Austere and dangerous, the Arctic is also a constant source of breathtaking beauty, beguilement, and wonder. In this National Book Award winner, Barry Lopez explores the many-faceted wonders of the Far North: its strangely stunted forest, its mesmerizing aurora borealis, and its frozen seas. Only a few species of wild animals can survive in this harsh climate, and here musk oxen, polar bears, and narwhal come alive through Lopez's passionate and nuanced observations. As he examines the history and culture of the Arctic's indigenous people, Lopez also tells the stories of the intrepid yet often underprepared polar explorers who have sought to conquer the region.