Arctic Dreams: National Book Award Winner

Over the years I've read many great books on Natural History, most of them were very enjoyable, giving me rare insights into the natural world and its inhabitants. But "Arctic Dreams" is in a class all its own. For me, this is one of the best Nature books I've read since "The Sea Around Us". Like Rachel Carson, author Barry Lopez writes with a poetic beauty that reflects his love of nature as he takes the reader on an extended field trip through the the Arctic landscape to study what life is like in this frozen world. The author seems to have a well rounded education in biology as well as the history of Arctic exploration but is, I suspect, a philosopher at heart. Starting with an imaginary hike from the Arctic Circle to the Equator and back again Lopez examines the changing landscape, climate and biosphere leading to some surprising conclusions. A good portion of the book is devoted to the authors observations and thoughts on the behavior and evolution of some iconic Arctic animals like the Musk Ox, Polar Bear and Walrus. The write up on the Musk Ox was fascinating, the first I've ever read. And so was the segment on Narwals leading to an historical link between, of all things, the legendary Unicorn and the Narwal's horn. Most of Lopez's observations were done in the company of other wildlife biologist, explorers and, additionally, some of the local Eskimos that he was living and hunting with. But "Arctic Dreams" is not just about animals and plants! Lopez also delves into our cultural history with thoughts on the early days of Arctic exploration and modern day scientific research and the exploitation of the Arctic by world governments, international industry and multinational shipping. There's an extensive write up on how and when early man came to North America and the peopling of the Arctic by various groups of "Eskimos" and Nordic people. Ice is the signature property of the Arctic and it comes in many forms, each with its own characteristics that can change over time. Modern day shipping has catalogued and named many of them to help them in navigating Arctic waters. The author covers this phenomenon in a fascinating way that surprised me in its complexity. Lopez's descriptive passages make you feel like you're right there with him as he walks the Arctic tundra or observers ice-bergs from the deck of a research vessel. You can almost feel the bitter wind or see snow geese flying overhead. The book is illustrated with several good maps but you may want to keep your tablet or computer handy so you can get a better look at the region's covered. There's so much more to this wonderful, well written book that no review can do it justic, so if you are at all interested in the geography, climate, history and life of the polar region then you might want to give this book a try. I highly recommend it! Last Ranger

"Arctic Dreams" was recommended to me by a friend before I went on an Alaskan adventure a few years ago. This book expanded my vision of nature, and turned me on to the exquisite writing of Barry Lopez, who won the 1986 National Book Award for this classic work on the wild regions of the far north. "Arctic Dreams" is an extraordinary celebration of Arctic life and landscape which takes the reader on a journey to places rarely visited by man. Lopez' narrative does have a dreamlike quality, not only in its descriptions of nature at its most surreal, but in the absolute beauty of the writing itself. He does indeed capture the foreign reality of Arctic life, and death, with the loving care of an artist who places each brushstroke carefully on a canvas, bent on bringing the vision before him to others. Mr. Lopez made a number of extended trips to Siberia, Greenland, and northern Canada, including Baffin Island, to observe the flora and fauna of the region - polar bears, killer whales, caribou, narwhals - as well as the spectacular Arctic landscape. He experienced eerie encounters with the aurora borealis, massive migrating icebergs, solar and lunar light, halos and coronas. And he experienced both the potential for catastrophic danger and the remarkable beauty that the Arctic land and sea offers. "Spring storms can sweep hundreds of thousands of helpless infant harp seals into the sea" - juxtaposed with, "A tiny flower blooms in a field of snow touched by the sun's benevolent light." Through Mr. Lopez' eyes the breathtaking experience of the Arctic landscape and the people who inhabit it become palpably real. I was particularly moved by his intimate and compassionate descriptions of the indigenous people of this region, who so aptly illustrate how mankind is capable of living in harmony with his surroundings. Lopez' prose and his conclusions make the strongest argument possible to work for the ecological health of our planet, for the sake of life itself, and for the health of our imagination and sense of wonder at the magnificent. As mankind grows closer to conquering the earth's last frontiers, the issue of exploitation and encroachment becomes greater. For anyone who advocates preserving the few remaining wild areas on our planet, "Arctic Dreams" is a welcome gift and a source of motivation. It also provides an extraordinary read, and, perhaps, an awakening to those who have shown little interest in earth's most mysterious places. This is a magical book that will enchant and awe the reader. I cannot recommend it highly enough. Bravo, Barry Lopez! JANA

Barry Lopez's extended meditation in print on the Arctic defies easy categorization. Part of the book is the author's fascinating narrative of his own time in the Arctic and his encounters with Eskimos and with the unique wildlife that live and thrive in the Arctic. Another portion of the narrative is a loose-jointed but griping history of European exploration of the Arctic. Not least, the author ponders the meaning of the Arctic for a modern world. The book is a good read. This former Alaska resident found large portions to be a page-turning narrative. It would be hard not to admire the author's open-minded approach to what he experiences. He really does seem to have grasped what enabled the Eskimos to survive and thrive in such a challenging environment. That said, the narrative is now a bit dated. The Alaska natives so valued by the author are voting with their feet to join the modern world. Alaska villages have been de-populating for years as the young folks head for the bright lights and the big towns. The author's characterization of the work force on the North Slope seems unfair and inaccurate based on this reviewer's experiences. At book's end, it is unclear where the author thinks we should be going, and perhaps that uncertainty was intentional. Recommended.

