Harnessed to the Pole: Sledge Dogs in Service to American Explorers of the Arctic, 1853-1909

In the second half of the nineteenth century, an epic race was underway in some of the most brutal stretches on the planet. Explorers from around the world hoped to stake their claim on the Arctic, with the North Pole being the ultimate prize. Those with the greatest success found that the fastest way to travel was on four legs - using a team of hardworking sledge dogs. Nickerson follows the adventures of eight American explorers and their dog teams - Elisha Kent Kane, Isaac Hayes, Charles Francis Hall, Frederick Schwatka, George Washington DeLong, Adolphus Greely, Frederick Cook, and Robert Peary, controversial claimant of the title of first to reach the North Pole. While history has long forgotten these “little camels of the north,” Nickerson reveals how critical dogs were to the Arctic conquest. Besides providing transportation in extreme conditions, sledge dogs protected against wolves and polar bears, helped in hunting, found their way through storms, and provided warmth in extreme cold. They also faced rough handling, starvation, and the possibility of being left behind as expeditions plunged ahead. Here is an extraordinary - and unflinching - look at the dogs that raced to the top of the world.