The Land of Feast and Famine [Paperback]

Helge Ingstad (Author), Eugene Gay-Tifft (Translator)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 2008

In the late 1920s, Helge Ingstad spent four years as a hunter and trapper in the Canadian Arctic. When he first arrived in the North, people in the river communities would bet on the arrival of the river boats - when he stopped at Fort Resolution on his way out, the bets were about planes. "The Land of Feast and Famine," originally published in 1931 and re-released by McGill-Queen's after more than forty years out-of-print, is a vivid depiction of Ingstad's adventures. He describes the native companions and fellow trappers with whom he shared both harsh and heart-warming experiences, and relates how he learned first-hand about beaver, caribou, wolf, and other wildlife. He also provides a remarkable body of information about native medicine. The arrival of the aviation age opened of the North, irrevocably changing the way of life of the Native people. "The Land of Feast and Famine" provides a fascinating glimpse of the Northwest Territories in the final days of the fur trading era.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Before renowned Norwegian explorer Ingstad discovered the site of Leif Erikson's North American landfall, he spent the years from 1926 to 1930 living the adventurer's life, trapping fur in the Canadian tundra. The wondrous book transports readers to the time and place." Publishers Weekly "An adventure/travel story that is also a first-hand account of the last days of the fur trappers' society ... a valuable document " Dorothy Harley Eber, author of When The Whalers Were Up North

About the Author

Helge Marcus Ingstad (1899 – 2001), famous for his discovery of the oldest known European settlement in North America - at L'Anse aux Meadows, Newfoundland - was a Norwegian explorer and author. A former commander of the Royal Order of St. Olav, he was awarded the Royal Geographical Society Patron's Medal.

Product Details

• Paperback: 360 pages
• Publisher: Mqup (April 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0773509127
• ISBN-13: 978-0773509122
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.9 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,316,777 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Land of Feast & Famine, April 19, 2006

By 

M. Ofjord - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Land of Feast and Famine (Paperback)

Very well written book regarding the life and times of a trapper living in the northern boreal forest and tundra. A very good read.