The First Crossing Of Greenland: The Daring Expedition that Launched Arctic Exploration

Fridtjof Nansen's Greenland expedition of 1888 was a daring attempt to cross the arctic interior by skiing, with only six members and a basic camera. Despite criticism, the expedition succeeded, and Nansen's words and photographs sparked a golden age of exploration.

Format: Unspecified
Length: 288 pages
Publication date: 30 November 2023
Publisher: Gibson Square Books Ltd

Before the groundbreaking Greenland expedition of 1888 led by Fridtjof Nansen, the vast and impenetrable Arctic regions had left nineteenth-century scientists frustrated and bewildered. Undeterred by the prevailing skepticism, the twenty-six-year-old Nansen embarked on a daring venture, convinced that he had a unique plan to conquer the icy wilderness. His audacious idea was to traverse the arctic interior of Greenland on skis, a sport virtually unheard of at the time. Despite the limited resources and a small team of only six members, Nansen was determined to succeed. He meticulously planned every aspect of the expedition, from pulling their sledges to arranging transport on two steam liners to drop them off in the treacherous Arctic sea. With a shoestring budget, they could only afford a basic camera to document their journey. To the astonishment of many, Nansen's audacious but heavily criticized plan actually succeeded! His captivating diary entries, along with his remarkable expedition photographs captured with a student camera, ignited a golden age of exploration. Nansen's words and images captured the imagination of the world, inspiring countless adventurers and scientists to embark on their own expeditions into the unknown. The legacy of his Greenland expedition continues to inspire and captivate us, reminding us of the indomitable human spirit and the boundless potential of exploration.

Weight: 250g
Dimension: 156 x 235 x 17 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781783342303