Escaping the Delta: Robert Johnson and the Invention of the Blues

Book Description

Robert Johnson's story presents a fascinating paradox: Why did this genius of the Delta blues excite so little interest when his records were first released in the 1930s? And how did this brilliant but obscure musician come to be hailed long after his death as the most important artist in early blues and a founding father of rock 'n' roll?

Elijah Wald provides the first thorough examination of Johnson's work and makes it the centerpiece for a fresh look at the entire history of the blues. He traces the music's rural folk roots but focuses on its evolution as a hot, hip African-American pop style, placing the great blues stars in their proper place as innovative popular artists during one of the most exciting periods in American music. He then goes on to explore how the image of the blues was reshaped by a world of generally white fans, with very different standards and dreams.

The result is a view of the blues from the inside, based not only on recordings but also on the recollections of the musicians themselves, the African-American press, and original research. Wald presents previously unpublished studies of what people on Delta plantations were actually listening to during the blues era, showing the larger world in which Johnson's music was conceived. What emerges is a new respect and appreciation for the creators of what many consider to be America's deepest and most influential music.

Wald also discusses how later fans formed a new view of the blues as haunting Delta folklore. While trying to separate fantasy from reality, he accepts that neither the simple history nor the romantic legend is the whole story. Each has its own fascinating history, and it is these twin histories that inform this book.

Customer Reviews:

perhaps rating was a little too harsh.......2007-10-11

i was disappointed to find out that the book's only "new" evidence is some sales data of delta blues music and a few first hand accounts that once in a while these blues musicians played a tune that was not blues.

In addition his long description about music sales and the development of the blues, Wald uses these first hand accounts to prove his points, while at the same time he ignores stories that don't fit into his argument-which may makes his claims specious to say the least.

lets say Mr. Wald and I may not have have the same fundamentals views about the blues. I contacted Mr. Wald to mention important aspects which I believe he may have carelessly overlooked. To Mr. Wald's credit he took great time and care to explain to me (an amateur blues reader) what his points were and why they are important to blues history. These were facts that I may be missed when reading his book. so i must say this worth may be worth looking at .

Robert Johnson -- Still not the whole story.......2007-05-07

Escaping The Delta should be one of the first books a blues novice reads as it helps fill out the outline of the music, the role of the delta and the music of Robert Johnson who did escape the delta only to be drawn back to die in its mystery and danger. There was a lot more to say about Robert Johnson and the delta at the time this book was written: very little original oral history research has been done in recent years (with the exception of the recent Howlin' Wolf book), very little extensive research into European blues magazines (the only first person interviews of the classic blues musicians -- few were done in America) has been done because full collections are hard to find (if they exist), and the author failed to interview the only people alive who really knew Robert Johnson (Honeyboy Edwards,Robert Lockwood Jr., and Robert Townsend for example). Thus little new light is shed on Johnson's life, even where he is actually buried (in Little Zion church on the Money Mississippi road outside of Greenwood) and why he is there and not thrown into the river as most bluesmen would have been. With all respect to Mr. Ward who has written an excellent book, I did all of that research in the process of researching the lives of Alex "Rice" Miller (Sonny Boy Williamson II) and Robert Lockwood Jr.. I did have the opportunity to communicate with Ward about his Josh White book (Sonny Boy Williamson II played on his last album). There is more to say on the history of the blues and the delta as well as Robert Johnson.

Not What It Says It Is.......2007-01-12

This volume is a book about something. But its not about Robert Johnson, its not about escaping the Delta, and its hardly about the blues. It is more a rambling chronology of popular music, and the ways in which Blues is nested into that overall context. It is as much or more about musicians other than blues musicians. And when it focuses on "blues musicians", it goes to great and repeated lengths to demonstrate they were not really "Blues" musicians at all. We understand them to be such today, the author labors, because Blues sold. In fact, the author repeats, the "Blues" musicians we have come to revere liked to play, and did play, other kinds of music as much or more than blues, including ragtime, tin pan alley, fife and drum and spirituals. See? They weren't really blues players at all. They were versatile musicians forced into this genre by the music business, many of them preferring to play something other than blues. Huh.

