1.

Record Nr.

UNINA9910459518403321

Autore

Robinson Michael F (Michael Frederick), <1966->

Titolo

The coldest crucible [[electronic resource] ] : Arctic exploration and American culture / / Michael F. Robinson

Pubbl/distr/stampa

Chicago, : University of Chicago Press, 2006

ISBN

1-282-93289-6

9786612932892

0-226-72187-6

Descrizione fisica

1 online resource (219 p.)

Disciplina

910/.9163/2

Soggetti

Explorers - United States - History - 19th century

Scientists - United States - History - 19th century

Science - United States - History - 19th century

Electronic books.

Arctic regions Discovery and exploration American

Lingua di pubblicazione

Inglese

Formato

Materiale a stampa

Livello bibliografico

Monografia

Note generali

Description based upon print version of record.

Nota di bibliografia

Includes bibliographical references (p. 181-197) and index.

Nota di contenuto

Frontmatter -- Contents -- Illustrations -- Acknowledgments -- Introduction -- 1. Building an Arctic Tradition -- 2. A Man of Science and Humanity -- 3. An Arctic Divided -- 4. Dying Like Men -- 5. The New Machines -- 6. Savage Campaigns -- Conclusion -- Notes -- Bibliography -- Index

Sommario/riassunto

In the late 1800s, "Arctic Fever" swept across the nation as dozens of American expeditions sailed north to the Arctic to find a sea route to Asia and, ultimately, to stand at the North Pole. Few of these missions were successful, and many men lost their lives en route. Yet failure did little to dampen the enthusiasm of new explorers or the crowds at home that cheered them on. Arctic exploration, Michael F. Robinson argues, was an activity that unfolded in America as much as it did in the wintry hinterland. Paying particular attention to the perils facing explorers at home, The Coldest Crucible examines their struggles to build support for the expeditions before departure, defend their claims upon their return, and cast themselves as men worthy of the nation's full attention. In so doing, this book paints a new portrait of polar



voyagers, one that removes them from the icy backdrop of the Arctic and sets them within the tempests of American cultural life. With chronological chapters featuring emblematic Arctic explorers-including Elisha Kent Kane, Charles Hall, and Robert Peary-The Coldest Crucible reveals why the North Pole, a region so geographically removed from Americans, became an iconic destination for discovery.