| Arctic Labyrinth: The Quest for the Northwest Passage Contributor(s): Williams, Glyn (Author), Costley, Sophia (Other) |
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ISBN: 0520269950 ISBN-13: 9780520269958 Publisher: University of California Press OUR PRICE: $28.66 Product Type: Paperback - Other Formats Published: March 2010 |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - History | Expeditions & Discoveries - Travel | Polar Regions - History | Europe - Great Britain - General |
| Dewey: 910.916 |
| LCCN: 2009035546 |
| Physical Information: 1.07" H x 5.8" W x 8.74" (1.38 lbs) 462 pages |
| Themes: - Cultural Region - British Isles - Cultural Region - Arctic/Antarctic |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: The elusive dream of locating the Northwest Passage--an ocean route over the top of North America that promised a shortcut to the fabulous wealth of Asia--obsessed explorers for centuries. While global warming has brought several such routes into existence, until recently these channels were hopelessly choked by impassible ice. Voyagers faced unimaginable horrors--entire ships crushed, mass starvation, disabling frostbite, even cannibalism--in pursuit of a futile goal. In Arctic Labyrinth, Glyn Williams charts the entire sweep of this extraordinary history, from the tiny, woefully equipped vessels of the first Tudor expeditions to the twentieth-century ventures that finally opened the Passage. Williams's thrilling narrative delves into private letters and journals to expose the gritty reality behind the often self-serving accounts of those in charge. An important work of maritime history and exploration--and as exciting a tale of heroism and fortitude as readers will find--Arctic Labyrinth is also a remarkable study in human delusion. |