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The Last Imaginary Place: A Human History of the Arctic World
The Arctic of towering icebergs and midnight sun, of flaming auroras and endless winter nights, has long provoked flights of the imagination. Now, in The Last Imaginary Place, renowned archeologist Robert McGhee lifts the veil to reveal the true Arctic world. Based on thirty years of work with native peoples of the Arctic and travel in the region, McGhee’s account dispels notions of the frozen land as an exotic, remote world that exists apart from civilization.
Between the frigid reality and lurid fantasy lies McGhee’s true interest, the people who throughout human history have called the Arctic home. He paints a vivid portrait of Viking farmers, entrepreneurial Inuit, and Western explorers who have been seduced by the natural wealth and haunting beauty of this land. From lively accounts of fur trading, ivory hunting, and whaling to white-knuckle tales of the first, doomed expeditions, McGhee takes the reader on a whirlwind journey across this disorienting, dreamlike terrain that has fascinated mankind for centuries.
Between the frigid reality and lurid fantasy lies McGhee’s true interest, the people who throughout human history have called the Arctic home. He paints a vivid portrait of Viking farmers, entrepreneurial Inuit, and Western explorers who have been seduced by the natural wealth and haunting beauty of this land. From lively accounts of fur trading, ivory hunting, and whaling to white-knuckle tales of the first, doomed expeditions, McGhee takes the reader on a whirlwind journey across this disorienting, dreamlike terrain that has fascinated mankind for centuries.
296 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2004
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232 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
February 7, 2024
Cannot recommend this book enough for anyone in the human or natural history of the Arctic. Very interesting and detailed at every turn.
October 5, 2013
Some really good stuff in here occasionally weighed down by the author's need to insert himself where it's really not necessary.
November 29, 2019
A very interesting, wonderfully detailed book by an archaeologist about the different peoples that have ventured into the Arctic, from Tuniit, Inuit, Vikings and Norsemen in Greenland, Dutch whalers in Svalbard, British explorers, members of the Hudson's Bay company, traders in furs and the like.
This book tells each of their histories (and prehistory).
It is interesting to note that Inuit should not be stereotyped into 'noble savages': products of the harsh land they travail, they have led to overkillings and local extinctions of both animals (such as muskoxen) and humans (the Tuniit). At the same time, they have become victims at the hands of foreign powers (such as the outrageous governmental programme of Canada at the time that forcibly relocated populations of subArctic Inuit to the High Arctic, in conditions of cold and dark and plummeted resources that were woefully harsher than what they used to experience, to ensure Canada's stake at the Arctic over Russians and the like).
This book tells each of their histories (and prehistory).
It is interesting to note that Inuit should not be stereotyped into 'noble savages': products of the harsh land they travail, they have led to overkillings and local extinctions of both animals (such as muskoxen) and humans (the Tuniit). At the same time, they have become victims at the hands of foreign powers (such as the outrageous governmental programme of Canada at the time that forcibly relocated populations of subArctic Inuit to the High Arctic, in conditions of cold and dark and plummeted resources that were woefully harsher than what they used to experience, to ensure Canada's stake at the Arctic over Russians and the like).
August 29, 2017
McGhee brings an archaeologist's pleasures and pains to his story, making a (too-)brief survey of myth and history and then diving into different sections of the Arctic: the world of the Tuniit, the Inuit, the Norse, and so on. Good reading, if in need of more contemporary updating.
August 31, 2021
Solidly written overview of the human arctic world, both prehistoric and historic. Very accessibly and authoritatively written, with black and white photographs in the text and two separate sections of color plates. Each chapter is thematic, covering a particular historical event or time period. Though it is definitely a history book, the author does a good job in putting the reader at various places throughout the Arctic by vividly describing the author’s own personal experiences.
The reader gets chapters on the initial settling of the Arctic (chapter 1, “After the Ice Age”), ancient views of the Arctic before exploration began in earnest, going all the way back to the Ancient Greeks (chapter 2, “A Distant Paradise: The Arctic in Ancient Thought”), the world of hunters in the Arctic, whether of whales or caribou or seals or what have you, with more in depth coverage of the first native peoples of the Arctic, notably the Tuniit peoples, sometimes called the Paleo-Eskimos (chapter 3, “A Hunter’s World”), the story of Arctic Siberia, including native peoples, Imperial Russia, and the Soviet Union (chapter 4, “In Arctic Siberia”), the Norse explorations and settlements in and near the Arctic, namely Iceland and Greenland (chapter 5, “Vikings and Arctic Farmers: The Norse Atlantic Saga”), the story of the Inuit and adjacent peoples (chapter 6, “Inuit”), the early years of eastern hemisphere Arctic exploration with coverage of such explorers as Willem Barents (chapter 7, “Ice and Death on the Northeast Passage”),the story of Martin Frobisher, “an unlikely Arctic explorer” (chapter 8, “Martin Frobisher’s Gold Mines”), the story of settling Spitsbergen and its role in such activities as whaling and hunting walruses (chapter 9, “The Rape of Spitsbergen”), the story of several rather epic and miserable explorations in and around Hudson Bay in Canada, particularly of that of Samuel Hearne (chapter 10, “Bay of Tragedy”), the story of Arctic exploration on the Greenland, Canada, United States side, including the hunt for the Northwest Passage and the story of the doomed Franklin expedition (chapter 11, “Frozen Glory”), life in the Arctic after European explorations and settlements, particularly for people such as Siberian and Alaskan Eskimos as well as Cold War and petroleum extraction uses of the Arctic (chapter 12, “The People’s Land”). The book closes with a very nice discussion of books for further reading (not just a list of books) and a thorough index. There are also multiple maps in the book. Highly recommended if you have any interest in human history of the Arctic. It really good coverage especially of the native peoples of the Arctic.
