I wouldn't normally list a travel guide in this blog, because I wouldn't usually read one cover to cover. But The Northwest Passage is unique in that it's a travel guide for a place I'll (probably) never go -- in fact, a place I would have thought it was nearly impossible to go.
The first part of the book is a summary of European attempts to discover a passage from the Atlantic to the Pacific over the top of North America, culminating in the disastrous Franklin expedition in 1845 and Roald Amundsen's success in 1906. The heart of the book, though, is a tourist's guide to the present-day attractions along the route. Soper hits all the notes from a traditional guidebook: scenic vistas, wildlife refuges, lodging ("There is a very good hotel [at Gjoa Haven], named inevitably after Amundsen"), and tourist facilities ("The Arctic Coast Visitor Center [offers] an excellent selection of maps, informative brochures and exhibits... Businesses in the community include a Northern Store with a Quick-Stop selling KFC and Pizza Hut"). There are numerous sidebars about the unique animals along the route, not to mention nice photography.
I expected the Northwest Passage to be nothing but desolate ice and tundra, with its only attraction being its historical significance and mere existence. The Northwest Passage, though, made the trip seem both attractive and doable, albeit not trivial. I found myself mentally flagging the sights I'd want to catch, just as I do when planning an actual vacation.
The first part of the book is a summary of European attempts to discover a passage from the Atlantic to the Pacific over the top of North America, culminating in the disastrous Franklin expedition in 1845 and Roald Amundsen's success in 1906. The heart of the book, though, is a tourist's guide to the present-day attractions along the route. Soper hits all the notes from a traditional guidebook: scenic vistas, wildlife refuges, lodging ("There is a very good hotel [at Gjoa Haven], named inevitably after Amundsen"), and tourist facilities ("The Arctic Coast Visitor Center [offers] an excellent selection of maps, informative brochures and exhibits... Businesses in the community include a Northern Store with a Quick-Stop selling KFC and Pizza Hut"). There are numerous sidebars about the unique animals along the route, not to mention nice photography.
I expected the Northwest Passage to be nothing but desolate ice and tundra, with its only attraction being its historical significance and mere existence. The Northwest Passage, though, made the trip seem both attractive and doable, albeit not trivial. I found myself mentally flagging the sights I'd want to catch, just as I do when planning an actual vacation.
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