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Catalog

FATHER'S DAY

City of Fortune, How Venice Ruled the Seas

Roger Crowley

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PROVENCE & THE COTE D'AZUR

A Pig in Provence: Good Food and Simple Pleasures in the South of France

Georgeanne Brennan

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OUR FAVORITES

Arctic Dreams

Barry Lopez

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PENGUIN CLASSICS

The Log from the Sea of Cortez

John Steinbeck

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Northwest Passage

READING AND TRAVEL GUIDE

Kids

Books for
Across the Top of the World

Across the Top of the World

by James P. Delgado

  • EXPLORATION
  • 2009
  • PAPER
  • 224 PAGES

Covering all the major expeditions in detail, and written with passion and authority, this richly illustrated history by James Delgado covers the quest for the fabled Northwest Passage, from the disaster of the Franklin Expedition, to the triumph of Roald Amundsen, all the way up to present-day research. (ARC61, $19.95)

A Naturalist's Guide to the Arctic

A Naturalist's Guide to the Arctic

by E.C. Pielou

  • NATURAL HISTORY
  • 1994
  • PAPER
  • 327 PAGES

Our best-selling book on the Arctic, this guide covers the geography and climate, plants, birds and wildlife of the circumpolar north. (ARC03, $22.00)

 
North Circumpolar Region

North Circumpolar Region


by Canada Map Office

  • 2008
  • MAP

A striking bird's-eye view of the Arctic Ocean and all the lands of the far north, at a scale of 1:9,000,000, with shaded relief on sea and land. (ARC16, $19.95)

What We Know About Climate Change

What We Know About Climate Change


by Kerry Emanuel

  • REFERENCE
  • 2007
  • HARD COVER
  • 85 PAGES

With the power of a polished lecturer, Emanuel outlines the issues, causes and concerns about the fate of our climate. (GEO46, $14.95)

Arctic Crossing, A Journey Through the Northwest Passage and Inuit Culture

Arctic Crossing, A Journey Through the Northwest Passage and Inuit Culture


by Jonathan Waterman

  • HISTORY
  • 2002
  • PAPER
  • 376 PAGES

A riveting account of a 2,200 mile solo journey across the Arctic from Prudhoe Bay to the Gulf of Boothia by kayak, accomplished in stages from 1997-1999. (ARC98, $16.95)

The Scramble for the Arctic

The Scramble for the Arctic


by Richard Sale

  • HISTORY
  • 2009
  • HARD COVER
  • 208 PAGES

Sales and co-author Eugene Potapov focus on the history of Arctic exploitation, legal status and future of the region in this compact survey. (ARC240, $24.95)

A History of Arctic Exploration

A History of Arctic Exploration


by Juha Nurminen

  • EXPLORATION
  • 2010
  • HARD COVER
  • 349 PAGES

The ancient Inuit, Vikings, Vitus Bering, whalers, explorers and James Cook are all paid tribute in this sumptuously illustrated history, drawing on the collections of Helsinki's Nurminen Foundation. (ARC257, $60.00)

Ancient People of the Arctic


by Robert McGhee

  • ARCHAEOLOGY
  • 2001
  • PAPER
  • 244 PAGES

In this nicely illustrated overview of the Paleo-Eskimos, Robert McGhee, an archaeologist, brings vibrantly to life North America's first settlers and their culture. (ARC163, $32.95)

Arctic Labyrinth, The Quest for the Northwest Passage

Arctic Labyrinth, The Quest for the Northwest Passage


by Glyn Williams

  • EXPLORATION
  • 2011
  • PAPER
  • 464 PAGES

Drawing on letters, archives and explorer accounts, Williams charts the full sweep of the history of discovery and the quest for the Northwest Passage. (ARC254, $22.95)

Fatal Journey, The Final Expedition of Henry Hudson

Fatal Journey, The Final Expedition of Henry Hudson


by Peter Mancall

  • EXPLORATION
  • 2010
  • PAPER
  • 320 PAGES

Mancall's account of Hudson's last, great voyage, a quest for the elusive Northwest passage tackles the mystery of his death, set adrift by his mutinous crew in the southern reached of what is now called Hudson Bay after a winter trapped in the ice. (CND330, $16.95)

Fatal Passage, The Story of John Rae, the Arctic Hero Time Forgot

Fatal Passage, The Story of John Rae, the Arctic Hero Time Forgot


by Ken McGoogan

  • EXPLORATION
  • 2003
  • PAPER
  • 328 PAGES

A compelling biography of the Scottish explorer who pioneered Inuit methods, completed the Northwest Passage and found Franklin. (ARC118, $15.95)

Frozen in Time, The Fate of the Franklin Expedition

Frozen in Time, The Fate of the Franklin Expedition


by Owen Beattie | John Geiger

  • EXPLORATION
  • 2004
  • PAPER
  • 185 PAGES

An exhaustive examination of the evidence surrounding the disappearance of the Franklin Expedition. Beattie and Geiger, a forensic anthropologist and historian, build a credible tale of the disappearance of the expedition. (ARC81, $22.95)

Historical Atlas of the Arctic

Historical Atlas of the Arctic


by Derek Hayes

  • EXPLORATION
  • 2003
  • HARD COVER
  • 208 PAGES

A handsome collection of 300 striking maps, most in glorious color and many presented here for the first time. Hayes provides captivating, scholarly commentary. (ARC135, $64.95)

Ninety Degrees North, The Quest for the North Pole

Ninety Degrees North, The Quest for the North Pole


by Fergus Fleming

  • EXPLORATION
  • 2003
  • PAPER
  • 496 PAGES

A thrilling, artfully told chronicle of the mostly 19th-century adventurers, madmen and explorers who quested after the North Pole. (ARC124, $15.00)

