BACKSTAGE IDITAROD is for the fan who wants more than to just watch a team take off from the start line. A collection of stories both new and old, it's a guide for those who yearn to know what it's really like on 4th Avenue; what they would see, hear and touch. It's for those who want to volunteer at Race Headquarters or maybe bid to be an Idita-Rider. It's for the dreamers who wonder what goes on at the musher banquets, both in Anchorage and in Nome. It's for arm chair mushers who simply want to immerse themselves in everything Iditarod."All (Iditarod books) are interesting, but none focus on an overall view of the activities that go on before, during and after the race to make it happen. None break down the cost of running this race for you. None take you to Iditarod HQ to watch organized chaos as race preparations evolve. None follow the logistics involved in preparing checkpoint drop bags. None agonize over vet checks and deciding a final team. And none put you in the middle of the action at the start line in Anchorage and the restart, wherever it may be." Donna Quante, producer of video "Pretty Sled Dogs""You're in for a real treat with this book! I thoroughly enjoyed it, and by the time I was finished proofing the pages I had a lump in my throat and was practically wishing for snow on the ground! I'll be going into the '08 race with a whole new understanding of how things work, because June's book truly is the equivalent of a backstage pass to the whole awesome show!" --Helen Hegener, author/publisher/editor and present at some of the initial organizational meetings for the Iditarod when it was still known as "Joe's race".