In this astutely observed travel account, Pulitzer Prize-winner John McPhee plunges into the wild frontiers and frigid climate of Alaska - exploring the varied regions and people of this Northern US state. Travelling by foot and canoe, McPhee moves from urban landscape to the remote Alaskan bush, drawing a rich and comprehensive history of a vast land and its inhabitants. With his keen eye and poetic sensibility leading the way, we paddle with McPhee through the salmon-filled waters of the Brooks Range Rivers, meet a young chief of the Athapaskan tribe, and become well-acquainted with the habits of the barren-ground grizzly bear. We encounter settlers and discover the deeply held dreams that drive them to survive in one of the most remote regions on earth. McPhee is a master storyteller and a curious adventurer and Coming into the Country is his journey into the wild.