Arctic Adventure (Hardcover)

by Peter Freuchen (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Fascinating... There is not a dull page in it."
--The New York Times

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Description
Peter Freuchen had a life of remarkable adventure. He lived in Greenland, 800 miles from the North Pole, for fifteen years, adopted native ways of life, married an Inuit woman, and had two children.

In Arctic Adventure he writes of seal and polar bear hunts; surviving starvation; meeting people who'd resorted to cannibalism; and of the moving experience of seeing the sun after three months of winter darkness. Freuchen's warmth, wit, and literary talent make this book stand out; it is a rich human saga. (6 x 9, 432 pages, b&w photos)

Peter Freuchen (1886-1957), born in Denmark, was a close friend of Arctic legend Knud Rasmussen and accompanied him on several expeditions.

Gretel Ehrlich is the author of This Cold Heaven and A Match to the Heart, among other works. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 467 pages
• Publisher: AMS Press (December 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0404116388
• ISBN-13: 978-0404116385
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.8 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,001,576 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the great adventurers and story tellers., September 3, 2002

By	Sysmg (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

Unlike many European adventurers who forced their vision upon the natives, Peter Freuchen adopted their ways. He was quite a remarkable individual. His life jumped from one life changing adventure to another. This book covers his life in the Artic, which was remarkable. Later in his life, he wrote a book which covers this material and other adventures (including Alaska, the Soviet Union) called 'Vagrant Viking'. I highly recommend that book too.

Also unlike many adventurers (such as Ernest Shackleton) Freuchen wrote incredibly well. His insights into different cultures and people and his writing style are exceptional. One passage that stood out in this book had to do with him finding out that he was going to be a father: "My whole life was changed, given impulse and purpose. Before the arrival of children a man is seldom aware of the need for them. Afterward, he can scarcely credit life as holding any interest without them." I highly recommend this book, which will be reprinted in November 2002.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must read, August 10, 1999

By A Customer

My grand father introduced me to this book and Jim Corbett's writing. Any one who ever longed to travel should read Freuchen and Corbett. Honestly written, with detail, wisdom, and the appreciation of irony that makes life in hardship enjoyable. I read it every fall when cold weather sets in. I agree with the previous reviewer. If you only read one book this year, make it Arctic Adventure.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Incredible story of exploring Greenland... great writer., December 6, 1997

By	[e-mail] "fujigrower" (Wenatchee, WA) - See all my reviews

Fruechen was an early Greenland explorer and wrote a brilliant chronical of his adventures. Combines vivid descriptions of the hardship, landscape and eskimos with a sharp sense of humor. Freuchen, in my opinion, is the Michael Jordan of story tellers. If I had only one book in the world to keep, this would be it.