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

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

Saved in:

Bibliographic Details
Author / Creator:	Nickerson, Sheila B., author.
Imprint:	Fairbanks : University of Alaska Press, 2014. ©2014
Description:	1 online resource
Language:	English
Subject:	Sled dogs -- Arctic regions -- History. Sled dogs -- Arctic regions. Sled dogs -- United States. Dogsledding -- Arctic regions -- History. Explorers -- Arctic regions -- History. Explorers -- United States -- History. Discoveries in geography -- American. Dogsledding. Explorers. Sled dogs. Arctic regions -- Discovery and exploration -- American. Arctic Regions. United States. Electronic books. History.
Format:	E-Resource Map Book
URL for this record:	http://pi.lib.uchicago.edu/1001/cat/bib/12282000

Hidden Bibliographic Details
ISBN:	9781602232242 1602232245 9781602232235
Notes:	Includes bibliographical references and index. CIP data; item not viewed.
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.
Other form:	Print version: 9781602232235

Table of 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.