To the Arctic!: The Story of Northern Exploration from Earliest Times

by Jeannette Mirsky

"Who Reached the North Pole First?" A recent article in the New York Times (February 17, 1997) presented new evidence from the journals of Admiral Robert E. Peary and Dr. Frederick A. Cook that sheds light on this long-argued debate. Questioning whether the journal entries are truthful, new theories indicate that neither explorer was first, despite their individual claims. To the Arctic contributes valuable information to this debate in its lively narrative of Arctic exploration from the time of the ancient Greeks to the mid-1940s. Revealing stories of the many men who attempted to map the lands or search for means to live there, Mirsky describes the weather and resources they encountered, the temptations and odds of success, and the role of nationalism and individual character in the many conflicting accounts of Arctic exploration.

"Excellent. . . . This is a book which anyone interested in almost any facet of the north will find of value."—William Cody, Canadian Field Naturalist

"A book filled with adventure."—Daily News Journal

First published in 1934 under the title To the North.

372 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1934

About the author

Jeannette Mirsky Ginsburg was an American author who was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1947 for her biographical writings on the history of exploration.

Reviews

[Emily Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

immediately checked out this book when I saw the introduction was written by Vilhjalmur Stefansson. full of interesting stories but I simply can’t give 5 stars to a book that speaks so highly of “the greatest humbug alive” (as described by Roald Amundsen)

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book a number of years ago, and it really motivated me to read more about Arctic exploration. The diverse and sometimes horrifying story of human behaviour in extreme conditions is fascinating and well-told.