This is one of the best popular histories that I've ever read. There's a Wow! on nearly every page, because the climate was so extreme, the location so rugged and remote, the draw of fortune seekers so extensive, the potential riches (realized by few) so fantastic, the US-Canadian contrast of governmental oversight so stark, and the characters so colorful (even "Swiftwater Bill Gates" -- no relation -- makes an appearance). In a Skagway bookstore in 1994, I overheard a sales clerk saying that this was THE book to read about the Klondike gold rush, and I bought it. I can't imagine a better one.

This book was recommended to me by a friend in the History Department at the University of Alaska-Anchorage as an essential account of the Klondike Gold Rush. It is both a wonderfully detailed account of this facsinating period in Canadian and U.S. history and a great read. Indeed, it is a page-turner: a book that is hard to put down.

Mr Berton you excel yourself. This book is very well written, meticulously accurate, entertaining, and justifies its reputation as one of the very best accounts of the last of the great gold rushes. As Mr Berton says, who grew up in the site of the infamous rush in Dawson City, "it was certainly one of the strangest mass movements of human beings in history.". At least 100,000 people from all over the world set out seriously for the gold fields on the remote Klondike Valley in the late 1890s. (Probably at least 5 times that many set out half seriously, but never managed to get even close to the Klondike). Of these, only around 30,000 actually made it to their destination. Of those who made it, only around 0.5% actually made any money. Of those only a handful managed to keep thier money for the remainder of their lives. A handful. Thousands perished on route, most of these succumbing to poorly planned expeditions, over mountainous passes and remote icefields that they never dreamed of when they set out. Most of those who actually arrived in the remote location were too exhausted financially, emotionally and physically, to bother looking for gold. Furthermore, when they arrived they found that all the land was already staked. Most simply booked a ticket on the nearest steamship, and went home.

Amongst the way there were many bizzare and tragic stories, which are too many to detail here. Avalanches, sunken ships, freezing winters, con-men, women, children, old men and young, gamblers, dance hall girls, swindlers, dead horses, suicides, -they were all there. The desperate, the poor, the rich, the ignorant, the informed, the millionaire and the pauper alike, rubbed shoulders in a wild human exodus that has seen little like it, before or since. Some of the stories Mr Berton meticulously relates, simply beg belief. It was a time of general insanity, set amidst a terrible depression, which helped spark off the 'fever', or mania being a more apt term. After news arrived of fabulous riches in gold found in Dawson, some tried to get to Dawson on bicycle, others on huge wheeled contraptions, others thought they would walk there with a handful of nuts. What many didn't realise, was that there was a reason this phenomenoly rich gold field was discovered so late in time compared to many others-it was absurdly difficult to get to. Experienced, grizzley old miners would have had serious trouble getting and surviving there over several winters, to the average office clerk, dentist and city type, it was nigh impossible-as they soon found. Many were conned and caught up in a general mania, whilst many others died. All the stories, all the tragedies, the colour, the mania, the lucky and the unlucky are described.

James Michener thought much of the book, and based his novel Journey, another exellent story of this gold rush, on parts of the Edmonton stories contained herein.

It is a story of humanity as good as any. A delight to read on cold winters nights, in the safety and security of a warm fire, a homely house, and a hot meal. Many in this book gave up this and more for a dream that could never be fulfilled, for they were too late, and even though they were willing to die trying.

They didn't know that the past was already behind them....

Ms. Berton's account of life in Dawson from 1907 to the 1920's is too late to tell the story of the Klondike gold rush. Instead it tells of life in a small northern community that has seen its hey-day come and go, describing it's traditions and lifestyle in such detail you soon feel as though you've lived there too.

The descriptive passages are excellent and the book contains several colorful tales of individual struggles, her own and others'. I was a bit put off by the enormous number of names of people she met in the Yukon but didn't find I needed to remember them all to enjoy the book. If you have read the history of Dawson during the gold rush in other books, this is a great afterword that describes many notable figures' lives following the rush, answering several 'whatever happened to so-and-so' questions.

