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Enraptured by the lnuit way of life ever since he became the first Frenchman to reach the North Pole by dog sled in 1951, Jean Malaurie records for all time the disappearing traditions of the lnuits -- in an enthralling photo-documentary that is also a terrific adventure story by one of the great explorers of our age.

While leading more than 30 scientific expeditions from Greenland to Siberia, Malaurie has witnessed the changes thrust upon the lnuits as they have been wrenched from their traditional culture into the nuclear age. In riveting narrative and 300 color photographs of awesome landscapes, daily life in igloos, whale-hunting scenes, and shamanic rituals, he captures "the call of the north" that keeps drawing him to the polar world.

Malaurie, author of the classic The Last Kings of Thule, was the first Frenchman to reach the North Pole region by dog sled in 1951. His love affair with the far north began in the summers of 1948 and 1949 when the young geographer joined a glaciological expedition to Disko Bay on the west coast of Greenland. In those days before the onset of Western influence, he studied Inuit culture by living with the locals and learning their language. Over the next 50 years, Malaurie continued to explore Greenland, Siberia, Alaska, and Canada, always living within the communities he was studying. The most striking feature of the book is the selection of 300-plus color photographs, the most stunning of which are shots from the 1950s and 1960s depicting a way of life that has largely disappeared because of government social programs. This exceptionally beautiful book is a splendid addition to both public and academic libraries. John Kenny, San Francisco P.L. Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.