'Men and dogs crossing immense distances in the Arctic winter to save dying children - there could hardly be a more inspiring topic. This is a moving story, superbly researched and deftly told.' Sebastian JungerThe extraordinary true story of the race to save the residents of an icebound Alaskan town, as depicted in the films Balto and TogoIt is 1925. The goldrush town of Nome sits two degrees below the Arctic Circle, and there are few more forbidding places on earth. When signs of diptheria break out, Dr. Curtis Welch knows it is the biggest crisis of his life. Supplies of the serum are dangerously low, and an epidemic is guaranteed if the medicine doesn't arrive in time.Welch's urgent plea for help makes national headlines. America watches with bated breath to see if an expedition can reach Nome in time. The only option is to get the serum to the nearest point by rail and then use a relay of dog sleds to trek through the remaining 700 miles, night and day, and in blizzards raging at 60 degrees below zero.It's a desperate race against time - one that captures the imagination of America and turns the drivers and their heroic dogs into celebrities of the time. THE CRUELLEST MILES is the heart-pounding account of the famous Serum Run. Unbearably thrilling and tense, this is a classic story of human (and canine) endurance and heroism.