Add Prime to get Fast, Free delivery
Amazon prime logo
Buy new:
-44% $10.69
FREE delivery Thursday, January 9 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Ships from: Amazon.com
Sold by: Amazon.com
$10.69 with 44 percent savings
List Price: $19.00
Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns
FREE delivery Thursday, January 9 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Or Prime members get FREE delivery Monday, January 6. Order within 15 hrs 47 mins.
In Stock
$$10.69 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$10.69
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Ships from
Amazon.com
Amazon.com
Ships from
Amazon.com
Sold by
Amazon.com
Amazon.com
Sold by
Amazon.com
Returns
30-day refund/replacement
30-day refund/replacement
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.
Payment
Secure transaction
Your transaction is secure
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
$9.60
Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns
This item shows wear including moderate wear to edges and cover. This item shows wear including moderate wear to edges and cover. See less
FREE delivery Saturday, January 11 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Or Prime members get FREE delivery Monday, January 6. Order within 12 hrs 47 mins.
Only 1 left in stock - order soon.
$$10.69 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$10.69
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

Arctic Dreams: National Book Award Winner Paperback – October 2, 2001

4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 1,081 ratings

{"desktop_buybox_group_1":[{"displayPrice":"$10.69","priceAmount":10.69,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"10","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"69","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"fNkWvX%2BguRWKkRO4yfbQKPT3Q0HG%2FnbQ%2F2i9gvCox6DsfntZtY%2Bkmq83xubbW8gQ7CM%2F%2BJslkizxqZrhD2CiunKTEeJI1PONirq4HH8W91j4hKLxQA8x5WcqdegEfCFckiFBn86dcPc%3D","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"NEW","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":0}, {"displayPrice":"$9.60","priceAmount":9.60,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"9","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"60","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"fNkWvX%2BguRWKkRO4yfbQKPT3Q0HG%2FnbQfPBk1gfFOMKiahOEkdxL37fVEATSghU8CodSTTaBbVfSbE9AUV2kC%2FCaYvaoh8QC9dNZyfwW04bC1sICF%2ByxMGhFJyiokpdmE%2FR%2FLO0x50B4JPDKJykzVcwwAvjf6Xz2w5yED6sgquGzAR7yRAU2fADjsbLcqD3r","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"USED","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":1}]}

Purchase options and add-ons

Winner of the National Book Award

This bestselling, groundbreaking exploration of the Far North is a classic of natural history, anthropology, and travel writing.

The Arctic is a perilous place. Only a few species of wild animals can survive its harsh climate. In this modern classic, Barry Lopez explores the many-faceted wonders of the Far North: its strangely stunted forest, its mesmerizing aurora borealis, its frozen seas. Musk oxen, polar bears, narwhal, and other exotic beasts of the region come alive through Lopez’s passionate and nuanced observations. And, as he examines the history and culture of the indigenous people, along with parallel narratives of intrepid, often underprepared and subsequently doomed polar explorers, Lopez drives to the heart of why the austere and formidable Arctic is also a constant source of breathtaking beauty, beguilement, and wonder.

Written in prose as memorably pure as the land it describes,
Arctic Dreams is a timeless mediation on the ability of the landscape to shape our dreams and to haunt our imaginations.

Look for Barry Lopez's new book, Horizon, available now.
The%20Amazon%20Book%20Review
The Amazon Book Review
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now.

Frequently bought together

This item: Arctic Dreams: National Book Award Winner
$10.69
Get it as soon as Thursday, Jan 9
In Stock
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
+
$13.66
Get it as soon as Thursday, Jan 9
In Stock
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
+
$16.76
Get it as soon as Thursday, Jan 9
In Stock
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
Total price: $00
To see our price, add these items to your cart.
Details
Added to Cart
spCSRF_Treatment
Choose items to buy together.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Extraordinary. . . . A master nature writer.” —The New York Times Book Review

“One of those landmark works of travel writing.” —
The New Yorker

“Dazzling. . . . Treats the distant, snowy world of the Arctic as a place that exists not only in the mathematics of geography but also in the terra incognita of our imaginations.” —Michiko Kakutani,
The New York Times

“Lopez is. . .the most important living writer about wilderness. . . . [
Arctic Dreams is] his masterpiece.” —The Guardian

From the Inside Flap

s National Book Award-winning classic study of the Far North is widely considered his masterpiece.