Like, wow😍💫🌟✨⚡️💥🫯☀️ Very impactful. Haven’t read his fiction, I’m a non-fiction guy, and tho his other books are good, this is the one not to miss

My favorite book, since I was in high school, has been Steven Pressfield's Gates of Fire. I never thought any book I ever read could trump the drama and emotion of that book, but Arctic Dreams is its equal, if not its superior. I do admit I am biased. This book is like a life story of a person I have been in love with for my entire life. I've read a ton of books on the Arctic, and this is one of the best. Each chapter encompasses a different part of the Arctic: to name a few, polar bears, narwhals, muskoxen, migration patterns, ice and light, Pingkok Island...every chapter, every word, every phrase in this book sticks. You cannot read this book without imagining an intensely beautiful place. The book also contains large chunks of Arctic history, of which Lopez seems to be a huge fan. He refers to expeditions, scientists, discoveries, famous explorers and researchers of the North, and also speaks of everyday people, everyday encounters, and thoughts and feelings all people experience at one point or another. The book is written with a combination of frankness and fascination that is difficult to describe. The book's chapters also touch on many different places in the North, from Alaska to Banks Island to Baffin Island to Greenland, Svalbard, Franz Josef Land, Kendall Island, and many more. The book is a story of an enormous part of the world, combining history, philosophy, science, literature, sociology, and a great deal of personal reflection. Maybe only someone completely obsessed with the Arctic could enjoy the book so completely. Maybe not. I've read some other reviews, and people who have read the book simply to learn something new have enjoyed it just as much as avid fans of the Arctic. There are a million things that make Arctic Dreams one of the best books I've ever read in my life. There is currently a copy on Amazon for $5.10. You can't buy anything as good as this for such a small amount. It's impossible. I'll read and re-read this book over and over throughout my life, and find something new every single time..

Beautifully written and captivating for the first half of the book. Thereafter I found it dragging a bit and tedious. would recommend to anyone who loves reading descriptive prose about the outdoors.

This autobiographical exploration of the inner and outer weather, the flora and fauna, of the Northern climes is truly haunting as well as seemingly endlessly informative concerning the history and features of this extreme and eerie landscape. Lopez writes, "Occasionally one sees something fleeting in the land, a moment when line, color, and movement intensify and something sacred is revealed, leading one to believe that there is another realm of reality corresponding to the physical one but different." It is this detailed exploration of the purely physical world combined with the liminal world of the shadows it casts on the mindscape that make the book so entrancing as well as edifying, There is quite literally something for everyone to enjoy in this book. One of the most fascinating tangents the author takes, for example, whilst contemplating the terror and wonder of an encounter with icebergs, is the comparison with cathedrals, leading to an analysis of the Luminist school of painting in late Nineteenth Century America, wending back around finally with a brief overview of Western architecture in general, concluding that, "The erection of the cathedrals was the last wild stride European man made before falling back into the confines of his intellect." Controversial? Indeed. But boring or listless? Never. There are so many profound and lyrical passages describing so much about life - and death - in the regions of Ultima Thule, its inhabitants and explorers, past and present, its history and its rigours that I'm tempted to write a review of each chapter here, thus boring the prospective reader to no end. I'll simply conclude with one of the ensorcelling sentences from the book that kept this reader turning page after page to the last syllable of recorded arctic dream:: "The outcry of birds, the bullet-whirr of their passing wings, the splashing of water, is, like the falling light, unending." So are the rewards of losing oneself in this book.

I gained a greater understanding of the arctic, it's animals, and a greater respect for the Inuit from reading this book. I knew nothing of the author and so looked him up after having read this book. His goal with this and other books of this ilk is to educate and promote a greater understanding of our planet and encourage its preservation. While somewhat dated, the information that the USA and Russia at one time thought damming the Bering Straight was a good idea, was shocking, true and the only reason the project did not happen was because neither country could figure out how to do it, not because of the environmental disaster it could cause. Pay attention to our policy makers. Arctic Dreams is also a cautionary tale.

Fabulous book, brings alive the Arctic landscape and the life forms that call it home in a way that will leave you highly affected. I am about half way through it, every chapter is just so beautiful - a tour-de-force of literary non-fiction by a master who knows what he is writing about intimately. Extraordinarily granular and detailed at one level, deeply philosophical and existential at another. What's amazing is both are equally compelling. I would never have thought that I would enjoy reading about the physiology and habits of a musk ox, narwhals or polar bear written about it in such detail, but the way he weaves in these details with elements of history and ruminations on the broader ecosystem, and what the various interactions means to the people living there - the natives, the explorers, the modern migrants, makes you want to read it slowly, savouring each line and paragraph. Reading the book, you can literally feel the Arctic in your bones.

Yes! This book to definitely have by your side to dip into. What a marvellous read.

Ótimo livro e boa experiência de compra

Excelente libro

Read this before going on a trip to the Arctic. Absolutely beautifully written and so insightful about the area.