Description

pp. 256, b/w photographs, ep maps, In the summer of 1969 the only way John Bockstoce was able to reach Little Diomede, an island in the Bering Strait, was by umiak , a 35-foot, wood-framed Eskimo boat covered in walrus hide. This marked the beginning of his fascination with these vessels and his 20-year effort to traverse the Northwest Passage of the Bering Sea. Each summer from 1972 to 1989, Bockstoce and his crew (which ranged from Eskimo families to Oxford dons) returned to the Arctic to extend the voyage during the short traveling season using a umiak , and later a steel-hulled yacht. His passionate interest in Arctic geography and people illuminates the often hair-raising adventures through pack ice and gales, the delights of caribou stew and dried salmon, and the lore and comments of Eskimo friends who helped make the umiak and taught him whale-hunting. The achievement of his goal in the company of respected and loved companions is uplifting reading. Bockstoce also exhibits a good sense of humor, no doubt a necessary piece of Arctic equipment.“ Signed and inscribed by the author on title page