The reader gets chapters on the initial settling of the Arctic (chapter 1, “After the Ice Age”), ancient views of the Arctic before exploration began in earnest, going all the way back to the Ancient Greeks (chapter 2, “A Distant Paradise: The Arctic in Ancient Thought”), the world of hunters in the Arctic, whether of whales or caribou or seals or what have you, with more in depth coverage of the first native peoples of the Arctic, notably the Tuniit peoples, sometimes called the Paleo-Eskimos (chapter 3, “A Hunter’s World”), the story of Arctic Siberia, including native peoples, Imperial Russia, and the Soviet Union (chapter 4, “In Arctic Siberia”), the Norse explorations and settlements in and near the Arctic, namely Iceland and Greenland (chapter 5, “Vikings and Arctic Farmers: The Norse Atlantic Saga”), the story of the Inuit and adjacent peoples (chapter 6, “Inuit”), the early years of eastern hemisphere Arctic exploration with coverage of such explorers as Willem Barents (chapter 7, “Ice and Death on the Northeast Passage”),the story of Martin Frobisher, “an unlikely Arctic explorer” (chapter 8, “Martin Frobisher’s Gold Mines”), the story of settling Spitsbergen and its role in such activities as whaling and hunting walruses (chapter 9, “The Rape of Spitsbergen”), the story of several rather epic and miserable explorations in and around Hudson Bay in Canada, particularly of that of Samuel Hearne (chapter 10, “Bay of Tragedy”), the story of Arctic exploration on the Greenland, Canada, United States side, including the hunt for the Northwest Passage and the story of the doomed Franklin expedition (chapter 11, “Frozen Glory”), life in the Arctic after European explorations and settlements, particularly for people such as Siberian and Alaskan Eskimos as well as Cold War and petroleum extraction uses of the Arctic (chapter 12, “The People’s Land”). The book closes with a very nice discussion of books for further reading (not just a list of books) and a thorough index. There are also multiple maps in the book. Highly recommended if you have any interest in human history of the Arctic. It really good coverage especially of the native peoples of the Arctic.
March 4, 2008
This book was a gift from Mindy, part of her custom book-of-the-month club she gives me all at once at Christmas. I can't say the Arctic was ever a subject of great interest to me, so I went in with low (or more accurately, no) expectations, but I was surprised to find myself utterly fascinated. Written by an archaeologist, the book covers a wide range of Arctic-related subjects: the Inuit diaspora across the North American Arctic, the Nordic colonization of Iceland and Greenland (my favorite chapter), the many brave and tragic explorations of various Europeans (which make for great adventure reading), and beyond. It slows down in places as the author's more scholarly mode takes over, but even those parts are worth the read, and overall the book is very engaging and beautifully written.
January 7, 2026
I simultaneously read three books in preparation for a trip to Churchill, Manitoba, next month:
The Last Imaginary Place: A Human History of the Arctic World The Last Imaginary Place (2005) by Robert McGhee, an arctic archaeologist. This book is mainly history, informed by archaeological discoveries, of Indigenous people of the arctic and exploration. Topics include: ancient myths about the north, Viking settlements in Greenland, Indigenous peoples of North America (first Tuniit then Inuit), Russian exploration of Siberia, excesses of whaling and other extractive industries, attempts to find the Northeast Passage (a route to the Pacific going east above Siberia) and the Northwest Passage (a route to the Pacific going west above Canada), the race to the North Pole, sovereignty, and climate change.
Arctic Dreams Arctic Dreams (1986) by Barry Lopez, which won the National Book Award. This book is informed by the author’s extensive travels in the north, accompanying scientists, explorers, and Indigenous people. It is part travelogue and part lyrical contemplation of the landscape and history. Topics include arctic history, in-depth information about polar bears, narwhals and muskox, thoughts about migration of birds and caribou and humans, reflections on snow and ice, and the way our language and experience shapes our perceptions of time and space.
A Naturalist's Guide to the Arctic A Naturalist’s Guide to the Arctic by E.C. Pielou, an ecologist. It’s not just a field guide to plants, birds, and mammals of the arctic, but also includes explanations of glaciers, icebergs, pack ice, atmospheric phenomena, and daylight length. It includes wonderful explanatory pen-and-ink drawings by the author.
