Arctic Labyrinth: The Quest For The Northwest Passage

Glyn Williams

sept 2009 · Penguin Canada

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As a result of global warming and the subsequent shrinking of Arctic ice, for the first time in seafaring history a navigable Northwest Passage, linking the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, will open up. The possibility of seasonal shipping lanes has renewed the world's interest, and there are lessons to be learned for the next explorers striving to be the first to finally realize a sustainable and practical Northwest Passage. The history of the passage is rich with adventure, courage, and endurance against overwhelming odds, cannibalism, national pride, and the growing evidence of the tyrannical behaviour of some of the navy's leading Arctic commanders. Arctic Labyrinth tells more than just the stories surrounding the Northwest Passage—it is a look at how history is formed, the hoaxes and lies as well as the heroes and bravery. Nothing escapes the scrutiny of Glyn Williams in his attempt to understand why the Northwest Passage caught the imagination of generations of explorers, and continues to do so today.

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Professor Glyn Williams is a distinguished naval historian and professor emeritus at Queen Mary and Westfield College, University of London. He has been president of the Hakluyt Society and general editor of the records of the Hudson’s Bay Company, and has published several volumes on the relationship between the HBC and the exploration of the Canadian Arctic and the Subarctic.