In this illustrated book, Dr Rob David explores the connections between Cumbria and the Arctic during one of the great eras of polar exploration. Many of the great names associated with the Arctic - Sir John Barrow, Sir William Edward Parry, Sir John Richardson and Sir John Ross - feature alongside less well-known explorers such as Skeffington Lutwidge. The polar adventures of the Fifth Earl of Lonsdale
contrast with the Arctic exploits of Cumbrian mariners and ship builders such as Joseph Benn and George Taylor. The exciting stories of whaling vessels connected to the port of Whitehaven are vividly recounted. The book reveals that at one time curiosities acquired by travellers to the Arctic and spectacular polar entertainments were on show across the county. A useful gazetteer of surviving artefacts and locations with Arctic associations is included.

After completing a doctorate in British culture and the Arctic at Lancaster University, Rob David has continued to study the Arctic as it relates to Cumbria.

He is also the author of The Arctic in the British Imagination 1818-1914, published by Manchester University Press in 2000.

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