The Arctic Grail
The Quest for the North West Passage and the North Pole, 1818-1909
- Publisher
- Doubleday Canada
- Initial publish date
- Oct 2001
- Category
- General, Adventurers & Explorers, Polar Regions
-
Paperback / softback
- ISBN
- 9780385658454
- Publish Date
- Oct 2001
- List Price
- $32.95
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Description
Scores of nineteenth-century expeditions battled savage cold, relentless ice and winter darkness in pursuit of two great prizes: the quest for the elusive Passage linking the Atlantic and the Pacific and the international race to reach the North Pole. Pierre Berton's #1 best-selling book brings to life the great explorers: the pious and ambitious Edward Parry, the flawed hero John Franklin, ruthless Robert Peary and the cool Norwegian Roald Amundsen. He also credits the Inuit, whose tracking and hunting skills saved the lives of the adventurers and their men countless times.
These quests are peopled with remarkable figures full of passion and eccentricity. They include Charles Hall, an obscure printer who abandoned family and business to head to a frozen world of which he knew nothing; John Ross, whose naval career ended when he spotted a range of mountains that didn't exist; Frederick Cook, who faked reaching the North Pole; and Jane Franklin, who forced an expensive search for her missing husband upon a reluctant British government.
Pierre Berton, who won his first Governor General's award for The Mysterious North, here again gives us an important and fascinating history that reads like a novel as he examines the historic events of the golden age of Arctic exploration.
About the author
Pierre Berton, well-known and well-loved Canadian author, journalist, and media personality, hailed from Whitehorse, Yukon. During his career, he wrote fifty books for adults and twenty-two for children, popularizing Canadian history and culture and reflecting on his life and times. With more than thirty literary awards and a dozen honorary degrees to his credit, Berton was also a Companion of the Order of Canada.
Awards
- Short-listed, Governor General's Literary Award - Nonfiction
Editorial Reviews
"There's enough riveting reading in The Arctic Grail to last until spring breakup."
—The Globe and Mail
"A magnificent history…this should be the definitive study of Arctic exploration for years to come."
—Kirkus Reviews
"Berton's book is a thoroughly gripping read."
—The Province, Vancouver
Other titles by
Pierre Berton on the Young Queen Elizabeth II
In 1953, Maclean’s Sent a Special Correspondent Behind the Scenes of the Royal Household. A Seven Part Series from the Pages of the Magazine
Pierre Berton's War of 1812
Drifting Home
A Family's Voyage of Discovery Down the Wild Yukon
The Battles of the War of 1812
Adventures in Canadian History
Exploring the Frozen North
Pierre Berton's History for Young Canadians
Canada Moves West
The Wild Frontier
More Tales from the Remarkable Past
The Klondike Quest
A Photographic Essay 1897-1899
Prisoners of the North
The Joy of Writing
A Guide for Writers Disguised as a Literary Memoir
