Frostlines
An Epic Exploration of the Transforming Arctic
Will be published approx. on 12. February 2026
Book
Hardback
240 pages
978-1-5290-8414-6 (ISBN)
Description
'Magnificent and moving. Shea writes with the magic of an aurora illuminating how life is rapidly changing across the cold expanses of the Arctic' - Steve Brusatte, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs
A breathtaking and epic exploration of the transforming Arctic.
The Arctic was once a place seemingly frozen in time. Now, while the old cold world can still be glimpsed in the herds of caribou, the hidden lives of wolves, and the hunting skill of an Inupiat elder, there is a new Arctic emerging.
National Geographic writer Neil Shea begins his journey with the wolves of Canada's Ellesmere Island, and travels among the Indigenous Netsilingmiut and Tlicho peoples of Nunavut and the Northwest Territories. In the Barren Lands, perched on an esker, he watches bears, or Big Men. In Alaska he tracks the patterns of caribou, now shifting after thousands of years of predictability, and in the European Arctic he explores the new Cold War that is rising between Russia, China, Europe, and the United States over who controls the pole, and who will reap its riches as the ice melts.
Frostlines is an expansive yet intimate revelation of the Arctic during a time of crisis, and a journey along the threshold of this stunning and sometimes frightening world. What Shea finds is not one Arctic but many - all linked by shattering cold, seasons of darkness, and pure, sparkling light.
A breathtaking and epic exploration of the transforming Arctic.
The Arctic was once a place seemingly frozen in time. Now, while the old cold world can still be glimpsed in the herds of caribou, the hidden lives of wolves, and the hunting skill of an Inupiat elder, there is a new Arctic emerging.
National Geographic writer Neil Shea begins his journey with the wolves of Canada's Ellesmere Island, and travels among the Indigenous Netsilingmiut and Tlicho peoples of Nunavut and the Northwest Territories. In the Barren Lands, perched on an esker, he watches bears, or Big Men. In Alaska he tracks the patterns of caribou, now shifting after thousands of years of predictability, and in the European Arctic he explores the new Cold War that is rising between Russia, China, Europe, and the United States over who controls the pole, and who will reap its riches as the ice melts.
Frostlines is an expansive yet intimate revelation of the Arctic during a time of crisis, and a journey along the threshold of this stunning and sometimes frightening world. What Shea finds is not one Arctic but many - all linked by shattering cold, seasons of darkness, and pure, sparkling light.
Reviews / Votes
Magnificent and moving . . . This stunning book-part travelogue, part history, part popular science-will give you a new appreciation for a place, and its people, and how they together are confronting the upheaval of the modern world. -- Steve Brusatte, University of Edinburgh paleontologist and <i>Sunday Times</i> bestselling author of <i>The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs</i> Profound and moving. In prose that shines with insight and astute observation, the intersecting stories of people, animals, and the land come to vivid life in these pages. Shea's brilliant writing offers clear-eyed and respectful meditations on the meanings of community and belonging in times of upheaval, in the past, present, and future. -- David George Haskell, two-time Pulitzer-finalist author of <i>Sounds Wild and Broken</i> From wolves and whales to weaponized borders, Neil Shea cinches a singular storyline across the Arctic cap of our rapidly changing planet, bearing witness to loss and conflict while holding tight to wonder and awe -- Meera Subramanian, author of <i>A River Runs Again</i> With evocative and time-bending writing, Neil Shea honors the historic agency of animals and peoples too often idealized and 'managed.' -- Trish O'Kane, author of <i>Birding to Change the World</i> Frostlines transports readers to far-flung regions of the Arctic, where they encounter majestic wolves and elusive caribou. Neil Shea's captivating prose reveals the Arctic's extraordinary diversity and illuminates the ecological, social, and cultural consequences of a changing climate -- Amanda Bellows, author of <i>The Explorers</i> Lush and heartbreaking . . . lays the Arctic bare to reveal a place of life, beauty, and ancient interdependencies. Neil Shea is both a careful observer and a gifted writer, weaving a narrative steeped in loss, wonder, and warning -- Jonathan C. Slaght, author of <i>Tigers Between Empires</i> and <i>Owls of the Eastern Ice</i>More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Pan Macmillan
Target group
Interest Age: From 18 years
Dimensions
Height: 162 mm
Width: 243 mm
Thickness: 28 mm
Weight
468 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-5290-8414-6 (9781529084146)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
02/2026
Picador
€25.49
Available for download
Person
For more than fifteen years Neil Shea has written for National Geographic, reporting around the world at the intersections of conflict, climate science and cultural change. He's a co-creator of the Peabody Award-nominated podcast 'Unfinished: Deep South', and he also writes for film and television, scripted and documentary. Frostlines is his first book.