Driving to Greenland

by Peter Stark

Overview

Plimptonesque jaunts and essays on winter sports and arctic travel, by a contributing editor to Outside Magazine.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781558213203
Publisher:	Burford Books
Publication date:	12/29/1997
Pages:	192
Sales rank:	988,459
Product dimensions:	6.42(w) x 9.28(h) x 0.81(d)

Editorial Reviews

Snow and ice warm Stark's heart, and in this collection of a dozen essays, most of which appeared in the Smithsonian and Outside, he envelops readers in the frigid charms of ski jumping, narwhal hunting, dogsledding, iceboat sailing, skating on thin ice and kayak-making. One chapter is gleefully devoted to connoisseurs' names for different kinds of snowflakes and the mysteries of their structure, another to descriptions of bad and good ice and prescriptions for making the latter. Besides providing appreciations of the beauties of snowflakes, newly fallen snow and good ice, Stark's account of his journeys to Greenland and Iceland is filled with rare tidbits about both countries and his daring adventures there. Instructive and enchanting. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

Part autobiography, part travelog, this book energizes and invigorates the reader with vivid descriptions of ski jumping, sledding, skating, sea kayaking, and hunting in the coldest regions of North America, Greenland, and Iceland. Stark loves snow and shares his passion in 12 delightful essays. His descriptions and emotions are especially strong in the title essay, a fascinating account of his trip from Missoula, Montana, to Greenland in the endless light of summer. He even includes an entire chapter on different types of snow. An interesting purchase for the lover of winter sports and armchair travelers.-Janine Reid, Jefferson Cty. P.L., Lakewood, Col.

Library Journal

The spirit of George Plimpton is alive and well. But whereas Plimpton experienced the bruises inflicted upon professional football players as well as the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat of other professional sports, Stark did the same kind of things on snow or ice. He luged down a hill, flew off another (hill, that is), and, as the title reveals, drove to Greenland, which is literally impossible according to standard and nonstandard maps--but, hey, artistic license. His book probably should have been brought out to coincide with the 1994 Winter Olympics in Norway, but the marketing mistake in no way diminishes its entertainment value. In how many other books can you share someone's travels to Greenland and Iceland, hear tales of skiing down a mountain, learn about the many types of snow, and find out what it's like to ride on a dogsled? OK, there are a few, maybe, but if one purpose of books is to take you to far, far away places, at that Stark succeeds very well.

Jon Kartman