I remember our elementary school library encouraging children to read it, but given its richness of detail and adult perspective it's anything but a kid's book. Despite her matter-of-fact writing style, Ms. Berton's story is emotionally engaging and a great portrait of life in northern Canada.

If you ever plan to come up to Dawson City, Yukon you will want to read this book. Mrs. Berton gives an insight to the Goldrush town of Dawson City. I can say that you will still find the house she lived in and some of the houses that she describes in her book. As a resident of Dawson City it is nice to have read a book that is truly about what life was and is in Dawson City.

This is the true story of a woman who moved to the Yukon in the days of the Gold Rush - she went to be a schoolteacher for a couple of years, married a prospector, and wound up raising a family in one of the most spectacular - and harshest - places and times in North America. Laura Berton writes with humor and insight, and has produced a most entertaining book which is interesting as biography, as history, and as just a fun read! Laura also produced one of the most prolific authors in Canada today - Pierre Berton, author of FLAMES ACROSS THE BORDER and THE DIONNE YEARS. This is a book that deserves to be more widely read!

Berton is by far the best historical author of our times. The characters that make up our history come alive with every page that is read. For anyone that has felt the lure of gold, this is a book is a must have.

If all history books were like this one, we would have a lot more History Majors. Berton has taken a time in the past and written a wonderful book. The trouble and hardship that these people of a by-gone era are willing to endure and die for is unbelievable. Fiction can't touch what actually happened in the late 1800's as thousands headed North for what was to be the last great gold rush.

Berton is a master at organizining material from diverse sources and weaving a fascinating tale. He left no stone unturned. With the passing of Klondike participants, this book could not be written today. I highly recommend it.

In almost a half century of reading, I can recall about a dozen books that were absolutely captivating, as much for the author's narrative skills as through the subject matter. This is one, and Pierre Berton is almost the only author whose works made that list more than once. The War of 1812 is a generally neglected subject in America, except perhaps for the New Orleans campaign of 1815. Berton writes from a distinctly Canadian viewpoint, although he writes so wonderfully that even the most chauvinistic American will hardly notice and won't care. Any time I begin to write something that I hope readers will enjoy beyond simple information, I try to look back over a little of Berton's work in vain hopes of picking up something of his incomparable style.

It is a pity that Americans do not understand nor have any knowledge of the War of 1812. Our relationship with Canada would better understood and accepted if it did. Pierre Berton, a Canadian, has told the story of the war from a Canadian perspective but in such a manner that we can all relate and sympathize. He has taken reality/history and written it like historical fiction while maintaining a scholarly credability.

History written like fiction. Can';t say enough about how readable and entertaining this book is. Highly recommended for anyone interested in the War of 1812

The two reviews below are absolutely correct. Pierre Berton has written a great masterpiece of narrative history. I first read this book almost 20 years ago, and I can still recall the enjoyment it gave. This is perhaps the best book of history in terms of enjoyable reading which I have come across. The only author in the same league today is Simon Schama, and he generally works in somewhat more esoteric, less popular areas. I have also discussed the excellence of Berton's writing in a review of the companion volume Flames Across the Border: 1813-14 which, along with this text, makes up as fine a two volume set of North American history as can be obtained.

Best book on history I ever read. Most books on the war of 1812 focus on the 'high level' intrigue--congressional debates, executive office plotting, etc. This book focuses on the front lines. Learn about how Madison decision to appoint imcompetent generals (He didn't want the war, and it was his way of keeping it from happening) led to human suffering. Get a good sense of life on the frontier and the fear Americans had of the local Indians. Read this book.

The invasion of Canada is one of the most engrossing books on history I have ever read. Ms Berton brings to life the characters, events and atmosphere of a continet on the brink of war. This is achieved by Ms Bertons skillfull blend of historical research and artistic licence, which give even the most uninspred reader of history something to get thier "teeth into". I found it avid reading and look forward to sampling more of Ms Bertons work.

It just so happens that I've finished reading this book today, exactly 85 years after the very battle it describes. The Battle of Vimy Ridge, April 9th, 1917.
On that chilly morning the inexperienced Canadian Corps (including one British brigade) were expected to accomplish what the British and French had failed to do in two years: namely, to dislodge the Germans from their impenetrable stronghold of Vimy Ridge on the Douai Plains of France. And they were expected to achieve that victory with fifty thousand fewer men then the French had LOST in their own frustrated assaults.
They did it.
And this book is their story.

