Vilhjalmur Stefansson

Vilhjálmur Stefánsson left New York in April 1908 to begin his journey northwards and into the Arctic Circle. For the next two years he made his way northwards to Victoria Island to study an isolated group of Inuit who still used primitive tools and had strong Caucasian features, and whom some believed were descended from Vikings. The journey into these remote areas was incredibly tough and being delayed by blizzards Stefánsson, along with his companions, were forced to eat the tongue of a beached whale that had been dead for at least four years. Stefánsson, who learnt how to communicate with the Inuit, provides fascinating insight into the beliefs and every day life of these people.

True adventure in detailed examination of such mysteries as the disappearance of the Greenland Colony, the lost Franklin expedition, the death of Andree, the problem of Meighen Island, the missing Soviet fliers. He makes many interesting points as to possible causes, he discusses the contributions resulting from search parties, he presents cases for and against, and his solutions sound plausible. A book for all Arctic exploration fans, who enjoy very detailed and meticulous study of material.

Between 1906 and 1918, anthropologist and explorer Vilhjalmur Stefansson went on three long expeditions to the Alaskan and Canadian Arctic. For supplies he relied heavily on local resources, and he adopted the Eskimo way of living, thus successfully demonstrating his theory that the rigors of existence in the Arctic are much reduced by the use of such techniques. In this book, Stefansson tries by means of diaries and memories to tell the story of his first year among the Eskimos.