"Andra-Warner has given us a great read with this slim biography. Her story-telling skills excel at distilling historical facts into compelling narrative."—Thunder Bay Chronicle-Review

A quick-paced and engaging biography of Canada's favourite northern poet, Robert Service.

Born in England in 1874 to Scottish parents, Robert William Service was raised to live the practical life of a banker. Although banking proved a useful skill to fall back on from time to time, Service was destined to pursue a life of poetry, travel, and adventure. After landing on the west coast of North America at the age of twenty-one, Service found his way to Yukon, the place that would capture his heart and imagination for years to come. Despite his many adventures in Europe and around the world, Yukon remained a strong influence on the poet until his death in 1958. His best-known works, including “The Shooting of Dan McGrew” and “The Cremation of Sam McGee,” were inspired by his time there. Focusing on his Yukon period, historian Elle Andra-Warner crafts a vivid story of the poet who defined the North for generations of Canadians.

Elle Andra-Warner is a bestselling author, journalist, and photographer. Her award-winning articles appear regularly in major publications, and her newspaper columns have been in print since 1994. She has given journalism workshops throughout Canada, is an online guest lecturer in journalism for the University of California, Los Angeles, and is the co-editor of the Thunder Bay Historical Museum Society’s annual journal. Estonian by heritage, Elle was born in a post–Second World War United Nations displaced persons camp for Estonians in Eckernforde, West Germany.

Elle Andra-Warner's profile page

"This is a rollicking well-written biography that suits the man who inhabits it. Elle Andra-Warner has given us a book that will be enjoyed by all who like the works of Robert Service, and that, I think, is just about everyone." —Joan Baril, Literary Thunder Bay

"This title would be good for junior grades as a study of nonfiction writing or a group inquiry project into the arts of early 20th-century Canada."—BC Books for BC Schools