"A remarkable voyage through the Arctic, from its misty past to contentious present. A graceful writer with a fine eye for telling detail, McCannon offers an exciting, broad-sweep tour. . . . A must-read volume for the general public and scholars alike."

Ronald E. Doel, Associate Professor of History, Florida State University

"I have long sought an outstanding general environmental history of the Arctic only to be disappointed. John McCannon’s new work, A History of the Arctic, admirably fills this need. McCannon is at his best in explaining for a broad audience the complex interactions of environment, ecosystems, and humans of all nationalities and cultures in the Arctic. It is a thoughtful, broadly-considered, and sometimes provocative study that offers a transnational perspective on the profound changes over time taking place in this significant region."

Roger D. Launius, Senior Curator in the Division of Space History, National Air

"A dazzling tour d’horizon. . . . Anyone who cares about the Arctic should read this sobering book. Let’s hope his gloomy predictions are wrong. I suspect he is right." 

Klaus Dodds, Professor of Geopolitics, Department of Geography, Royal Holloway,

 “This is one of the few books in English (as well as, arguably, the best one) to deal with these themes from a widely comprehensive circumpolar perspective rather that a strictly national one. The chapter ‘Crusades,’ for example, deals with the great age of exploration, 1800–1914, and examines not only those explorers familiar to English speakers, but also lesser-known Finns, Icelanders, Faroese, Greenlanders, and Russians. Indigenous people also figure large in these pages. This makes the book tremendously valuable; as an added bonus, it is approachably and engagingly written. It should serve for some considerable time as the standard work on the subject . . . Essential.”

Choice

 “John McCannon’s book is a valuable and timely addition. . . . It’s never dull, and [McCannon] possesses a keen eye for detail, especially in chronicling the region’s wildlife and the painful transition from exploration to exploitation. . . . This is a thoughtful, provocative study that should be read by anyone who cares about the Arctic’s fate.”

Geographical Magazine