Arctic Adventure: My Life in the Frozen North

By Peter Freuchen

Book Overview

Shortly after his death in 1957, The New York Times obituary of Peter Freuchen noted that "except for Richard E. Byrd, and despite his foreign beginnings, Freuchen was perhaps better known to more people in the United States than any other explorer of our time." During his lifetime Freuchen's remarkable adventures, related in his books, magazine articles, and films, made him a legend. In 1910, Freuchen and his friend and business partner, Knud Rasmussen, the renowned polar explorer, founded Thule-a Greenland Inuit trading post and village only 800 miles from the North Pole.

Freuchen lived in Thule for fifteen years, adopting ways of its natives. He married an Inuit woman, and together they had two children. Freuchen went on many expeditions, quite a few of which he barely survived, suffering frostbite, snow blindness, and starvation. Near the North Pole there is no such thing as an easy and safe outing.

In Arctic Adventure Freuchen writes of polar bear hunts, of meeting Eskimos who had resorted to cannibalism during a severe famine, and of the thrill of seeing the sun after three months of winter darkness. Trained as a journalist before he headed north, Freuchen is a fine writer and great storyteller (he won an Oscar for his feature film script of Eskimo). He writes about the Inuit with genuine respect and affection, describing their stoicism amidst hardship, their spiritual beliefs, their ingenious methods of surviving their harsh environment, their humor and joy in the face of danger and difficulties, and the social politics behind such customs as "wife-trading." While his experiences make this book a pageturner, Freuchen's warmth, self-deprecating wit, writing skill and anthropological observations make this book a literary stand out.

For a more durable Echo Point Hardcover edition please search ISBN 162654929X.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1626549990
• ISBN13: 9781626549999
• Release Date: February 2013
• Publisher: Echo Point Books & Media
• Length: 420 Pages
• Weight: 1.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

One of the great adventurers and story tellers.

Unlike many European adventurers who forced their vision upon the natives, Peter Freuchen adopted their ways. He was quite a remarkable individual. His life jumped from one life changing adventure to another. This book covers his life in the Artic, which was remarkable. Later in his life, he wrote a book which covers this material and other adventures (including Alaska, the Soviet Union) called 'Vagrant Viking'. I highly recommend that book too.Also unlike many adventurers (such as Ernest Shackleton) Freuchen wrote incredibly well. His insights into different cultures and people and his writing style are exceptional. One passage that stood out in this book had to do with him finding out that he was going to be a father: "My whole life was changed, given impulse and purpose. Before the arrival of children a man is seldom aware of the need for them. Afterward, he can scarcely credit life as holding any interest without them." I highly recommend this book, which will be reprinted in November 2002.

Arctic Adventures

I have truly enjoyed this book, even more so, due to being the granddaughter of the Great Peter Fruechen. Have had several comments from different people to his books written. I am quite happy to hear of it's continuance of exceeding responds. Nicole Tuluganerk from Nunavut

A must read

My grand father introduced me to this book and Jim Corbett's writing. Any one who ever longed to travel should read Freuchen and Corbett. Honestly written, with detail, wisdom, and the appreciation of irony that makes life in hardship enjoyable. I read it every fall when cold weather sets in. I agree with the previous reviewer. If you only read one book this year, make it Arctic Adventure.

Incredible story of exploring Greenland... great writer.

Fruechen was an early Greenland explorer and wrote a brilliant chronical of his adventures. Combines vivid descriptions of the hardship, landscape and eskimos with a sharp sense of humor. Freuchen, in my opinion, is the Michael Jordan of story tellers. If I had only one book in the world to keep, this would be it.

Magnificent

This book should get an 11 and be read by every adventurer intheuniverse. It is the inspirational story of Freuchens life adventuring in and around Greenland at the turn of the century.....an amazing life, a remarkable man, a fantastic book. If you plan to read only one book in your life forget about Dosteovsky, Proust, and Shakespeare, and read this. I liked it.