Further, the author posits that latter day (white?) blues musicians are not really playing the blues either. They are acting "as if", affecting musical styles and inflections that are not their own. Sort of make believe blues performing. Imitating the blues musicians of yore, and not authentically expressing themselves in their own right. Despite Fred McDowell's and John Lee Hooker's assertion that "the Blues is a feeling", the author would apparently have us believe that it was only THEIR feeling, not one available to others.

Suffice it to say, the author and I do not share a fundamental view of what the Blues is. Would I buy, read, or reccommend this book. No, no and no. It isn't what it says it is. And what it is is superficial in its depth of understanding of Blues expression, and how and where that happens.

Wonderful!.......2005-12-04

This was a great book and a must-have in any music biography library. It's more than a music biography though. Many of us in this day and age have a mythical idea of who Robert Johnson was, we've all heard the story of how he learned to play guitar by selling his soul to the devil at the crossroads and other such lore, but this book cuts through all that and gets down to the real brass tacks: Robert Johnson was anything but popular in his time, when bands like the Mississippi Sheiks were much more popular.

The historical information in the book is fascinating, it strips away all of our romantic notions about juke joints and mythological bluesmen and shows the real Delta of the early part of this century: gritty, unbelievably impoverished and depressed, dangerous and frightening. Truly the land that begat the blues.

This book is truly excellent.

A Refreshing Insight.......2005-08-24

Elijah Wald's book is outstanding in the sense that he not only gives an insight to the music, but also the the personalities of second-generation bluesmen, with a strong emphasis on Robert Johnson. Mr. Wald has speculated somewhat on what has not been recorded, but much of this is corroborated in one way or the other, mostly based on interviews. The opinions and memories conveyed might have been warped, twisted or recolletions embellished, nevertheless, I strongly believe that this shall stand the test of time and stay as one of the alternatives to the romantic and platonically idealized view of the "bluesman".

I did not read the book as an academic work, but as an in-depth story of Robert Johnson, his predecessors and successors. I was pleasantly surprised to see that Mr. Wald's approach was objective and far from the forced devotion that some hardcore fans of delta blues have shown. As art creates its heroes after they have lived, the concept of the delta bluesman is stereotypically formed in the minds of most people. This is especially emphasized in liner notes, booklets in box sets, and even in some books. Yes, they might have been hard-drinking, womanizing, dangerous people who have shown the delicate side to their personalities in their music and lyrics, but the fact that first and foremost they were entertainers of high calibre is frequently overlooked.

Robert Johnson has only one recorded solo, his lyrics do not have consistency, but John Hammond has selected Johnson for the famed concerts in 1938. The music had already changed by the time the British Blues Explosion took place, but the neo-bluesmen had to find some heroes to identify themselves with. Bluesmen who had died young, hoboed from town to town, drank and smoked excessively and played around with women fitted perfectly with their conception of life, which evolved into sex, drugs and rock'n roll.

I believe that Mr Wald's book is invaluable for uncovering this mystique about the bluesmen, and helping us blues lovers in accepting these people as "people" first.

Escaping The Delta : Robert Johnson And The Invention Of The Blues

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Escaping The Delta : Robert Johnson And The Invention Of The Blues
Elijah Wald
Manufacturer: Amistad
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OEOEK4

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Escaping the Delta: Robert Johnson and the Invention of the Blues
Elijah Wald
Manufacturer: Amistad
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OEMA2S

Book Description

Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.

Customer Reviews:

Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03

Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.

Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19

Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.

Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09

There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.

For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.

Very Interesting.......2007-03-07

It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.

