Overview

Explorer Bruce Parry takes an epic Arctic journey, following the six-month Polar summer through Greenland, Canada, Alaska, Russia and Scandinavia to document a vital part of our world at a point of extraordinary change. In this companion to a landmark series, Bruce tells the stories of traditional Arctic inhabitants along with the oilworkers, miners and scientists who have been attracted to this dramatic yet hostile landscape in search of the wealth of natural resources and ecological data it can provide. He highlights the friction between old and new ways as traditional lifestyles are threatened by many factors:climate change, new legislation and the intrusion of big business. Within engaging, intimate text and specially commissioned photography along with stills from the series, this book provides a human focus in an environmental context. Immersing himself in the cultures of peoples like the Chukchi, the Sami, the hunters of Qaanaaq and the Gwitchin tribes of the Canadian north, Bruce stresses their connection to the lands and hunting grounds that sustain them while exposing the issues they face. Rich in content and narrative, Arctic Circle with Bruce Parry brings human stories and global issues to the fore, pinpointing cultures on the brink of irreversible change.

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9781844861309

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Published in conjunction with Parry's BBC series of the same name, this book is at once a travelogue and behind the scenes glimpse of the show. A curious and humble traveler, Parry hunts caribou in Canada, barrels through Greenland on a huskie-led sledge, and participates in a whale hunt in Alaska, interacting with locals along the way and putting traditional practices into a global context. What he discovers during his travels is a curious--and often tense--mix of politics and custom as big business creeps in on local industries. Whaling, an age-old institution for the Inupiat people of Alaska, was criticized by both scientists and oil companies before a compromise was reached; some fishermen catch as much as they can with little concern for the ecological ramifications; and vast swaths of the Canadian wilderness are clear cut in order to get at the oil beneath the forests. It's a complex web with no easy answers, and Parry doesn't pretend to have them, opting instead to candidly reflect on the predicament. Parry's enthusiasm for his travels and companions is infectious, an effect amplified by the book's myriad photos and designer Georgina Hewitt's ingenious integration of images and prose. The result is a truly magical journey through a seldom-seen region that will entice fans of the series, nature-lovers, and those interested in the struggle to protect the Arctic. Photos & illus. (Apr.) - Publisher's Weekly

Parry opens a window to a world that is being destroyed Maxim You can't fault Parry's dedication or his bravery The Independent

Parry opens a window to a world that is being destroyed * Maxim * You can't fault Parry's dedication or his bravery * The Independent *

Author Information

Bruce Parry is one of the UK's best-known TV presenters and adventurers, known particularly for the seminal BBC and Discovery Channel series 'Tribe' and 'Amazon' in which he became a member of several indigenous tribes to fully enter into their culture, traditions and rituals.

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