Whales, Ice, and Men: The History of Whaling in the Western Arctic [Hardcover]

John R. Bockstoce (Author)

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

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

Product Details

• Hardcover: 400 pages
• Publisher: Univ of Washington Pr; 1 edition (April 1986)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0295963182
• ISBN-13: 978-0295963181
• Product Dimensions: 10.6 x 9 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,333,726 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Arctic historian and archaeologist, John R. Bockstoce has been traveling and working in the North since 1962. He has carried out a series of excavations at Bering Strait and served for ten seasons as a member of an Eskimo whaling crew at Point Hope, Alaska. In the 1970s he descended the Tanana and Yukon rivers by canoe from Fairbanks to Nome and traveled along the coast from there to Barrow Strait in arctic Canada. Later he twice traversed the Northwest Passage by boat.

He is the author of many books, monographs, and articles, including Arctic Passages: A Unique Small Boat Voyage through the Great Northern Waterway(1991, 1992), Arctic Discoveries: Images from Voyages of Four Decades in the North (2000), High Latitude, North Atlantic: 30,000 Miles through Cold Seas and History (2003), and the award-winning Whales, Ice and Men: The History of Whaling in the Western Arctic (1986, 1995). The University of Alaska recently conferred on him an honorary Doctor of Science in recognition of his contributions to Arctic studies.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Colourful & Precise, July 15, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Whales, Ice, and Men: The History of Whaling in the Western Arctic (Paperback)

Comprehensively researched, this book provides a complete history of whaling in Alaska, from its inception to its demise. Whaling was an important part of American history, a unique part that is forever gone, and deserves examination, despite our present sentiments on the subject. Mr. Bockstoce's history is thorough and provides considerable detail, and delves into a wide range of issues, from economic factors to the impact on the Native population. Still, the book is more than history. What makes it fascinating reading are the anecdotes and personal glimpses into the lives of the people who were involved. Whatever else they were, they did not lack for courage and perseverance. It's their stories, funny, strange, gruesome, or just colorful, that make the lost ships and abandoned harbors and history come to life. Overall, an great read for anyone with an interest in a clear and concisely-written history that includes personalities as well as data.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An extremely well organized and interesting history., May 4, 1998

By 

Steven L. Waterman - See all my reviews

This review is from: Whales, Ice, and Men: The History of Whaling in the Western Arctic (Paperback)

This book is the best one I have read about the history of whaling. It gives the reader a perspective that others sometimes do not. It is well illustrated and gives you the feel that you are actually part of the history Mr. Bockstoce is presenting. You understand how and why the Arctic whaling industry thrived and finally met its demise.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a classic piece of work, October 14, 2007

By 

John C. George (Barrow, AK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This is THE book to read about Yankee bowhead whaling in the western arctic. Bockstoce is not only a great scholar, he when whaling with the Point Hope Native hunters in the 1960s (prior to the Marine Mammal Protection Act), and has sailed and boated through most of the western Arctic where Yankee whaling took place.