The Future History of the Arctic

by Charles Emmerson

Long at the margins of global affairs and at the edge of our mental map of the world, the Arctic has found its way to the center of the issues which will challenge and define our world in the twenty-first century: energy security and the struggle for natural resources, climate change and its uncertain speed and consequences, the return of great power competition, the remaking of global trade patterns…In The Future History of the Arctic, geopolitics expert Charles Emmerson weaves together the history of the region with reportage and reflection, revealing a vast and complex area of the globe, loaded with opportunity and rich in challenges. He defines the forces which have shaped the Arctic’s history and introduces the players in politics, business, science and society who are struggling to mold its future.

The Arctic is coming of age. This engrossing book tells the story of how that is happening and how it might happen—through the stories of those who live there, those who study it, and those who will determine its destiny.

Genres: Science, History, Nonfiction, Environment, Economics, Politics, Natural History

448 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 2009

About the author

Author and senior research fellow at Chatham House.

Reviews

[Dan Carey]

Thorough and entertainingly written. But the main problem with this book is how quickly parts of it feel dated. Although published in 2010, the state of affairs in economics, geopolitics, and climate change are moving so rapidly that book occasionally feels much older.

[Zhenia R]

My fellow readers,

Let me begin by saying that I have the utmost respect for the author of this exceptional book. The thorough research and meticulous exploration of every country's perspectives in the Arctic is truly commendable. From Canada to the USA, from Greenland to Norway, from Iceland to Russia - every country that considers the Arctic its domain is covered in this book. And what strikes me most is how different their approaches are.

I must admit, as I delved into the pages, the history fascinated me more than the future. The first part of the book is a true treasure trove of knowledge, shedding light on the Arctic's past and how it has shaped the region we know today. However, as I progressed to the second part, which delves into the prognosis, I couldn't help but notice that the book was written in 2008 and has become somewhat outdated.

Nonetheless, this book serves as an excellent primer on the Arctic and its importance to the world. It highlights the challenges faced by each country in the region, from climate change to territorial disputes, and offers insights into how these challenges can be addressed. As we move forward, it is crucial that we continue to prioritize the Arctic's preservation and sustainability, for the sake of future generations.

In closing, I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in learning more about the Arctic's history, present, and future. It is an informative and insightful read that will leave you with a deeper appreciation of this critical region.

Thank you, and happy reading.

[Tony Gallon]

The Future History of the Arctic starts well , however it does not finish well. You will read of the early explorers and the countries that lay claim to the Arctic. You will read of the events in our past that countries tried to develop different areas within their political control.
The topic is important today and was important yesterday, however, in 50 years the Arctic is going to be crucial to world resource exploration and international trade. I believe the author could have researched much deeper and forecasted future scenarios so much deeper as to "The Future" of the Arctic.
The best I can praise this book on , is you will read a very general history and be introduced to light ideologies of the Arctic nations. Numbers of possible oil resources will be offered but no speculation as to true development. I do not believe you will be any closer to understanding The Future History of the Arctic as it is not really discussed.

[Dan Savickas]

I felt a little like this book was deceptively titled. If you’re going in looking for a book that both analyzes the history of arctic nations and how it impacts their future, you will enjoy the first half. However, the latter half delves way too deeply into the economics of the oil industry, which (while important) is not what somebody is looking for when they pick up a book with “history of the Arctic” in the title. Still, though, there were some fascinating tidbits throughout and adds a good bit of context to some of the present discussions around the Arctic. There are also some thought provoking observations on culture that could start separate discussions of their own. Not a bad book at all, but know what you want out of it before going in.

[Kristoffer]

Emmerson leads his readers through the emerging Arctic region, its future importance and ever-relevant geopolitical situation. For that purpose it analyzes the region from the different perspectives of the various Arctic powers, such as The United States, Norway, Canada, Russia, Denmark and Greenland, and Iceland.

[Ivana]

Comprehensive book about the history of the Arctic, and its importance as a rich natural resource area. Striking in the current geopolitical climate. In case you want to understand why the interests of global politics is turning North this is a well chosen literature.

[Dan O'Neill]

Well worth reading. Can be tough going at times, but a really interesting look at the history of the Arctic and the current energy situation there.

[Eve Sarah]

Interesting subjects, boring writing style. Sometimes felt like the author was trying to reach a word count.

[David Burns]

Read in Dubai (Feb 2025)

[Amanda]

I'm sorry, I couldn't even finish this book. I learned a decent amount of information from the half I did get through, but it was so dry, and it just dragged on. I love history and politics, I'm fascinated and well educated in science and global warming. This should've been right up my ally. And it could've been..had the author been capable of delivering his research with any kind of drama, suspense, or even a little incredulity or excitement. I'm disappointed, because I feel that this subject is horribly under-focused on and talked about. With the shape of our climate and our environment, this research and this subject are more important than ever. Everyone should know about these things. Unfortunately, this book isn't going to help bring in any new attention.
Ultimately, the thing that I had the biggest problem with was the fact that this is the biggest, scariest, most alarming issue of our day, global warming is. It will eventually affect us all, and the author is right in saying that the world itself is changing so drastically and rapidly that we soon won't be able to recognize it. It talks about how it will affect politics, and businesses, and different animal species, and the way we study science and interact with other countries scientists. But it does NOT do the most important thing; it doesn't convince the average person why they should care about any of this. It doesn't get on a personal level and pull them in. Ultimately, if this stuff isn't your bread and butter or your forte, this book will end up being just another boring, never ending piece of dry research that won't be finished.