History as Science Fiction.......2007-01-10

Anatoly Fomenko has written a very intriguing book, full of pictures, charts, and computer 'proof' of his thesis: backwards of AD900 we don't really know what happened or when. Between AD900 and AD1600 there is more certainty, but there is still a lot of fuzzy ground, and things don't get reliable until we get past the 1600's where the printing press made it very difficult for the perpetrators of this timeline manipulation to change anything that had been committed to print. The Dark Ages did not happen. Books were burned for a reason. One organization has doubled the actual length of its existence by expanding the real chronology. Read why.

I had always wondered why Christ died about AD33 and yet men waited until the 11th century to form the Knights Templar, the Cathars, etc and go after the Holy Land by force. Why the 1000 year gap? Turns out there wasn't more than a 10-12 year gap and he proves it using astronomy. This also implies that the planet is not as old as we have been told, and current Christian and other creationist scientists are already championing that idea without being aware of Fomenko's book. The two groups, creationist scientists and the Russian mathematical analysts corroborate each other. Fascinating.

Of course, all this flies in the face of what we have been told traditionally is the 'proper' chronology of western civilization, and most readers will experience 'cognitive dissonance' in reading this book. It means that our history going backwards from AD1600 becomes progressively more incorrect and unreliable until it cannot be trusted at all... in the space of 700-800 years.

Naturally, the curious, open-minded reader will want to know WHO did this, WHY, and did any of the events we think of as really ancient ever happen?
Dr. Fomenko is a respected scientist/mathematician at Moscow State University who has already answered these questions to the satisfaction of his initially skeptical colleagues. Most of them are now believers, a few still refuse to believe (the usual diehards), and of course the western press has ignored Fomenko's work -- for obvious reasons when you read the book. The ones who perpetrated this chronology ruse have a lot to answer for. They are still with us. That's why this book is a well-kept secret.

I gave the book a 4-star rating because I was unable to check out some of his claims; those I checked were as he said. But if even 1/3 of his claims are true, this punches a big hole in what we think is our history, the meaning of western civilization, our educational process (for repeating the ruse as gospel), and the trustworthiness of the organization that perpetrated this ruse, well-intentioned or not.

This book relates to current research into a Young Earth paradigm, to John Keel's discoveries about our planet, and Fr Malachi Martin's insights (in his now out-of-print books). We are indeed sheep who are manipulated and kept ignorant -- for a reason. While knowing what these men have to say may be the "booby prize" (as in: 'what can you do with this knowledge?'), it will provide interesting reading. Didn't someone say: "...and the Truth will set you free."?? For you to judge if this book contains the truth.

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Content doesn't match title
The Austrians: A Thousand-Year Odyssey
A seminal work
Not perfect, but best overview of Austrian history avail
SHOULD HAVE A DIFFERENT TITLE

The Austrians: A Thousand-Year Odyssey
Gordon Brook-Shepherd
Manufacturer: Carroll & Graf
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Austria | Europe | History | Subjects | Books

General | Europe | History | Subjects | Books

Hungary | Europe | History | Subjects | Books

Western | Europe | History | Subjects | Books

General | World | History | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0786711027

Book Description

This is a masterful survey of Austria’s controversial place at the heart of European history. From the Reformation through the Napoleonic and Cold Wars to European Union, a superb history of Austria’s central role in uniting Western civilization is covered. 24 pages of photographs and maps are included. “Connoisseurs of Austria and its delightful and infuriating inhabitants will agree that Mr. Brook-Shepherd has got it just about right.’’—The Wall Street Journal “Engrossing, elegantly written history.’’—Publishers Weekly

Customer Reviews:

Content doesn't match title.......2007-04-06

The title of this book is misleading. This is because Mr. Brooke-Shepherd devotes most of his attention to 20th century events in Austria. As a result, he neglects some very important (not to mention interesting) material from before that time. For example, he spends little time discussing the Habsburgs' long tenure as Holy Roman Emperors. Moreover, he neglects the rise of such influential Austrians as Maria Theresa, Joseph II, and Metternich. The book is good in what it covers, but, as earlier stated, is equally memorable for what it doesn't cover.

