Under The Microscope

ARKTIKOS: AN ARCTIC ODYSSEY, by Graeme Dingle; Reed, 1997; 184 pp; $39.95

Reviewed by Craig Marshall

A good travel book should tell you not only about countries and the people that live there, but also about the writer. Graeme Dingle's fine account of his near circumnavigation of the Arctic in 1992-1993 almost meets these criteria and is a fine read.

The expedition seems to have been a combination of a grand adventure coupled with escape from the disillusion of a failed business venture, a relationship gone wrong and the death of a close friend. The adventure seemed straightforward enough -- to travel along the Arctic circle from the Bering Strait in an easterly direction across all the countries of the Arctic and to do it all in one continuous journey.

Although the journey itself was tough, the logistical difficulties the expedition faced were tougher. A chronic shortage of funds constrained possible options, and in the end, logistics and weather prevented a continuous circumnavigation.

The Arctic is home to many hardy people, all of whom live difficult lives made more difficult by the intrusion of other cultures. Dingle writes sympathetically, if briefly, of some of those he met. The relationships of those within the expedition waxed and waned, and we read of powerful tensions, love that endured and love that foundered. We are introduced to many who assisted Arktikos for nothing and a few who hindered. Of particular interest is his account of travelling through the Russian Federation as it went through some profound social and political changes.

The strength of this book lie in its descriptions of people and places, and it is written in a robust style. A number of fine photographs complement the text well. I was disappointed that one map was made to cover all of the journey, especially since it did not contain some of the places mentioned in the text.

Dingle tells us much of others, but unfortunately we learn little of the essential man himself. What he does tell us is well worth reading. I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone with an interest in the Arctic or in travel.

Craig Marshall is in Otago University's Biochemistry Department.