The Cobra Hold: Alaska Tough! by Ken Nix

"I have lived a very long and full life and did things most people only dream. I was raised in Alabama until I was fourteen years old when my dad moved us to Alaska in 1949 where I lived for forty-two years. This book spans over seventy years of my life. "I grew up in the rough and tumble years of early Alaska. Going back to the time my Uncle Gene taught me self-defense and self-confidence, I used the cobra hold in many aspects of my life. My battles were not always in the physical sense but more of a tenacious grip. The dictionary defines tenacious as one not readily letting go of an object, position, or principle. That also defines me. I wasn't afraid to pursue to the bloody end if I thought I was right or even if someone I knew or loved was being wronged." Among the many of his adventures described in this book, Ken Nix was the owner/contractor of Peninsula Excavating in Anchorage, Alaska. One of his business associates describes him as follows: "Kenny Nix was typical of many old-time Alaskan contractors: 'Tell me what you want, stay out of my way, and I will get it done.' He was never afraid to confront a bureaucrat or engineer who wanted to follow the book when Ken knew from practical experience that it would not work. You could take Ken's word to the bank, because he always delivered as promised."