Paddle to the Arctic

Paddle to the Arctic


by Don Starkell

  • EXPLORATION
  • 2001
  • PAPER
  • 304 PAGES

Not simply the story of a man in a kayak, this diary of a 3,000-mile journey from Churchill to Tuktoyaktut captures the challenges of the Northwest Passage. (ARC26, $16.95)

The Frozen Ship, The Histories and Tales of Polar Exploration

The Frozen Ship, The Histories and Tales of Polar Exploration


by Sarah Moss

  • EXPLORATION
  • 2009
  • PAPER
  • 244 PAGES

Moss demolishes cherished myths of the golden age of polar exploration -- and retells many of the greatest stories -- in this elegantly written, revisionist account of the cult of heroism. (ARC206, $13.95)

The Last Gentleman Adventurer

The Last Gentleman Adventurer


by Edward Beauclerk Maurice | Lawrence Millman

  • EXPLORATION
  • 2006
  • PAPER
  • 416 PAGES

Maurice's poignant tale of coming-of-age with the Hudson Bay Company in the Canadian Arctic in the 1930s. Posted to Pangnirtung as a remarkably unlikely 17-year-old recruit, Maurice grew into a man with the fur traders and Inuit of Baffin Island, earning the name of Issumatak (One Who Thinks). (ARC173, $14.95)

The Man Who Ate His Boots

The Man Who Ate His Boots


by Anthony Brandt

  • EXPLORATION
  • 2011
  • PAPER
  • 448 PAGES

The enthralling tale of the adventurers who searched in vain for the Northwest Passage, holy grail of 19th-century British exploration. (ARC246, $16.95)

The Voyage of the Narwhal

The Voyage of the Narwhal


by Andrea Barrett

  • EXPLORATION
  • 1999
  • PAPER
  • 416 PAGES

A gripping work of historical imagination in the form of a 19th-century account of Arctic exploration. It's Barrett's evocative tale of a Philadelphia naturalist Erasmus Darwin Wells who sets out on a foolhardy mission in search of the Franklin Expedition in the Canadian Arctic. (ARC40, $14.95)

The Last Imaginary Place

The Last Imaginary Place


by Robert McGhee

  • BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
  • 2007
  • PAPER
  • 296 PAGES

A curator at the Canadian Museum of Civilization, McGhee combines a lifetime of field work, ethnography and travel in this illuminating account of the human history of the Arctic. (ARC164, $18.00)

The Discovery of Slowness

The Discovery of Slowness


by Sten Nadolny | Ralph Freedman

  • LITERATURE
  • 2005
  • PAPER
  • 325 PAGES

A late 20th century fictional biography of the 19th century polar explorer Sir John Franklin (1786-1847), a man who makes history by discovering the power of his own slowness. (ARC59, $16.95)

A Complete Guide to Arctic Wildlife

A Complete Guide to Arctic Wildlife


by Richard Sale

  • NATURAL HISTORY
  • 2006
  • HARD COVER
  • 464 PAGES
  • OUT OF PRINT

This stunning primer features hundreds of spectacular color photographs, range maps and descriptions of 200 birds and 77 mammals. (ARC190, $49.95)

Arctic Dreams

Arctic Dreams


by Barry Lopez

  • NATURAL HISTORY
  • 2001
  • PAPER
  • 417 PAGES
  • FAVORITE

A dazzling meditation on the Arctic, breathtaking in scope. Lopez draws on his travels throughout the North, including Baffin Island, the Chukchi and Bering seas, Alaska, the Yukon and Greenland, interweaving natural history, accounts of early exploration, anecdote and lore into an indelible portrait of place. (ARC11, $16.00)

Arctic Kingdom, Life at the Edge

Arctic Kingdom, Life at the Edge


by National Geographic Society

  • NATURAL HISTORY
  • 2009
  • DVD

Filmed in the Canadian arctic, this breathtaking entry in Nat Geo's Last Great Places series stars polar bears, ringed seals, arctic foxes bowhead and beluga whales, narwhals and other Arctic wildlife. Narrated by James Coburn. (ARC284, $19.95)

Glacier Ice

Glacier Ice


by Austin Post | Edward R. LaChapelle

  • NATURAL HISTORY
  • 2000
  • PAPER
  • 145 PAGES

A classic book of extraordinary black-and-white aerial photographs of mountains and glaciers by two devoted men of ice. Ed LaChapelle's text is paired with Austin Post's stunning aerial photographs of glaciers from Alaska and Chile to Switzerland, the Himalayas and other parts of the world. (SCI07, $27.95)

Polar Bears

Polar Bears


by Ian Stirling

  • NATURAL HISTORY
  • 2011
  • PAPER
  • 232 PAGES

A tribute to the polar bear by a preeminent researcher, this handsome natural history features outstanding color photographs and detailed chapters on biology, distribution, behavior, study, conservation and lore. (ARC58, $40.00)

The Arctic, A Guide to Coastal Wildlife

The Arctic, A Guide to Coastal Wildlife


by Tony Soper

  • FIELD GUIDE
  • 2012
  • PAPER
  • 160 PAGES

An essential handbook for the ship-based traveler, this compact guide to the plants, marine mammals and birds of the circumpolar north features handsome watercolor illustrations and lively text. This new edition includes a section on the Bering Sea. (ARC85, $23.99)

More Recommendations

Here are some other groups of books that might be of interest

Longitude provides recommended reading for travelers in partnership with the leading tour operators and travel programs for hundreds of destinations worldwide. We've got the classic, new and hard-to-find books and maps to help you get the most out of your adventures.