The Austrians: A Thousand-Year Odyssey.......2007-03-09

Gordon Brook-Shepheard's books are always informative and interesting. This book has provided me with information I did not know.

A seminal work.......2003-12-30

A seminal work of great magnitude but weak in its analysis of pre-20th century history. This book gives a whirlwind tour of Austrian History from 1200-1900. Then the book slows down and achieves greatness in describing the intricacies of Franz Joseph's rule as well as WWI and the road to Anschloss with Germany. The book picks up by describing the little know portion of Austrian history, the post 1945 Austria. At first divided between the major power Austria then became a `permanently' neutral power, although a power that hosted a controversial leader in the form of Mr. Waldheim, a former Nazi. The book then covers the `awakening' of Austria as it found itself post cold war. Although not up to date, it doesn't cover the election of the right wind Jorg Haider, this is an excellent introduction and survey of Austrian history.

Seth J. Frantzman

Not perfect, but best overview of Austrian history avail.......2001-04-01

English-language books on the long-term history of Austria are relatively rare. Admittedly, Austria was one of the most historically interesting places in the world during the latter part of Franz Josef's reign-dozens of interesting books are available covering events and movements encompassing the intellectual flowering of Wien beginning in the late Victorian period. Giant personalities in the fields of visual art, psychology, music, philosophy, literature and theatre could seemingly be found in every coffee house in turn-of-the century Wien.

But judging from the available books, outside of the ever-busy Hapsburg family, little of interest to the rest of the world seems to have taken place before the last quarter of the 19th century. This is reflected in "The Austrians", which in spite of being a 483 page book, reaches the year 1866 by page 88. I think it would be fair to think of the book as more like a 140-year odyssey with a very long introduction.

Outside of the short shrift given to early Austrian history, I found this an enjoyable and informative book. Austria is unique among modern European nations in having been for centuries the spiritual center of one of Europe's largest empires, yet it is now a relatively small country of relatively little influence on the world stage-the teutonic rump left over from the mostly-voluntary dissolution of a multi-ethnic dual-monarchy. Given this relatively short period in which to develop a sense of unique national identity, Brook-Shepherd attempts to show in his book how seminal events in Austrian history are either influential on today's sense of nationhood (however strong that may be), or are least illustrative of typical characteristics of Austrian culture or character. This is a difficult task, and I think the author is only partially successful.

Still, it is a noble attempt, and although it sometimes feels as if the author is straining to make an obscure point about Austrian nationhood, in general, this doesn't really interfere with the book. The author has spent significant time in post-war Austria and has a number of interesting contacts both within what is left of the Hapsburg family and within the Austrian political sphere. He certainly cannot be blamed for taking use of these journalistic and personal contacts in substantiating his history, and unlike some reviewers, I did not feel that this was excessive-it did not distract from the flow of the book for me at all. I cannot say this about the excessive use of footnotes, which I found extremely distracting.

Overall, I found this an enjoyable and informative book. In spite of some flaws, it is the best single-volume English-language source I've found on what is unfortunately, something of an obscure subject. I find it to be complementary to Andrew Wheatcroft's "The Hapsburgs." It takes a very different approach and they two books have relatively minimal overlap.

SHOULD HAVE A DIFFERENT TITLE.......2000-04-25

I found this to be an interesting book for its coverage of historical events within Austria during the 20th century (i.e., the fall of the Hapsburg monarchy and the Nazi occupation). Brook-Shepherd goes into pretty good detail on these events. However, he devotes much of the book to the 20th Century, and, in a seeming contradiction to the title, does not give as much attention to pre-20th Century developments. For example, he does not give much detail about Maria Therea or Joesph II. Perhaps he should have devoted the book to only the 20th Century.

