Innocents in the Arctic: The 1951 Spitsbergen Expedition

by Colin Bull

Book Overview

Driven by the desire for scientific discovery and adventure, ten naive young men ventured north to the nearly uninhabited, ice-covered island of Spitsbergen in 1951. Scientific progress ensued, but so did misfortunes wrought by calamitous weather, an unworthy ship, and an entertaining but ill-informed approach to arctic survival. Innocents in the Arctic chronicles this Birmingham University expedition with an absorbing combination of wit and historical...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1889963739
• ISBN13: 9781889963730
• Release Date: October 2005
• Publisher: University of Alaska Press
• Length: 272 Pages
• Weight: 1.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.1" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

Deftly written insider story of arctic adventure is especially recommended reading

Innocents In The Arctic: The 1951 Spitsbergen Expedition by Colin Bull (who was awarded the Polar Medal by Queen Elizabeth II and the Antarctic Service Medal by the U.S. Government, and who has made more than twenty-five polar expeditions during his distinguished career as a glaciologist) writes with personal expertise because he was the cook and glaciologist on the trip that saw ten naive young Birmingham men venturing north to the nearly uninhabited, ice-covered island of Spitsbergen in 1951. The scientific progress of this that ensured was despite misfortunes caused by calamitous weather, an unworthy ship, and an entertaining by ill-informed approach to arctic survival. Bull's realistic, deftly written insider story of arctic adventure is especially recommended reading for armchair adventurers, arctic exploration historians, and polar enthusiasts.

Innocents in the Arctic

Actually I am Colin Bull - Gillian is my wife and is the person who painted that outstanding portrait of me for the back flap of the dust jacket. If I hadn't thought the book was worth five stars I wouldn't have published it. I just hope that you gain as much fun and enjoyment from reading the book as I did in writing it. Exactly half of my test group of six readers bought ten extra copies each fro me - as long as I signed them. So far I have found two typos! Fauno set me a note today : Greetings, I read your Sptsbergen book and I loved it. The picture are great, especially the moonrise one. Carry on, F.C. So I sent her an 8 x 10 color print of "Moonrise over the Strandflat"