The Polar Passion: The Quest for the North Pole

by Farley Mowat

Describes the efforts of explorers to reach the North Pole, and shares the firsthand accounts of those who braved the Arctic elements

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Canada

365 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1967

About the author

Farley McGill Mowat was a conservationist and one of Canada's most widely-read authors.

Many of his most popular works have been memoirs of his childhood, his war service, and his work as a naturalist. His works have been translated into 52 languages and he has sold more than 14 million books.

Mowat studied biology at the University of Toronto. During a field trip to the Arctic, Mowat became outraged at the plight of the Ihalmiut, a Caribou Inuit band, which he attributed to misunderstanding by whites. His outrage led him to publish his first novel, People of the Deer (1952). This book made Mowat into a literary celebrity and was largely responsible for the shift in the Canadian government's Inuit policy: the government began shipping meat and dry goods to a people they previously denied existed.

The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society ship RV Farley Mowat was named in honour of him, and he frequently visited it to assist its mission.

Reviews

[Rod Innis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting history

[Cathy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not what I thought it would be. Reads like a text book. Didn't finish

[Leslie Reiber · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always like Mowat ... great winter reading

[Owen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second volume of the "Top of the World" trilogy by Canadian writer Farley Mowat. In this formidable historical series, Mowat retraces the steps of the early explorers into Canada's northern realms. Volume one, "Ordeal by Ice" told us of some of the earliest expeditions into Hudson's Bay and of the difficulties faced by inexperienced men in ill-equipped ships. Indeed, those who set out were frequently never heard from again and their stories have been pieced together, often many years later, by the discovery of diaries under rocky cairns and from information gleaned from Eskimos who came across the men at some stage during their struggles. The stories are quite fantastic and there is an atmosphere of outlandish adventure throughout these books, making them difficult to put down. Volume two, "The Polar Passion," recounts the fascination exerted by the idea of reaching the North Pole, and the results of some of the early expeditions. Drawing from primary sources, Mowat lets the expedition members tell the story themselves, as much as possible. He contents himself with drawing them all together and setting them against an historical background that allows us to have a wider perspective of the events. It has obviously been a long labour of love for Mowat and I feel as though a considerable debt is owing to him, for having made this material available to us in such a readable and coherent form.

[Chris K · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mowat digs up some more first-hand accounts of arctic survival, this time relating to the race for the North Pole. The tragedy outlined in this book is somewhat harder to swallow due to the vainglorious nature of the expeditions that usually fail horribly, at the cost of human lives. At least in the Ordeal By Ice book, explorers were hoping to find something that would benefit people, ie: the northwest passage.
I found myself often hurrying to turn the page so that I could learn the fate of crews and explorers that much faster. There are some gripping accounts that will stay with me for years to come.
This book will make you choose sides — Peary or Cook — and I wouldn't be surprised if Mowat's endorsement compels you to side with him.