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History Polar Regions

Alone Against the Arctic

by (author) Anthony Dalton

Publisher
Heritage House Publishing
Initial publish date
Oct 2007
Category
Polar Regions, Adventurers & Explorers
Recommended Age
13
Recommended Grade
8
  • Paperback / softback

    ISBN
    9781894974332
    Publish Date
    Oct 2007
    List Price
    $9.95
  • eBook

    ISBN
    9781926936765
    Publish Date
    Feb 2011
    List Price
    $9.99

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Description

In the summer of 1984, Anthony Dalton embarked on a near-fatal voyage in a small open boat along the wild northwest coast of Alaska, attempting a solo transit of the Northwest Passage. His sea quest ran parallel to an arduous relief expedition undertaken in 1897-98, when the officers of the US cutter Bear set out to reach eight whaling ships that were stranded in thick ice, their crews on the verge of starvation. Both journeys are depicted in this captivating adventure tale, and Dalton's gripping description of his encounter with an icy hell explores the irresistible lure of risk and challenge that continues to draw adventurers to the Arctic, a place like no other.

About the author

Anthony Dalton is an adventurer, author and public speaker. Between 1970 and 1980 he led regular expeditions across the Sahara, through the deserts of the Middle East and into the mountainous terrain of Afghanistan. In 1984 he travelled hundreds of nautical miles along the Arctic coast of north-western Alaska alone in an inflatable speedboat. In 1994 he joined twelve members of the Cree First Nation on a traditional York boat voyage on the Hayes River between Norway House and Oxford House. While canoeing the second half of the Hayes River from Oxford House to York Factory in 2000 he participated in a television documentary on great Canadian rivers for the Discovery Channel.

Dalton has written five non-fiction books and collaborated on two others. His illustrated non-fiction articles have been published in magazines and newspapers in twenty countries and nine languages. He is currently working on two television documentaries based on his books.

Anthony Dalton is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, a Fellow of the Explorers Club, a Member of the Welsh Academy and National President of the Canadian Authors Association.

Anthony Dalton's profile page

Librarian Reviews

Alone: Against the Arctic

Hoping to traverse the Northwest Passage to Baffin Island, adventurer Anthony Dalton describes his harrowing journey on the Audacity, a four metre open boat. From Nome, Alaska, Dalton traveled through the Bering Strait and across the Arctic Circle, covering hundreds of nautical miles along the Alaskan coast, to north of Port Hope, where his boat capsized. Like many of those before him, including James Cook and Sir John Franklin, Dalton was unable to complete his journey because of the ferocious Arctic weather. Dalton also relates the story of the Overland Relief Expedition, headed by Lieutenant Jarvis, who in 1897–98 traveled overland with herds of reindeer, to rescue starving whalers trapped in the ice at Point Barrow.

Dalton’s other nautical books are Baychimo: Arctic Ghost Ship, Wayward Sailor: In Search of the Real Tristan Jones, and J/Boats: Sailing to Success.

Source: The Association of Book Publishers of BC. BC Books for BC Schools. 2008-2009.