
In Northern Mists
Arctic Exploration in Early Times
Fridtjof Nansen(Author)
Cambridge University Press
Published on 17. April 2014
Book
Paperback/Softback
428 pages
978-1-108-07169-7 (ISBN)
Description
Accounts of the earliest exploration of the Arctic are scattered through many literatures. In writing this work, reissued here in the two-volume English translation of 1911, the celebrated Norwegian explorer Fridtjof Nansen (1861-1930) returned to many of the original sources. Calling on others to help him interpret texts in several languages, Nansen begins his account with the first mentions of the Arctic in Greek literature and ends with voyages of the sixteenth century. He notably questions some of the traditional history based on Norse sagas. Each volume contains lengthy quotations from little-known documents, making much valuable information accessible to non-specialists. Volume 2 continues from the discovery of North America through the explorations of the Inuit to the decline of the settlements in Greenland. Nansen describes early Norwegian explorations, considers the maps available to early explorers, and closes with the discoveries made by Cabot and the Portuguese.
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Cambridge
United Kingdom
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Illustrations
1 Plates, color; 86 Line drawings, unspecified
Dimensions
Height: 244 mm
Width: 170 mm
Thickness: 23 mm
Weight
734 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-108-07169-7 (9781108071697)
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Schweitzer Classification
Persons
Fridtjof Nansen was a Norwegian polymath and Nobel Peace Prize laureate. He gained prominence at various points in his life as an explorer, scientist, diplomat and humanitarian. He led the team that made the first crossing of the Greenland interior in 1888, traversing the island on cross-country skis.
Content
9. Wineland the Good, the Fortunate Isles, and the discovery of America (cont.); 10. Eskimo and Skraeling; 11. The decline of the Norse settlements in Greenland; 12. Expeditions of the Norwegians to the White Sea, voyages in the polar sea, whaling and sealing; 13. The north in maps and geographical works of the middle ages; 14. John Cabot and the English discovery of North America; 15. The Portuguese discoveries in the north-west; Conclusion; List of the more important works referred to; Index.