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The Austrians: a Thousand-year Odyssey
Gordon Brook-shepherd
Manufacturer: Carroll & Graf Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000N7A5YQ

Customer Reviews:

GREAT!.......2007-10-01

THIS IS A GREAT BOOK!, IT EXPLAINS ALL DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF OUR BODY: THE BRAIN!, ALSO FOR ALL OF US WANNABE PSYCHOLOGISTS, IT'S GREAT TO KNOW WHAT THE BRAIN IS MADE OF AND HOW IT WORKS AND THEN ASSOCIATE IT WITH PSYCHOLOGY...

A great read!.......2004-03-24

A great introduction to the brain. This book is a must read before you jump in to other books on neuroscience that may go in to many confusing details. It doesn't skip any aspects, going straight in to history, anatomy, and details of the brain.

Neuroscience is called a must for philosophers, by Patricia Churchland, in her book Brain-Wise Studies in Neurophilosophy.

I would also suggest greater knowledge of neuroscience to psychologists!

As I said, a great starting point, and it's not too "Idiot's Guide" to just be a starting point either... you can end with this book and be satisfied.

Great introduction to neuroscience.......2004-03-24

If you're looking for an introduction to the brain, look no further! This book provides a brief history of neuroscience, to the anatomy of the brain, on to more intricate details. It will not leave you confused or with too many useless details.

A great read for philosophers who want to know more about the human condition, a must says Patricia Churchland(not this author) in one of her books.

A great read for psychologists who maybe need a refersher - or never learned too much about the anatomy.

Science Fair Project Savior.......2004-02-13

I found this book very helpful, especially in my case. I am currently hard at work on a Science Fair project on how musical stimuli effect a mouse's ability to sucessfully navigate and memorize a maze. I found this book very helpful because it decribed all sections of the brain in detail, but so as not to be confusing. However, I did think that this book is pretty obscure, not many people are looking to understand how their brains work and/or have a hobby dealing with neurosciences. But, as for people such as I, this book was a miracle.

Understanding the Brain: Complete Idiot's Guide

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Understanding the Brain: Complete Idiot's Guide
Bard & Bard
Manufacturer: Alpha
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OA07C2

Book Description

Matthiessen has once again lit upon a subject profoundly fitted to his creative genius. He is simply the ultimate lyricist of loss, a writer brilliantly attentive to the way vanishings are braided into even the most exquisite moments of our lives. He agonizes over what is passing away, but does so in a manner that increases our appreciation of what remains. In "End of the Earth," Matthiessen joins the crew of the Akademik-a 384-foot research vessel bound for wild and storied South Georgia Island and Antarctica. Along the way we are treated to a patented Matthiessen brew: lyricism and emotion applied to the sharp-eyed evaluations of a seasoned naturalist. Brilliant and instructive observations of the creatures inhabiting this far-flung region are sprinkled with eloquent disquisition on the history of the region (Shackleton, Captain Cook, the first Antarctic whaling station at Grytviken which processed 25, 60-foot whales a day between 1900 and 1903) the effects of pollution and the resulting global warming that, unchecked, threaten polar meltdown and the exponential obliteration of vast quantities of the world's land mass. He tells us why the waters off South Georgia are one of the richest whale-feeding grounds of the world, how the wandering albatross-with the greatest wingspan (ll. feet) of any bird on earth-"arching down the sky to vanish behind a wave, curving high again like a white cross", excited cries of wonder from the crew of the Akademik. We learn of the inexplicable king penguin congregation (70,000 strong) in Gold Harbor, how seabirds process saltwater, the habits of every variety of fur seal, walrus petrel and penguin that inhabit the region. And just when you think your appetite for nature depiction is slaked, an intense hurricane batters the Akademik for two days, injuring virtually everyone on board. Like all great writers Matthiessen is both obsessive and expansive as he converts his travels to the world's most remote and unforgiving places into opportunities to embrace a host of landscapes and creatures with a boundless curiosity. After 28 books and 75 peripatetic years, his passion for the natural world is undiminished, and "Islands at the End of the Earth," is Matthiessen at the very top of his game.