Pierre Berton's approach is unique, and makes for a breathtaking read. In the Author's Note he says "My purpose... has been to tell not just what happened but also WHAT IT WAS LIKE. I have tried to look at the Vimy experience from the point of view of the man in the mud as well as from that of the senior planners."
He has achieved his goal... one gets the sense that the author ran through the trenches and across "No Man's Land" himself with a videocamera on that thunderous morning. Not only do we see the root and stem of every tactical achievement and blunder, we hear, see and smell, and FEEL what took place as well, in as much as it is possible. The research is extensive and meticulous, as can be seen in the Acknowledgements and Source List at the end of the book.

It just so happens that I live within sight of the Peace Tower on Parliament Hill, here in the capital city of Canada. High up in that Tower the single word "Vimy" is carved. For me, reading this book shifts a tremendous load of significance onto that single word.
Vimy stands for more than a battle won, it stands for Canadian ingenuity, innovation, courage, Canadian dash and daring, Canadian enterprise. Life! Freedom!
It has become commonplace to say that Canada came of age at Vimy Ridge.
This is an immeasurably important, beautifully written book. Read Vimy, "lest we forget."

Although this book is long it does go into detail about what the conditions were like at Vimy Ridge but also in to the people (such as Gen. J. Byng).

99% of my class enjoyed reading this book. It was very hard to put the book down as got further into the book. It was well writen and the information is great for people entering high school.

I would recomend this book to anyone who would like to know more about WWI and the strugles the people had..due to the fact that it focus in on the CANADIAN heritage. It is well writen because Pierre Burton did a lot of research..

This book is a collection of the JKD phylosophy in the words of legend himself. Reading this book is one of the best way to experience Bruce Lee's openmindedness and wisdom. Each single quotes of Bruce Lee sounds stanning and deeply impressive because of his phylosophy education background. This is not only a great JKD text but also a great phylosophy book.

This brief book describes the last days of the great Native American leader Tecumseh, the Shawnee chief whose vision was to unite his and other tribes in defense of much of what is now the states of Ohio, Indiana, and Michigan. He was both respected and feared by the westward moving settlers. General William Henry Harrison waged battle against Tecumseh and his Indian alliance, first in Indiana, and later in Candada during the War of 1812.

The Candadian author describes Tecumseh's defeat and death during the Battle of the Thames in the War of 1812. The book brings an insightful Canadian perspective of Tecumseh's role in the War of 1812. Although the book is written for adolescent readers, anyone with an interest in early 19th century American history will enjoy this book

This is (IMHO) one of the finest books ever written about arctic exploration (and I've read dozens). Berton is a superb writer, an unmatched storyteller, and a gifted chronicler of much-too-neglected aspect of recent history. The men and women of arctic exploration come alive under the author's perceptive pen, and before you know it you caught up in the world of Parry, Ross, Franklin, Back, Simpson, Amundsen, Cook, Peary, and host of lesser-known but intriguing characters. If you have a heart for history and the people that influenced it, you won't be able to put this book down! An added bonus is the respect with which the author treats the arctic native peoples, without whose help and support every kabloona (white man) who ever set foot into the arctic would have died tragically. I've read this book three times, and am looking forward to my fourth journey into the world of "The Arctic Grail."

Years ago I had read an article about the discovery and autopsy of the remains of three seamen from the Franklin expedition. I was so taken by the arctic story recapitulated for that article that when I discovered Ice Blink I read it greedily, becoming a fan of arctic exploration. That find lead me to the current book, The Arctic Grail by Canadian historian Pierre Berton.

