,000 Smokes.

Aunt Phil’s Trunk Volume Two by Laurel Downing Bill truly does bring Alaska’s history alive. Packed full of stories – all of which are true accounts – and accompanied by hundreds of amazing photographs, this is a book that no one could fail to enjoy. I am learning so much about this great country through this series of books and all of it just makes me want to visit Alaska even more than I did before. Laurel Downing Bill has done a wonderful job of pulling all this information together and bringing it to us in such a fascinating and enthralling way. I can’t wait for the next installment!