The North Pole

Cultural Writing. Travel. THE NORTH POLE is a compelling account of a summer trip the author made to the North Pole on a Russian nuclear-powered icebreaker. Brown intersperses her narrative with excerpts from the journal of Fritdjof Nansen, who explored the area a hundred years ago, and with conversations with travelers, scientists, and a polar archivist about ideas concerning the Arctic that affect the world today, including the issue of global warming. In the chapter called "The Weather," Brown delivers a clear, accessible, scientifically accurate description of the complex phenomena that cause climate change. Lushly produced, with a foldout map and 120 full-color photographs.