By the author of "Arctic Animals" and "Seasons of the Seal" this book explores the rich history of man's fascination with polar bears: the Neanderthals worshipped them, the Vikings hunted them, the Romans kept them for sport. To the Inuit, polar bears were a vital food source; to Europeans and Egyptians, their pelts were highly prized as the most luxurious of furs; and to early Arctic explorers, they were a formidable obstacle to quests for the Northwest Passage. Packed with photographs, archival pictures and etchings the text describes their life cycle, hunting, mating and birth rituals and the unique symbiotic relationship between the bears and the seals who share their habitat.