This volume covers the history of the exploration of the Arctic, beginning with the earliest Norse sailors and concluding with 1990s tourist excursions. The authors also explore the stories of such famous explorers as Frobisher, Franklin, Peary, Cook, Byrd, and Amudsen. Along the way, they debunk some fo the conventional wisdom about the most exalted heroes, pointing out that Fridtjof Nansen was probably the greatest Arctic explorer. Setting the scene for the narratives is a broad description of the Arctic environment, focusing on geography and climate.