[Andy Walker]

With the effects of global warming beginning to have an impact on our planet and with proven reserves of the carbon fuels which may have caused much of this warming on the wane, humanity finds itself at a crossroads. Do we use technological know-how to mitigate climate change or adapt to new circumstances. Nowhere on earth is this dilemma more apparent than in the arctic. On one hand, rising temperatures could bring boomtime to the north, opening up the Northwest Passage to shipping and slashing the journey time from Asia to the Americas. But the arctic is also under threat from a new 'resources rush' from an industrialised world axious for new sources of oil, gas, minerals and fish.The Future History of the Arctic presents an in-depth consideration of the urgent strategic, political, economic, environmental and social issues facing 'the roof of the world'. A thrilling, insightful and sometimes chilling read but one which has never been more relevant than today.

[Cassandra Kay Silva]

This was less about the future history of the arctic and more about the political boundaries that have defined it up until the present. It also focuses heavily on the oil and gas trades there and the economic stability/feasibility of sustaining various populations in the arctic. I thought the most interesting bit was the connections/ties to Greenland and Denmark I had no idea how interdependent Greenland was and what this meant for the country. There was a lot about Russia and nuclear testing/influence, as well as natural gas and other power struggles. It actually wasn't bad per se. He just didn't give enough umph to where he though things were heading and frankly the writing was fairly boring. Actually the subject matter was good though, I find the Arctic fascinating personally. Too bad.

[Foster]

As an overview of the present and future of the Arctic region, this is a wonderful book. Basically you are taken on a circumnavigation of the region, starting in Russia. I learned many new pieces of info - both from the past and the future.
For a while I didn't think I'd make it through all 314 pages, but after about a quarter of the way in the pace picked up and it became an easier read. That said, this is a pretty academic text - you'll find yourself regularly thumbing back to the end notes.
I was well into the book when I finally checked out the author picture on the jacket. I was expecting a bitter old academic, tired from a life of traveling around the Arctic. Instead, I discovered that Mr. Emmerson is actually pretty young - which makes this book an even more impressive achievement!

[Elgin]

I checked this book out because I thought it would center on a discussion of global change. There was some of this but mostly conjecturing that
global warming would be good for the arctic in many ways. Kind of a naive position given there was little analysis of how the rest of the world would be affected. But the author wanted to concentrate on the arctic. I learned a few things about arctic history and about the influence of the arctic on policies in the US, Russia, Norway, and Canada, and a bit about politics and resource management in Greenland and Iceland. Overall though, the depth and analysis was pretty superficial.

[Jan]

This book ought to be mandatory reading for Greenpeace activists involved in challenging Russia's arctic plans and Americans against drilling in the Arctic Wildlife Refuge in Alaska. Understanding the underlying political ad economic ideologies in the Kremlin and Washington can provide insights into how we can hope to save the Arctic from a new resources rush in the 21st century. This book covers the historical and future ambitions of the Arctic countries and what the Arctic represents for each of them. Ironicall, the age of Global Warming is also the age in which exploration of Arctic resources will be accelerated.

[Gwen]

Wonderful book, even though I'm less interested in the Arctic. Lengthy discussions on enviromental policy and strategic resource acquisition. The best section was the country casestudies: Greenland, Iceland, and Norway. What have each of these regions done to explore the Arctic? Why is the Arctic important to their economies? How has colonialism affected current policies? What is the future of each economy in an era of globalization? An excellent book.

[David Hansen]

Pretty good discussion of history and politics of the Arctic. Way more than I was interested in about oil in the Arctic. It lacked a coherent thesis to unify the book, so it ended up feeling more like a series of mildly interesting facts than anything very significant about the future of the Arctic.

[Ryan]

Really fascinating history of the Arctic and a look at where things are likely to go. Some of the older stuff was less interesting but balanced by the rest of the older stuff which was absolutely fascinating. The Soviet projects in the far North sounded awful. How this all plays out in a warming world could be good for some people and catastrophic for others.

[Luke]

A curious mix of 20c history, future geopolitical directions, and travelogue, presenting a thoroughly Arctic perspective. But ultimately that all means a lot of Soviets and Resource Extraction scenarios.

[Joseph]

not nearly as interesting a read as the front cover.

it talks about how climate change and development of natural resources will impact geopolitical powers within the Arctic. I find the chapters towards the end that dwell on Norway, Greenland and Iceland slightly more engaging.

[Ulysses]

33.33% interesting facts, 66.67% college-term-paper-type rhetorical questions and meaningless puffy quotes.

I think I need to stop reading nonfiction for a while.

[Norman Cohen]

Great source for this piece I am writing. Now I really want to visit somewhere above the Arctic Circle....but where?

[Paige]

recommended by http://www.marginalrevolution.com/mar...

[Justiina Dahl]

Despite its name this is an excellent overview of the world's polar history.

[Jan]

Excellent and original overview of the rapidly emerging future conflict or perhaps cooperation zone, where climate change, the scramble for ressources, geopolitics and empty space collide

[Andrew]

Not bad, but a choppy structure alternating between feature journalism and dry historical summary.

[Steve Cox]

Kind of disjoint, and more about the oil/gas industry than I was expecting. Glad I read it though.