Lopez offers a thorough examination of this obscure world-its terrain, its wildlife, its history of Eskimo natives and intrepid explorers who have arrived on their icy shores. But what turns this marvelous work of natural history into a breathtaking study of profound originality is his unique meditation on how the landscape can shape our imagination, desires, and dreams. Its prose as hauntingly pure as the land it describes,
Arctic Dreams is nothing less than an indelible classic of modern literature.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group; Reprint edition (October 2, 2001)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 496 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0375727485
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0375727481
  • Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 1300L
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 14.4 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.13 x 1.03 x 7.98 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 1,081 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Barry H. Lopez
Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Barry Lopez (b. 1945) is the author of thirteen books of essays, short stories, and nonfiction. He is a recipient of the National Book Award, the Award in Literature from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, a Guggenheim Fellowship, and numerous other literary and cultural honors and awards. His highly acclaimed books include Arctic Dreams, Winter Count, and Of Wolves and Men, for which he received the John Burroughs and Christopher medals. He lives in western Oregon. His latest book, Horizon, will be available in March 2019.

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
1,081 global ratings

Review this product

Share your thoughts with other customers

Customers say

Customers find the book insightful and thought-provoking. They describe it as an extraordinary, fantastic read that takes them on a fantastic journey to meet plants and animals. The writing quality is described as descriptive, eloquent, and poetic. Readers gain a better understanding of the Arctic history and its inhabitants. They appreciate the remarkable beauty of the land and sea. The sociology aspect is also appreciated, with the author discussing various aspects of human civilization.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

75 customers mention "Information quality"69 positive6 negative

Customers find the book insightful and thought-provoking. It provides a journey into a world few are familiar with, inspiring a greater understanding of our planet. Readers appreciate the author's cogent observations and personal explorations that bring history, geography, and geology to life. The narrative story shares factual information while imparting the author's perspective.

"...This book expanded my vision of nature, and turned me on to the exquisite writing of Barry Lopez, who won the 1986 National Book Award for this..." Read more

"...The author seems to have a well rounded education in biology as well as the history of Arctic exploration but is, I suspect, a philosopher at heart..." Read more

"...Part of the book is the author's fascinating narrative of his own time in the Arctic and his encounters with Eskimos and with the unique wildlife..." Read more

"...The book is a story of an enormous part of the world, combining history, philosophy, science, literature, sociology, and a great deal of personal..." Read more

64 customers mention "Readability"64 positive0 negative

Customers find the book engaging and enjoyable. They describe it as a fantastic journey that takes them to meet plants and animals. The book is described as dreamy and entrancing, with an enjoyable history section. Readers also mention interesting comments on global warming.

"...It also provides an extraordinary read, and, perhaps, an awakening to those who have shown little interest in earth's most mysterious places...." Read more

"...There's so much more to this wonderful, well written book that no review can do it justic, so if you are at all interested in the geography, climate..." Read more

"...The book is a good read. This former Alaska resident found large portions to be a page-turning narrative...." Read more

"...There are a million things that make Arctic Dreams one of the best books I've ever read in my life. There is currently a copy on Amazon for $5.10...." Read more

62 customers mention "Writing quality"57 positive5 negative

Customers praise the writing quality of the book. They find the prose descriptive, lyrical, and inspiring. The writing is well-written, using wonderful language to express ideas. Readers appreciate the thought-provoking content, written from firsthand knowledge.

"...I was particularly moved by his intimate and compassionate descriptions of the indigenous people of this region, who so aptly illustrate how mankind..." Read more

"...There's so much more to this wonderful, well written book that no review can do it justic, so if you are at all interested in the geography, climate..." Read more

"...The book is written with a combination of frankness and fascination that is difficult to describe...." Read more

"...There are so many profound and lyrical passages describing so much about life - and death - in the regions of Ultima Thule, its inhabitants and..." Read more

36 customers mention "Arctic history"33 positive3 negative

Customers find the book's description of the Arctic poetic. They appreciate the author's gripping history of European exploration of the Arctic, covering aspects like wildlife, people, and exploration. The book takes readers on a vivid journey through Antarctica, Greenland, and other arctic lands.

"...He does indeed capture the foreign reality of Arctic life, and death, with the loving care of an artist who places each brushstroke carefully on a..." Read more

"...of the narrative is a loose-jointed but griping history of European exploration of the Arctic...." Read more

"...The book also contains large chunks of Arctic history, of which Lopez seems to be a huge fan...." Read more

"...the inner and outer weather, the flora and fauna, of the Northern climes is truly haunting as well as seemingly endlessly informative concerning the..." Read more

16 customers mention "Beauty"16 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's beauty. They mention the remarkable beauty of the Arctic land and sea, the prose, and the cultural and natural history of the Arctic. The book brings it all to life in a nice manner, with peoples, histories, tragedies, victories, and conflicts. It also has the gorgeous romance of the far north.

"...experienced both the potential for catastrophic danger and the remarkable beauty that the Arctic land and sea offers. &..." Read more

"...Like Rachel Carson, author Barry Lopez writes with a poetic beauty that reflects his love of nature as he takes the reader on an extended field..." Read more

"...non-fiction I've ever had the pleasure of reading -- thoughtful, beautiful and highly informative without being in any way precious, overly academic..." Read more

"...a wonderful, magical place and Barry brings it all to life in the nicest manner...." Read more

11 customers mention "Sociology"11 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the sociology in the book. They find it engaging and thought-provoking, covering various aspects of human civilization, including animals, landscapes, peoples, histories, and everyday encounters. The book provides an overview of science, literature, and social science, as well as personal experiences. It also touches on European discovery and disasters in the past.

