Harnessed to the Pole : sledge dogs in service to American explorers of the Arctic, 1853-1909 / Sheila Nickerson.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Nickerson, Sheila B., author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Sled dogs--Arctic regions--History.

Sled dogs.

Sled dogs--Arctic regions--Biography.

Dogsledding--Arctic regions--History.

Dogsledding.

Sled dogs--United States--Biography.

Explorers--United States--History.

Explorers.

Explorers--Arctic regions--History.

Arctic regions--Discovery and exploration--American.

Arctic regions.

Genre:

History.

Electronic books.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (329 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Fairbanks, Alaska : University of Alaska Press, 2014.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

In the second half of the nineteenth century, an epic race was underway in some of the most brutal stretches on the planet. Explorers from around the world hoped to stake their claim on the Arctic, with the North Pole being the ultimate prize. Those with the greatest success found that the fastest way to travel was on four legs-using a team of hardworking sledge dogs. Harnessed to the Pole follows the adventures of eight American explorers and their dog teams, starting with Elisha Kent Kane and ending with Robert Peary, controversial claimant of the title of first to reach the North Pole. While history has long forgotten these "little camels of the north," Sheila Nickerson reveals how critical dogs were to the Arctic conquest. Besides providing transportation in extreme conditions, sledge dogs protected against wolves and polar bears, helped in hunting, found their way through storms, and provided warmth in extreme cold. They also faced rough handling, starvation, and the possibility of being left behind as expeditions plunged ahead. Harnessed to the Pole is an extraordinary-and unflinching-look at the dogs that raced to the top of the world

Contents:

1. Jules Verne

2. Sir John Franklin

3. What Was the Greenland Dog?

4. Sledge or Sled?

5. Toodla and Whitey

6. Henry Bergh

7. Oosisoak and Arkadik

8. Disease and Diet

9. Dogs and Driver: The Essential Team

10. Seeking Companionship: When Dogs Were Not Available

11. Barbekark

12. Dogs as Showmen

13. Wolf, Smarty, Bear, Shoemaker, Tiger

14. Tommy the Cat and the Lemmings

15. Bear, Spike, and the Nameless Prisoners

16. Toekelegeto, Ublubliaq, Miqijuk

17. The Importance of Naming

18. Kasmatka, Snoozer, Bingo, Snuffy, Tom, Jack, Wolf

19. The Polar Bear

20. Gypsy, Old Sneak, Ritenbenk, Disco King

21. The Nameless

22. Heart-hungers

23. Nalegaksoah

24. Commemoration

Chapter Notes

Bibliography

Index.

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

9781602232242

1602232245

OCLC:

880401236