The book cover
The book
Published in 1935, "Arctic Adventure" is the autobiography of Peter Freuchen, a Danish trader, explorer, scientist and doctor. Freuchen spent 15 years living among the Inuits of Greenland.
The book starts with a gripping incident that forces Freuchen to decide whether to share his food with his starving companions or keep it for himself, highlighting the constant struggle for survival in the harsh Arctic environment.
As a young man, Freuchen found solace in the Arctic, preferring its hardships to the complicated life of civilisation. In 1906, he joined the ill-fated Mylius-Erichsen expedition and explored the east of Greenland.
Sadly, Mylius-Erichsen and two of his followers died of starvation during the expedition, but Freuchen's remarkable hardiness kept him going. On his return to Copenhagen, he teamed up with his friend Knud Rasmussen and returned to Greenland to establish a trading station at Thule, a village on the northwest coast, where he remained for twelve years.
From Thule, Freuchen and Rasmussen embarked on exploring and mapping expeditions to the north, adopting the Inuits' way of living and travelling for extended stays. Freuchen's close association with the Inuits enabled him to collect the tales and anecdotes that he shares in his book.
Freuchen was a man of intense joy for life, enjoying and participating in the social side of Inuit life. He met and married a Greenlander woman named Navarana, with whom he had two children. His achievements earned him royal honours and a governorship of Thule Colony.
Tragically, Navarana died of influenza, and Freuchen sailed back to Denmark, where he remarried and settled down to write his memoirs.
In the book, Peter Freuchen emerges as a Homeric figure, larger than life in stature, simplicity, courage, frankness, sympathy, and the sheer innate ability to spin a good tale.
From the book
Character and an iron will are frequently demanded of a man in the North. I have seen bravery there among explorers and more generally among the natives, a quiet bravery seldom found or required in civilisation. It is taken for granted. And I learned that no man should go into the Arctic before he is sure of himself.
I had to be constantly on the lookout for wolves. One after another they ate all seven of my dogs, and finally became so bold as to prevent supplies from coming in. Sledges were sent in once a month, but bands of wolves attacked the travellers as they slept in tents.
The maps
Note: the maps look pretty crummy when viewed in your email inbox. I highly recommend you check out the version via the Substack post.
The map illustrator - George Annand
Born in Michigan, in 1890, George Annand became one of the most respected and innovative graphic artists and cartographers of his time.
Annand's cartographic style was a unique blend of decorative elements from 16th century Dutch cartography, fine calligraphy, and contemporary pictorial work. His maps were noted for their clarity and their ability to convey a sense of space.
As Stephen Horsby notes in his book Picturing America: The Golden Age of Pictorial Maps, Annand was:
"among the most refined and dignified examples of the genre…in many ways, George Annand was a cartographer’s cartographer."
Annand continued to produce pictorial maps until he was forced to stop due to cataract surgery in 1970. He died 10 years later at the age of 90, leaving behind a legacy of innovative and inspiring cartography that has continued to influence the field to this day.
What an incredible story. Your synopsis of the details of this 1930s book seems to accurately display the horrors that can occur in the frozen Arctic. The book definitely is a classic for your library. Thank you for sharing.