audiobook The Arctic Grail: The Quest for the Northwest Passage and the North Pole; 1818-1909 by Pierre Berton in History

Review

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. High AdventureBy Lawrence A. StridThis has to be the most comprehensive work on the 19th century explorations aimed at trying to reach the north pole or finding the Northwest Passage. The author details all of the major expeditions of the era; and with special emphasis on the tragic Franklin Expedition and the highly controversial claims made by Cook and Peary as to who made it to the North Pole first (I don't believe either one of them did; given the author's thorough analysis of a dispute that still rages on to the present day). These explorers were driven by a myriad of different incentives for putting their lives and the lives of their expedition members at risk in the Arctic environment; and which is really nothing more than a frozen desert. Nationalism; science; personal glory; cartography; fame and fortune; personal ambition; love of risk-taking; rescue attempts of other expeditions; and patriotism all played parts in motivating this handful of brave souls to grapple with extreme cold; starvation; frostbite; scurvy; thirst; and madness in journeys that sometimes took up to three years to complete due to the need to ride the winter out in an ice jammed sea vessel or a literal hole in the ground until the summer came and it would allow them to escape the ice pack (but not always). A thoroughly researched and highly readable history treatise; but it is a long one to digest at 650+ pages. Best read when accompanied by a hot toddy.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. The story of Arctic explorationBy C. HillBefore I picked up this book; I had no idea what a detailed and interesting history lay behind the explorations of the Arctic region. This is a truly fascinating book about man's determined quest to explore one of the last unexplored regions of the world.This is a story of the search for the Northwest Passage; that elusive waterway that would let ships sail over the north of what is now Canada; instead of having to sail around the tip of South America. Even after the British had determined that the icy arctic conditions and the maze of islands made the Northwest Passage worthless as a commercial shipping route; they were still determined to find it anyway. Ship after ship headed to the Arctic to find the passage; sometimes spending two or three winters trapped in the ice; with only a few warm summer months each year in which to explore before the winter ice returned. Many men died; mostly because of the remarkable inability of the British Navy to learn from its mistakes; or more importantly; to learn from the natives; who had lived in the Arctic for thousands of years. The British sailors wore wool instead of fur and sealskin; refused to hunt (they didn't even know how); suffered from scurvy from their impractical diets; and hauled extremely heavy sledges over the ice with man power instead of dogs. Not only did the British fail to learn from the natives; but the natives also got less than their fair share of credit at the time for helping avert death and starvation for hundreds of expeditions over the years.This is also a story of the quest to reach the North Pole. Early explorers held the belief that the top of the world was an open polar sea; and tried to sail all the way to the pole. Once that theory was abandoned; explorers tried other ways of getting there. One allowed his specially-designed boat to become trapped in the polar ice and then played a waiting game as the boat drifted with the ice. Another tried to float to the pole in a balloon. Many tried and failed to walk to the pole over the hundreds of miles of ice. And even when two explorers claimed to have seperately reached the pole in this fashion; their claims were dubious.While this book is long and a bit heavy at times; it is worth it to stick with it. Pierre Berton has done his research; and he is an excellent writer. I look forward to reading more of his books.2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. One of the best on Arctic ExplorationBy Robert R. BriggsIf you like to read about the incredible world of Arctic exploration; this is a book you must read! Pierre Berton covers almost 100 years of man's effort to discover the Northwest Passage and the North Pole. Although it is a long read (over 600 pages) the author's wonderful storytelling style keeps you eagerly turning page after page. Each account seems to have been well researched and the facts are there for the reader to absorb. It is amazing to read how poorly the British were prepared for Arctic travel; how they refused to learn from the native people; yet how much they achieved in spite of their attitude. This book has a good message for us all. We can learn from others! Those explorers who did so; were a lot more successful in the long run. The book ends with Peary and Cook's claim to the North Pole. It is quite an account of two men who were more consumed with their image rather than the truth. Who was the greatest of the bunch? You'll have fun picking your winner. I vote for Roald Amundsen! This is a great book!