Synopses & Reviews
Review
"Grant knows this stuff better than anyone and has always told her complex tales well."—
Toronto Star"Despite seeking to inform a public audience, Grant's scholarship provides a richly footnoted argument accompanied by a comprehensive bibliography. Copiously and imaginatively illustrated. Highly recommended." —Choice Magazine, an ALA publication
"Grant's Polar Imperative is the first really detailed study of 200 years of North American sovereignty in the Arctic...with excellent documentation of American, Danish, British and Norwegian histories."—Globe and Mail
"Rippled with adventure, this essential reading is an authoritative history for anyone interested in understanding why the world's attention is shifting to the Arctic."—Lionel Gelber Prize Jury
Synopsis
Winner of the 2011 Lionel Gelber Prize
Winner of the 2011 J. W. Dafoe Book Prize
Nominated for the 2010 Shaughnessy Cohen Prize
Nominated for the 2011 Sir John A. Macdonald Prize
Nominated for the Lela Common Book Prize for Canadian History
Based on Shelagh Grant's years of groundbreaking archival research and drawing on her reputation as a leading historian in the field, Polar Imperative is a compelling overview of the historical claims of sovereignty over the polar regions of North America. It examines the unfolding implications of major climate changes, the impact of resource exploitation on the indigenous peoples, and the current state of play in a high-stakes game for control over the adjacent waters of Alaska, Arctic Canada and Greenland. Engaging, thoroughly researched and timely, this book will redefine North Americans' understanding of the Arctic in terms of sovereign rights and responsibilities.