Reviews for Narrative of a journey to the shores of the Polar sea, in the years 1819-20-21-22

The average rating for Narrative of a journey to the shores of the Polar sea, in the years 1819-20-21-22 based on 2 reviews is 4.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2018-12-03 00:00:00 Ryan Townsend rating: 3.5 I've read quite a few books set in the far north, but this is the only one that has focused on the natural world instead of on the adventure and the lives of the native peoples. First, I read the 4-page summary of Murie's life in the appendix. From that, I knew that I'd like the man and probably like what he'd written. These are a few lines that popped out at me: p 246: Olaus always said that no one could have had a better boyhood. In addition to hard work there were always joys-- the days when he, his [2] brothers, and their friends roamed the woods along the Red River, gathering wood and fishing for needed food, but also skating in winter, swimming in summer, and camping out in a thickly wooded area which they called "The Wilderness." P 248: The [3] Murie children were taught to be dependable and resourceful in the out-of-doors, for their father [Olaus] believed that all children need woods, water, and wild creatures. ... He was a child with children and loved to play their games and to dance. He had the kind of childhood that would foster an interest in the natural world so it's no surprise that he became a naturalist. What about today's children who grow up in apartment houses, do any of them develop an attachment to the environment? Based on his journals and memories, he describes an inviting territory where even white expanses have beauty. Not one to mutter about the cold (which I'm sure I'd do), he focuses on what he sees and learns. I experienced the north through his eyes, seeing not only the 'big picture,' but also picking up tidbits of information. He reported hearing that flocks of passenger pigeons had been common in Northern Quebec, and that spruce grouse feed extensively on spruce needles a practice which enables them to survive year-round on snow-covered grounds. In conclusion (p 245), he writes: Sun and moon and stars, the northern lights, the rising and the setting, day and night, summer and winter - the pageant of the North. All this and its precious wild creatures, I have known. And I now also know how greatly privileged I have been. And from the foreword by Victor Scheffer: This is the true story of a man who believed that humankind would be saved by learning to love and preserve the wild places of earth, large and small. He was a missionary, though he would have screwed up his face at hearing the word. His religion was wilderness.

Review # 2 was written on 2008-02-01 00:00:00 Matthew Smith Totally inspiring adventures of an iconic conservationist. Beautiful sensitive writing. Love this book. Makes me want to cross Alaska in a dogsled and spend the winter in a sleeping bag made of woven rabbit skins.