Post by trinity on Oct 8, 2015 7:52:43 GMT -8
I finally got around to this classic of nature literature. I had put it off in part because I didn't think I had much interest in the arctic. Wrong. This is a fascinating and engrossing book, a very deep and broad examination of the natural history and the human history of the arctic. The early chapters focus on natural history, including individual chapters on Polar Bears, Musk Oxen, and Narwhals. Later chapters focus on human history in the arctic, including the earliest native people to settle there, and the often disastrous search by Europeans for a northwest passage. Lopez' understanding of the topics he explores is exhaustive and nuanced. But what really sets this book apart is the quality of the writing. This is one of the most beautifully written books about nature that I can recall having read, descriptive, evocative, and poetic. Lopez turns an often critical eye on the role humankind has played in the arctic, but without a trace of misanthropy. I would say this book has been instantly catapulted into my top 5 or 6 books about nature and the ways that humans engage our environment. It is a stunning piece of work.
