Polar Obsession


Book Description

Striking photography of the polar regions and fauna found there.




The White Darkness


Book Description

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Killers of the Flower Moon and The Wager, a thrilling and powerful true story of adventure and obsession in the Antarctic, lavishly illustrated with color photographs. "[Grann is] one of the preeminent adventure and true-crime writers working today."—New York Magazine Henry Worsley was a devoted husband and father and a decorated British special forces officer who believed in honor and sacrifice. He was also a man obsessed. He spent his life idolizing Ernest Shackleton, the nineteenth-century polar explorer, who tried to become the first person to reach the South Pole, and later sought to cross Antarctica on foot. Shackleton never completed his journeys, but he repeatedly rescued his men from certain death, and emerged as one of the greatest leaders in history. Worsley felt an overpowering connection to those expeditions. He was related to one of Shackleton's men, Frank Worsley, and spent a fortune collecting artifacts from their epic treks across the continent. He modeled his military command on Shackleton's legendary skills and was determined to measure his own powers of endurance against them. He would succeed where Shackleton had failed, in the most brutal landscape in the world. In 2008, Worsley set out across Antarctica with two other descendants of Shackleton's crew, battling the freezing, desolate landscape, life-threatening physical exhaustion, and hidden crevasses. Yet when he returned home he felt compelled to go back. On November 13, 2015, at age 55, Worsley bid farewell to his family and embarked on his most perilous quest: to walk across Antarctica alone. David Grann tells Worsley's remarkable story with the intensity and power that have led him to be called "simply the best narrative nonfiction writer working today." Illustrated with more than fifty stunning photographs from Worsley's and Shackleton's journeys, The White Darkness is both a gorgeous keepsake volume and a spellbinding story of courage, love, and a man pushing himself to the extremes of human capacity. Look for David Grann’s latest bestselling book, The Wager!




Arctic obsession


Book Description

From early medieval times to the twenty-first century, what has been the beguiling attraction of the North? This book dwells on contemporary issues besetting the most fragile part of our globe - global warming and environmental, ecological and geo-political concerns. It also provides an overview of the Arctic region, from Canada to the North Sea.




The Great Polar Fraud


Book Description

In 1910 Roald Amundsen set off from Oslo toward the North Pole but soon received word that two Americans—Frederick Cook and Robert Peary—each claimed to have reached the Pole ahead of him. Devastated, Amundsen famously went south. For years Cook and Peary tried to convince the world of their claims. Finally the National Geographic Society endorsed Peary, and the matter seemed settled. In May 1926 an American airman, Richard Byrd, flew north in a three-engine plane, and returned with a log showing that he had flow exactly over the geographical North Pole, becoming the third man to reach that mythical spot. National Geographic again supported the claim. However, it is now obvious that Peary claimed distances he could not possibly have achieved, and it is doubtful that Cooke, who had a history of fraud, ever got even close to the pole. Byrd flew further north than anyone before, but he did not have the fuel to have made the journey he claimed—his log was falsified. Just three days after Byrd’s flight, Amundsen reenters the story on an airship traveling across the pole from Svalbard to Alaska, unknowingly passing directly over the pole, becoming the true first to reach it—just as he had been the first at the South Pole. The Great Polar Fraud explores the history of the three men who claimed the pole, their claims, and the subsequent doubts of those claims, effectively rewriting the history of polar exploration and putting Amundsen center stage as the rightful conqueror of both poles. Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Arcade imprint, are proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in history--books about World War II, the Third Reich, Hitler and his henchmen, the JFK assassination, conspiracies, the American Civil War, the American Revolution, gladiators, Vikings, ancient Rome, medieval times, the old West, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.




Bear


Book Description

Photography and personal accounts by environmentalists offer insight into the endangered realm of North America's bears, sharing coverage of a variety of species to challenge popular myths and explore their threatened ecosystems.




