by Kurt D. Voss All proceeds from this pictorial history benefit the ELISSA preservation fund.
Published by Arcadia Publishing and Galveston Historical Foundation $21.99. 128 pages, 200 photographs Autographed copies available at (409) 763-1877, or online at:
w w w. t s m - e l i s s a . o r g Anne T. Converse Photography
Neith, 1996, Cover photograph
Wood, Wind and Water
A Story of the Opera House Cup Race of Nantucket Photographs by Anne T. Converse Text by Carolyn M. Ford Live vicariously through the pictures and tales of classic wooden yacht owners who lovingly restore and race these gems of the sea. “An outstanding presentation deserves ongoing recommendation for both art and nautical collections.” 10”x12” Hardbound book; 132 pages, 85 full page color photographs; Price $45.00 For more information contact: Anne T. Converse Phone: 508-728-6210 anne@annetconverse.com www.annetconverse.com
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White Fox and Icy Seas in the Western Arctic: The Fur Trade, Transportation, and Change in the Early Twentieth Century by John R. Bokstoce, Foreword by William Barr (Yale University Press, New Haven, 2018, 344pp, illus, maps, notes, index, isbn 978-0-300-22179-4; $40hc) John Bockstoce is at it again. The intrepid chronicler of Arctic maritime history has added another volume to his impressive collection of monographs dealing with the region and its varied inhabitants, human and otherwise. His latest contribution, White Fox and Icy Seas in the Western Arctic: The Fur Trade, Transportation, and Change in the Early Twentieth Century, is a sweeping account of economic and cultural exchanges in the far north, as seen through the prism of the trade in white fox furs. Relying on extensive research that includes archival and first-person accounts (the author is himself an accomplished Arctic mariner, with many decades of experience to his credit), this book introduces the reader to fantastic characters, the impact of haute couture on far-flung reaches of the north, and geopolitical turmoil associated with the Russian revolution and resultant international tensions. Bockstoce weaves a compelling narrative in this comprehensive account of the rise and fall of the Arctic fur trade, paying close attention to the reasons for this phenomenon and on what it meant to natives and newcomers in the region. Bockstoce spares no details in his accounting of the fur trade. He describes the origins and expansion of maritime trade in the Western Arctic, with a thorough accounting of the hazards one might (or would) encounter in the region. He walks the reader through the earliest attempts made to establish trading posts and economic footholds, and offers entrée into the world of indigenous denizens of the north. He speaks to the changes in fashion that led to an increased interest in fox furs, and describes how the centers of fashion—particularly Paris—impacted the lives of people half a world away. He describes the manner in which white fox were hunted, graded, transported, and traded over a span of several decades and many thousands of miles, with especial attention paid to the role of regional trading centers such as
Seattle, Vancouver, and San Francisco. The result is a book that—while focusing on the microcosm of the Western Arctic— really speaks to issues of a global nature. This work is equal parts history, geography, economics, and anthropology, as it shows the impact that new technologies (and economic systems) had on longestablished trade networks among native peoples. The result is a sweeping portrayal of the region during the half century from roughly 1890–1940, with especial focus on the cataclysmic changes wrought by external influences such as market capitalism. Bockstoce is at his best when he shows how the dramatic transformations impacted not just the centuries-old patterns of subsistence economies, but how the imposition of “modern” conveniences—embodied by such transnational players as the Hudson’s Bay Company— resulted in profound changes to the communities (and ecosystem) that dominated the Western Arctic. White Fox and Icy Seas in the Western Arctic is an important contribution to many subfields of maritime history. It adds an important element to the narrative of farnorth maritime history, while introducing a new perspective that augments the traditional dichotomy of frontier/metropole. With this latest contribution, John Bockstoce proves once again why he is the definitive source of all things related to Arctic maritime history. Timothy Lynch New York, New York The Phantom Atlas: The Greatest Myths, Lies and Blunders on Maps by Edward Brooke-Hitching (Chronicle Books, LLC, San Francisco, CA, 2017, 256pp, illus, biblio, index, isbn 978-1-4521-6840-1; $29.95hc) Maritime map fanatics rejoice—this is a book for you. From Atlantis to the Lands of the Zeno, “This is an atlas of the world—not as it ever existed, but as it was thought to be.” These entirely fictitious places are vividly described and are handsomely illustrated in this atlas. BrookHitching begins with a four-page introduction explaining some of the reasons behind these mystifying maps and their “remarkable durability” through time (some SEA HISTORY 164, AUTUMN 2018