The Harriman Alaska Expedition Retraced: A Century of Change, 1899-2001 - Hardcover

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0813535050 ISBN 13: 9780813535050

Publisher: Rutgers University Press, 2005

Synopsis

Over time, Alaska has become synonymous with the idea of wilderness—nature, free and unspoiled. Yet while the concept of this open, untamed countryside—the “land of the midnight sun”—has a romantic appeal, the reality is quite different and often much more severe. Alaska is a place where communities are isolated, winters are long, and temperatures can freeze flesh as hard as a rock in minutes.

This book reveals hard facts, challenges simple assumptions, and transforms Alaska from a wistful idea to a real place with its own changing ecology, economies, society, and values. It includes essays by the group of scientists, writers, and artists who made an expedition to Alaska in 2001, tracing the historic route of railroad baron Edward H. Harriman’s ambitious journey in 1899. Together, the group visited the diverse cultures, communities, and ecosystems of Alaska. In their accounts, they share their conversations with mayors, teachers, tribal leaders and elders, children, business owners, and conservationists in order to present Alaska as it is, not as it appears on airport posters and tourism brochures.

Organized by the ship’s route with expedition logs providing a sense of place, the book addresses wilderness conservation biology and ecology, American history, natural history and anthropology, and travel and exploration. More specific topics include the repatriation of Native objects; tourism; forestry, fisheries, and marine mammals; John Muir’s notion of beauty; the effects of the Exxon Valdez oil spill on Prince William Sound; the legacy of Russian exploration; Alaska’s glacial geography; the challenges faced by isolated communities living in harsh frontier environments; whale, salmon, seal, and seabird ecology; and possibilities for a sustainable future in Alaska.

Lavishly illustrated with gorgeous color and black-and-white photographs, The Harriman Alaska Expedition Retraced is an ambitious exploration of America’s northern wilderness, which we discover is far from frozen in time.

About this title

About the Author

Thomas S. Litwin is the Harriman Expedition Retraced creator and 2001 Expedition Leader. At Smith College, he is the director of the Clark Science Center and founding director of their Environmental Science and Policy Program. He was named an Aldo Leopold Fellow in 2004.

Review

The Harriman Alaska Expedition Retraced takes us across 100 years of Alaskan and American history, showing us the magnificence and vulnerability of our vast wilderness coastline. From the heights of human ingenuity and creativity, to the sobering political and environmental challenges we face, Litwin and his modern day explorers share their voyage of wonder and contradiction. This powerful book helps us understand Alaska's past, and puts us on the path to understanding the opportunities for Alaska's future. (Jay Hammond Governor of Alaska, 1974-1982)

Edition details

• Publisher: Rutgers University Press
• Publication date: 2005
• ISBN 10: 0813535050
• ISBN 13: 9780813535050
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 320
• Editor: Litwin Thomas