The Last Polar Bear


Book Description

Scientists agree that by the end of this century the polar bear will be the first mammal threatened with extinction due to climate change. "The Last Polar Bear" is the first book to fully document that story.The continued survival of these magnificent white bears in their warming, and melting, Arctic world is uncertain, yet their fate is also a wake-up call compelling us to act now to stem global warming. Through Steven Kazlowski's unparalleled imagery, the most critical environmental issue of our time is brought to life."The Last Polar Bear" places the reality of climate change in our hands. We see the plight of the polar bear, an animal already feeling the detrimental effects of our reliance on fossil fuels, as its icy habitat melts.Over the course of the last six years, wildlife photographer Steven Kazlowski has photographed the polar bear in its wild habitat, from Hershel Island in Canada to Point Hope in Alaska. "The Last Polar Bear" pairs his intimate images with anecdotes about his Arctic adventures, as well as authoritative essays about the polar bear in the context of climate change.Alaska based writers Richard Nelson, Charles Wohlforth, Nick Jans, and leading USGS polar bear biologist Steven C. Amstrup draw on decades of experience in the Arctic to cover the biological, cultural, and anthropological aspects of climate change. Dan Glick, long-time correspondent for "Newsweek", addresses the history of climate change while Frances Beinecke, president of the Natural Resources Defence Council, and Theodore Roosevelt IV offer perspectives on activism and politics.




Sophie Scott Goes South


Book Description

Nine year-old Sophie Scott embarks on a mission to Antarctica aboard an icebreaker and documents her adventure in a diary of its natural wonders.




The Expedition


Book Description

11 July, 1897. Three men set out in a hydrogen balloon bound for the North Pole. They never return. Two days into their journey they make a crash landing then disappear into a white nightmare. 33 years later. The men's bodies are found, perfectly preserved under the snow and ice. They had enough food, clothing and ammunition to survive. Why did they die? 66 years later. Bea Uusma is at a party. Bored, she pulls a books off the shelf. It is about the expedition. For the next fifteen years, Bea will think of nothing else... Can she solve the mystery of The Expedition?




Sustainable Shipping in a Changing Arctic


Book Description

This volume brings together multiple perspectives on both the changing Arctic environment and the challenges and opportunities it presents for the shipping sector. It argues for the adoption of a forward-looking agenda that respects the fragile and changing Arctic frontier. With the accelerated interest in and potential for new maritime trade routes, commercial transportation and natural resource development, the pressures on the changing Arctic marine environment will only increase. The International Maritime Organization Polar Code is an important step toward Arctic stewardship. This new volume serves as an important guide to this rapidly developing agenda. Addressing a range of aspects, it offers a valuable resource for academics, practitioners, environmentalists and affected authorities in the shipping industry alike.




The World of the Polar Bear


Book Description

Praise for the second edition: "Norbert's gift as a photographer is his great curiosity about the natural world. His magic is displayed in photographs that weave light, color and action into a tapestry that tells volumes about life in the Far North."-- National Geographic Magazine "Highly recommended."-- Library Journal (starred review) The polar bear is the largest terrestrial carnivore in the world, uniquely adapted to thrive in the harsh environment of the Far North. In The World of the Polar Bear, renowned nature photographer Norbert Rosing follows the polar bear through each season of the year. This timely third edition has been fully updated and features more than 20 terrific new photographs. With its thorough and engaging text and spectacular photography, The World of the Polar Bear includes: A season-by-season account of the life of the polar bear, including feeding, mating and rearing of cubs A new chapter featuring the polar bears of Svalbard, Norway An intimate look at the animals that share the polar bear's environment, including seals, arctic foxes, walruses and muskoxen A section on such northern sky phenomena as sun dogs and northern lights Many anecdotes and insights about the polar bear -- at once a loving parent, a fierce predator and a natural jester Polar bears are seriously threatened by global warming, and this book continues to explore this critical issue. The World of the Polar Bear is quite simply the best book ever published on the polar bear.