In reading Berton's book, one can hardly fail to notice the fact that most of the search for the Northwest Passage, which occupied many adventurous souls for the better part of the 19th Century, was conducted: 1) by Franklin expeditions, 2) in search of survivors of the last Franklin expedition, 3) in search of information as to the fate of the members of the last Franklin expedition, and 4) in search of relics and journals that might come from the last Franklin expedition. It also becomes apparent that almost every venture into that frozen land led to tragedy and often death. It seems that very little was learned either through the experiences of the survivors of the various expeditions or from the lifestyle of the natives of the area. One is amazed that after the disasters that followed each undertaking, yet another venture would be proposed, despite the loss of life and the evident uselessness of the pass itself. Each expedition met with nightmarish experiences, many of the men dying of starvation and exposure, and while the officers might receive promotion in rank and recognition in the history books for their discoveries, the enlisted men who did most of the work got little more than an increase in pay if they lived to get it.

Of the rush to the North Pole, all that can be honestly said is that the notoriety of superhuman effort and of the attainment of nearly impossible goals inspired some pretty disgraceful behavior on behalf of a number of, particularly American, explorers. It becomes obvious that the chicanery of ambitious men looking to make a fortune as celebrities did not start in the last half of the 20th century. Both Cook and Peary seemed driven men whose egos could sustain the possible blight of fraudulent claims disputed by the records but not of public failure. What is sad, particularly in the latter case, is that the actual attainments of the discoverer were pretty amazing as it was. No one since has achieved quite so much under the same conditions. While others have been to the pole successfully, it required air dropped supplies and a flight in or out of the area.

Throughout the entire book one is confronted with a sense of a major lack of real respect for nature by so-called civilized man. It is tempting to see this attitude as a peculiarly 20th (now 21st) century phenomenon, but it seems to have had a good start in the 19th century. The hubris that makes modern man feel that he can tame nature with his various gadgets may just be part and parcel of human nature. Maybe it's just wishful thinking.

One of the particularly distressing aspects of the explorers accounts is of the callous treatment of the native population and of the total marginalization of their contributions. It's apparent from Berton's book that the safe return of many explorers was due largely to help from the Eskimos. I think a thorough narrative of Arctic exploration from their point of view-both their own conquest of the area and their take on the European and American explorations-might make very interesting reading indeed!

All in all the book is well written and well researched. It would definitely appeal to anyone with an interest in history, in man against nature, in man in nature, in geography, ethnography, and 19th Century culture. Anyone with a reading level of 6th grade or above should be able to comprehend it, and it might make interesting reading especially for young men.

As a resident of Barrow, Alaska, high in the Arctic, I have found Berton's book both accurate and easy to read. I'm so glad it has been reprinted. My only concern is that my old paperback version is falling apart, maybe because I have read and re-read it so much. Berton pulls together a wide variety of topics and quests, especially the quest for the North Pole and Northwest Passage. And he correctly adds a skepticism about many of these expeditions being funded in the name of science, but focusing on reaching the pole, or completing the passage, and fame instead.

The section on Edward Parry's near-completion of the Passage in 1819 is superb, as are those on the tragic Franklin Expedition, and the very flawed quest for the North Pole on the part of Cook and Peary (which was the most corrupt? A good question.)

The Arctic is a fascinating place. My wife Chris and I have lived in Barrow for over two decades, and we still get a thrill when we see the Arctic Ocean on our drives or walks around town. but the Arctic is often misunderstood. Berton sets the record straight, about the explorers, the Native people who had so much to teach the outsiders, and the fascinating, but fragile, part of our globe. buy this new edition before it gets out of print. Earl Finkler

My fourth grade teacher read this book to me (nearly 30 years ago) and I have never forgotten the story. I was happy to find it at Amazon, after searching for years in local libraries. I cannot wait until I receive it and can read it to my children.

The first time I read this book was when I was in 3rd grade. I'd read it every year after that until I graduated high school. Now, I' m forty plus and I still open this book whenever I want light adventure. This story has everything, humor, adventure, tension. I recommend it for everyone no matter what age.

I read this book when I was 10 years old and the story was unbelievable! It is a book that when you are finished you are sad because you feel that you have left something behind. The story was so vivid that it was burned into my memory, though unfortunately there must not have been enough room for the title. I have spent many years trying to remember the name of the book so I could buy it for my daughter who is now 10 years old. I would recommend this book to all, young and old alike.