Reading the three books simultaneously was informative as they cover different aspects of the topics, and there is helpful crossover. For example, in Arctic Dreams (pg 107), Lopez mentions an artifact of the Dorset culture, an ivory polar bear in a floating or flying posture carved in the year AD 500. There’s a color photo of the piece in Imaginary Place (color plate following pg 64). Another example: Arctic Dreams (pg 24) describes a 1597 expedition that was icebound over the winter at Novaya Zemlya. The crew was overjoyed when the sun returned early; the physics of this atmospheric phenomenon is described and illustrated in Naturalist’s Guide (pg 23).
The Last Imaginary Place: A Human History of the Arctic World The Last Imaginary Place (2005) by Robert McGhee, an arctic archaeologist. This book is mainly history, informed by archaeological discoveries, of Indigenous people of the arctic and exploration. Topics include: ancient myths about the north, Viking settlements in Greenland, Indigenous peoples of North America (first Tuniit then Inuit), Russian exploration of Siberia, excesses of whaling and other extractive industries, attempts to find the Northeast Passage (a route to the Pacific going east above Siberia) and the Northwest Passage (a route to the Pacific going west above Canada), the race to the North Pole, sovereignty, and climate change.
Arctic Dreams Arctic Dreams (1986) by Barry Lopez, which won the National Book Award. This book is informed by the author’s extensive travels in the north, accompanying scientists, explorers, and Indigenous people. It is part travelogue and part lyrical contemplation of the landscape and history. Topics include arctic history, in-depth information about polar bears, narwhals and muskox, thoughts about migration of birds and caribou and humans, reflections on snow and ice, and the way our language and experience shapes our perceptions of time and space.
A Naturalist's Guide to the Arctic A Naturalist’s Guide to the Arctic by E.C. Pielou, an ecologist. It’s not just a field guide to plants, birds, and mammals of the arctic, but also includes explanations of glaciers, icebergs, pack ice, atmospheric phenomena, and daylight length. It includes wonderful explanatory pen-and-ink drawings by the author.
Reading the three books simultaneously was informative as they cover different aspects of the topics, and there is helpful crossover. For example, in Arctic Dreams (pg 107), Lopez mentions an artifact of the Dorset culture, an ivory polar bear in a floating or flying posture carved in the year AD 500. There’s a color photo of the piece in Imaginary Place (color plate following pg 64). Another example: Arctic Dreams (pg 24) describes a 1597 expedition that was icebound over the winter at Novaya Zemlya. The crew was overjoyed when the sun returned early; the physics of this atmospheric phenomenon is described and illustrated in Naturalist’s Guide (pg 23).
October 26, 2021
I learned a lot about the history of the Arctic, exploration and the imaginaries that plague the view of the North still today. And also why those views should be questioned and left in the past. McGhee brings it home in Ch. 12, with a great summary of Indigenous peoples, in that our shared similarities, not our differences, should be at the center of the discussion regarding traditional knowledge, the importance of maintaining culture, and the effects of globalization. His final chapter (Ch. 13) explains some of the contradictions in his writing about Arctic perspectives and knowledge, including his own use of common imaginaries in the circumpolar north. Recommend for northerners & southerners alike.
October 22, 2018
An interesting overview of human life in the Arctic—from the Inuit of Canada and Alaska, to Scandinavians, to Siberians, to Greenlanders. The book didn't go particularly in-depth, but if you're looking for an overview of human culture and development above the Arctic Circle, you should definitely read this.
September 1, 2023
outstanding companion book to Ancient People Of The Arctic. In The Last Imaginary Place, he explores the whole history of human presence in the arctic, from the earliest peoples to the european influx, and also the mythology and symbolism and fantasies that europeans assigned to the north. very well written, well-researched, includes a list of follow-on reading suggestions.
July 31, 2017
Good general overview of various happenings in the exploration of the Arctic circle over the past 400 years...any one of which would've been more interesting if it was written about in detail. Definitely not on the level of Arctic Dreams by Lopez.
June 26, 2021
Immersive and dense with history. The story of the arctic is wonderfully described in this valuable body of work.
September 25, 2021
I loved this book! A sweeping survey of the Arctic world written in wonderful prose. Highly recommended for anyone interested in the history of the peoples of the circumpolar world.
March 31, 2022
some interesting observatons especially in the early chapters. i found it hard to identify incidents on the maps provided.
January 24, 2024
I remember thinking this book was a little weird and that it didn’t engage critically enough with the ‘human history of the Arctic’, but there were some interesting chapters where I learnt a few different things.
July 5, 2015
This was an entertaining, rich, authoritative, authentic, and heart-felt book on a fascinating topic.
November 15, 2017
Friendly overview of the history, people, beauty, challenges, and devastating changes in the Arctic. I enjoyed it.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews