Journey Round the Arctic Circle - Hardcover

Hill, Christopher; Swallow, Su

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0718828453 ISBN 13: 9780718828455

Publisher: Lutterworth Press, 1993

Synopsis

Chris Hill undertook a unique one-man journey that took him through eight Arctic countries over a period of two years. The expedition began in Alaska, USA, and ended one dark polar night in the Russian Arctic. He covered over 65,000 miles using whatever transport was available, from aeroplanes to skidoos. On his travels he met Eskimos (Inuit), Lapps (Saami), North American Native peoples and many Russian ethnic groups - people from all walks of life. He was struck by the tremendous warmth and hospitality of the Arctic peoples and their profound respect for the wilderness, land and sea. He came across all sorts of indigenous animals and travelled across (at times treacherous) terrain in harsh conditions. In writing this book, Chris Hill hopes to encourage a deeper understanding of the environment in which we live. His journey came at a very significant time of deepening concern at the damage being caused to this pristine wilderness by industrialised countries. Both people and ecosystem are under threat. The hole in the ozone layer and all the consequences of global warming are nowhere more obvious than in the Arctic with melting icecaps, 'Arctic haze', acid snow and polluted rivers. The repercussions of the accident at Chernobyl and the Exxon oil spill are still being felt there today. Chris Hill approaches this important subject with a fresh passion that comes from his personal experience. But this is also an adventure book; it will hold the attention of any child from the age of six to sixteen; it is enormously informative and it carries a very important message to the younger generation. It will open up a new world to them through vivid descriptions of a culture so very different from their own. Its peoples, lifestyles, animals and terrain are brought to life in words and through extraordinary colour photographs and amusing illustrations in a style that will fascinate and remain with them long after the book has been set down. With a Foreword by the Rt. Hon. Lord Shackleton KG, FRGS.

About this title

About the Author

Former Master of Balliol College, Oxford, Christopher Hill is an extremely well-known and respected historian. The original edition of this book has been a classic text for over twenty years.

Review

"As he travelled alone through eight countries, Hill ... also responded to their natural beauty and the remarkable resilience of people who survive in the world's cruellest climate ... much of his work reflects the still untrammelled purity of land immobilised by snow. Although emphasising encroaching pollution, Hill's book is a positive adventure." Hampstead & Highgate Express "Conservation is at the centre of the story, the reader being encouraged to contemplate the extent of man's damage to his environment. Included in the book are vivid descriptions and photographs of the people who live within harsh Arctic conditions." Fife Free Press

Edition details

• Publisher: Lutterworth Press
• Publication date: 1993
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0718828453
• ISBN 13: 9780718828455
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 48