Customer Reviews:

Beautiful descriptions, but not much else.......2005-03-18

This rambling memoir details two trips that the author made to Antarctica with Victor Emmanuel Nature Tours, which specializes in birding trips. Peter Matthiessen beautifully describes several scenes from the Antarctic, which made me long to visit this stark landscape filled with life.

However, the book has no real direction. It reads like a journal, albeit a well-written one with a greater-than-average literacy quotient. The author makes little attempt to introduce any of his fellow-travelers or to show a personal journey of the mind to mirror the Antarctic voyages. Eventually, it just stops, rather than ends. He digresses from accounts of his voyage to describe the adventures of early polar explorers, or to comment on issues such as global warming and whaling. Although these asides are interesting and well-reasoned, there are better sources for each topic.

Birders and armchair travelers may enjoy the descriptions of his wildlife encounters, however.

At the Ends of the Earth: A History Of The Polar Regions

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Review of "At the ends of the Earth"
we came, we saw, then what happened...
A meandering hodgepodge of stories and facts

At the Ends of the Earth: A History Of The Polar Regions
Kieran Mulvaney
Manufacturer: Island Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Polar Regions | Australia & Oceania | History | Subjects | Books

Environmental Science | Earth Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books

Conservation | Environment | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

General | Conservation | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
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ASIN: 1559639083

Amazon.com

The polar regions of the earth have several things in common: coldness, remoteness, and abundant natural resources. They are also very different from each other. As Kieran Mulvaney writes, "Penguins live in the Antarctic; polar bears live in the Arctic. It is an easy distinction to remember, but it is just one of many." The Arctic is comparatively lush and heavily populated, with some 40 mammal species and hundreds of plant species to Antarctica's zero and two, respectively. The Arctic is heavily traveled, its waters plied by container ships and oil tankers, its roads full of trucks and pleasure vehicles; even with ecotourism and scientific expeditions, Antarctica remains little visited. And, whereas Antarctica has been largely protected by international convention from exploitation, pressures are mounting to develop further the Arctic's abundant stores of fossil fuels and other resources.

In At the Ends of the Earth, Mulvaney, an environmental journalist and resident of Alaska, chronicles the history of polar exploration from ancient times to the present--a history that concentrates on the quest for the fabled Northwest Passage, as well as on the international race to claim the poles. To this history, he adds well-reasoned arguments for why the poles, north and south, matter--why, that is, they merit continued and even expanded protection in a time of scarcity. He argues in particular for "a reduction in the drilling for fossil fuels in the Arctic, reducing the risk of pollution and putting the brakes on global warming." Timely and sometimes controversial, Mulvaney's book is a solid addition to the literature of exploration and environmentalism alike. --Gregory McNamee

Book Description

"The story of the Arctic and Antarctic is of two regions quite unlike any other.... It is a story of interweaving cycles in which exploration leads to exploitation, and exploitation to further exploration. It is a story of how even such remote realms can significantly affect, and in turn be deeply influenced by, events and trends thousands of miles distant-of how the long shadow of humanity has extended, for better and for worse, to the very ends of the Earth." - from the Prologu.

For thousands of years, the polar regions have been a source of intrigue and fascination; even today-despite having been thoroughly mapped and explored, despite being home to permanent human settlements and scientific stations-they remain places of mystery. Remote, cold, barren, and inhospitable, they nonetheless exert an undeniable hold on the human imagination.

At the Ends of the Earth is an engrossing natural and human history of the two polar regions. In vivid and engaging prose, author Kieran Mulvaney presents the fascinating story of human interactions with the Arctic and Antarctic from prehistory through centuries of European exploration to more recent issues involving Cold War politics, oil and gas drilling, tourism, and global warming.

