Innocents in the Arctic: The 1951 Spitsbergen Expedition

Innocents in the Arctic: The 1951 Spitsbergen Expedition
Colin Bull (Auteur), Lionel Weiss (Illustrations)

Acheter neuf : EUR 15,72 (as of 12/27/2012 16:45 PST)
7 neuf & d'occasion a partir de EUR 10,27 (as of 12/27/2012 16:45 PST)

(Consultez la liste Cadeaux les plus offerts dans la rubrique Arctic & Antarctica pour des informations officielles sur le classement actuel de ce produit.)

Description du produit

"Innocents in the Arctic is a valuable account of mid-century polar exploration and science told with genuine panache. Bull's humor and good grace reminds us how joyous and full of spirit the adventure can be." ‹William L. Fox Driven by the desire for scientific discovery and adventure, ten naïve young men ventured north to the nearly uninhabited, ice-covered island of Spitsbergen in 1951. Geological progress ensued, but so did misfortunes wrought by calamitous weather, an unworthy boat, and an entertaining but ill-informed approach to arctic survival. Innocents in the Arctic chronicles this Birmingham University expedition with an absorbing combination of wit and historical insight. Compiled from diaries and scientific field notes, it documents an important period in polar exploration following the social upheaval of World War II. It also brings to life the labors of arctic travel before modern technology: the Birmingham researchers hauled their own sledge and communicated with hand-scrawled notes pinned to their leaky canvas tents. Despite these difficulties, the expedition was a scientific success and helped to unravel a compelling geological puzzle‹why were relatively recent fossils entombed within rocks that were twice as old? The answers to this question and others contributed to an understanding of the evolution of the North Atlantic. In Bull's account, a virtual parody of traditional polar heroism, the members of the Spitsbergen Expedition saw themselves as fallible and human. His realistic, insider story of scientific adventure will appeal to polar enthusiasts, armchair historians, and anyone who remembers what it was like to be young and daring.