Nome, Alaska is mostly known today as the end of the Iditarod trail. It is 140 miles south of the Arctic Circle on the Seward Penninsula, which divides the Bering Sea from the Arctic Ocean. Before regular winter airplane flights in Alaska, Nome was completely cut off every winter, except for the occasional mail delivery by dog sled. For communication, they relied almost entirely on telegraph. When the last ship left in fall, the bay would freeze over, and Nome was alone. In the winter of 1924-25, Nome faced a crisis when diphtheria -- a terrifying disease in which victims suffocate on membranes that grow in their throats and lungs -- broke out among the children. Diphtheria was entirely treatable at the time, but unfortunately, the region's only doctor had just enough serum to treat a handful of patients. More serum was needed quickly to head off an epidemic.

There were two options for getting serum to Nome: by a dogsled relay or by airplane. An extended winter flight had not been attempted before, but volunteers were eager to try. Mushers and dogs were also ready to head out in the winter cold (with temperatures in the range of -70 to -50 Fahrenheit). The Cruelest Miles is not only about the potential epidemic, but also about the politics of choosing between dog and plane and the history of the dogsled relay that ultimately brought the serum to Nome.

The book is completely fascinating. As I began reading it one evening, I kept reading the good bits out loud to my husband. It soon became clear that there were no good bits -- that the whole book was just plain good, so we read it out loud together. We were both riveted by the story (which is telling, since he does not share my obsession with things polar).

The book is well-researched and is extremely well-documented (at a level that is surprising for a popular history). The writing moves well and the story is gripping, with details about the dogs and drivers that bring it to life. I highly recommend it.