Beginning with the earliest myths and legends of undiscovered lands far to the north and south, Mulvaney offers an in-depth look at these two regions that are so similar yet so distinct. His compelling narrative brings to life the Arctic and Antarctic landscapes as well as the people who have explored, lived in, and exploited them. Stories of native Arctic peoples and the changes brought by the arrival of Europeans are contrasted with equally striking stories of Antarctic exploration and high-stakes battles over whether that vast continent should be exploited or protected.

Throughout, the author highlights both the direct and indirect impacts of human activity on polar landscapes, considering the ways in which these fragile and pristine environments represent a kind of miner's canary alerting us to the potentially irreparable changes we are wreaking on our global environment. At the Ends of the Earth offers a unique look at an intriguing facet of world history and provides an important context for understanding both successful and failed polar expeditions, as well as the motivations behind them.

Customer Reviews:

Review of "At the ends of the Earth".......2002-06-22

In this slim volume of some two hundred and forty-one pages, Kieran Mulvaney has successfully melded historical documentation,
traditional narratives, environmental concerns and global policy
issues. There are those who will quibble that such a range of subject matter cannot be meaningfully covered in such a spare package; however, what Mulvaney has achieved by deliberately opting for the streamlined shark rather than the weightier sperm whale is to produce a work which enables direct juxtaposition of Arctic and Antarctic characteristics and issues and to do so in an accessible and eminently readable fashion.
As one who has spent some time in the Arctic and has read widely
on northern exploration and development, I welcome this text which permits me to experience, however vicariously, the "other" end of the earth.
For people who enjoy reading about the environment brought to life by historical and political insights or enjoy reading history quickened by their relationship to todays ecological and political issues, this is a book which they will find both refreshing and informative.

we came, we saw, then what happened..........2001-08-25

Polar literature is exploding, seems like every week there is another book out about struggles to reach the poles, or simply struggles to cross and chart the fragile yet savage lands at the ends of the earth. Many of these books make for fine reading, but most of then simply tell the tale. Kieran Mulvaney's "At the Ends of the Earth" makes the effort to look at what happens to some special places after they are discovered and mapped. Unfortunately this isn't always a pretty picture. As someone who has spent a great deal of time in some of the northern reaches of North America, and who dreams of Antarctica I greatly enjoyed the kernals of information Kieran includes. He does an excellent job of finding and highlighting some little know events in polar exploration and development. This book makes a fine addition to any library of polar science and discovery, right along side "The Mystery of the Ice," and "The Quiet Margin of the World."

A meandering hodgepodge of stories and facts.......2001-08-12

Kieran Mulvaney's "At the Ends of the Earth" is a strong candidate for this year's most misleading subtitle award. The subtitle states that the book is "A History of the Polar Regions," a pretty hefty task, especially for a book that clocks in at a mere 245 pages of text. Of course, it is not a comprehensive, or even a very complete history. Instead, the book is really a essay on the environmental damage man's presence has caused in both the Arctic and Anarctic. Stories of famous explorers like Admundsen, Scott, Cook, Peary and the like get mentions ranging from a couple of sentences to a few paragraphs. The majority of the book concerns such subjects as whaling, seal hunting, oil exploration, the effects of civilization on eskimos and so forth.

Were the book as well written and as focussed and balanced as recent environmental tomes such as "Oceans End" and "Earth Odyssey," it would still be a worthwhile read. Instead, Mulvaney spends most of his time regurgitating facts and statistics until they become numbing. His leftist environmental stance is also hard to take by anyone who doesn't share his zealous views. He comes off as the kind of environmentalist who would rather see human civilization collapse than have it do anything to further exploit natural resources. In the end, I suspect that his book will have little impact, as he will find himself preaching only to the already committed.

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To the Ends of the Earth: The History of Polar Exploration (Lecture Notes in Computer Science)
Richard Sale
Manufacturer: HarperCollins Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 000711124X

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