"...researchers of the North, and also speaks of everyday people, everyday encounters, and thoughts and feelings all people experience at one point or..." Read more

"...As I read this book It made me think about many facets of human civilization, it informed me about animal species, geology and historic cultures..." Read more

"...The author considers various animals, landscapes, peoples, histories, fata morganas, tragedies, victories, conflicts and confluences, among much..." Read more

"...and breeding, as well as human existence, and stories of Eurpean discovery and disaster, in times gone by...." Read more

7 customers mention "Climate"7 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's climate coverage. They mention it covers weather, seasons, animal, bird, and fish life, geology, and exploration. The book is a yearly favorite and a classic about adventure and the natural world.

"...the level of depth it goes into, from its unique animals, lighting, seasons, etc...." Read more

"Classic! Poetey of adventure and the natural world." Read more

"...in the Arctic Ocean, to Greenland, covering, so easily, the weather, seasons, animal, bird and fish life, with their migration and breeding, as well..." Read more

"...Great description of the cultures, animal life, geology, weather, everything you want to know about the Arctic." Read more

5 customers mention "Animal life"5 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the descriptions of cultures, animal life, geology, weather, and landscapes. They appreciate the author's consideration of various animals, landscapes, peoples, histories, and fata morganas.

"...its history, its biology, its geology, its exploitation, waters, animals, plants, ice, islands, the "north pole", and everything else "north" you..." Read more

"...The author considers various animals, landscapes, peoples, histories, fata morganas, tragedies, victories, conflicts and confluences, among much..." Read more

"...Great description of the cultures, animal life, geology, weather, everything you want to know about the Arctic." Read more

"...of vivid imagery, stories and the amazing history of the land, the animals, the native people and the first arctic explorers. Fantastic read!" Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on September 27, 2003
    "Arctic Dreams" was recommended to me by a friend before I went on an Alaskan adventure a few years ago. This book expanded my vision of nature, and turned me on to the exquisite writing of Barry Lopez, who won the 1986 National Book Award for this classic work on the wild regions of the far north. "Arctic Dreams" is an extraordinary celebration of Arctic life and landscape which takes the reader on a journey to places rarely visited by man. Lopez' narrative does have a dreamlike quality, not only in its descriptions of nature at its most surreal, but in the absolute beauty of the writing itself. He does indeed capture the foreign reality of Arctic life, and death, with the loving care of an artist who places each brushstroke carefully on a canvas, bent on bringing the vision before him to others.
    Mr. Lopez made a number of extended trips to Siberia, Greenland, and northern Canada, including Baffin Island, to observe the flora and fauna of the region - polar bears, killer whales, caribou, narwhals - as well as the spectacular Arctic landscape. He experienced eerie encounters with the aurora borealis, massive migrating icebergs, solar and lunar light, halos and coronas. And he experienced both the potential for catastrophic danger and the remarkable beauty that the Arctic land and sea offers. "Spring storms can sweep hundreds of thousands of helpless infant harp seals into the sea" - juxtaposed with, "A tiny flower blooms in a field of snow touched by the sun's benevolent light." Through Mr. Lopez' eyes the breathtaking experience of the Arctic landscape and the people who inhabit it become palpably real. I was particularly moved by his intimate and compassionate descriptions of the indigenous people of this region, who so aptly illustrate how mankind is capable of living in harmony with his surroundings. Lopez' prose and his conclusions make the strongest argument possible to work for the ecological health of our planet, for the sake of life itself, and for the health of our imagination and sense of wonder at the magnificent.
    As mankind grows closer to conquering the earth's last frontiers, the issue of exploitation and encroachment becomes greater. For anyone who advocates preserving the few remaining wild areas on our planet, "Arctic Dreams" is a welcome gift and a source of motivation. It also provides an extraordinary read, and, perhaps, an awakening to those who have shown little interest in earth's most mysterious places.
    This is a magical book that will enchant and awe the reader. I cannot recommend it highly enough. Bravo, Barry Lopez!
    JANA
    46 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on July 30, 2018
    Over the years I've read many great books on Natural History, most of them were very enjoyable, giving me rare insights into the natural world and its inhabitants. But "Arctic Dreams" is in a class all its own. For me, this is one of the best Nature books I've read since "The Sea Around Us". Like Rachel Carson, author Barry Lopez writes with a poetic beauty that reflects his love of nature as he takes the reader on an extended field trip through the the Arctic landscape to study what life is like in this frozen world. The author seems to have a well rounded education in biology as well as the history of Arctic exploration but is, I suspect, a philosopher at heart. Starting with an imaginary hike from the Arctic Circle to the Equator and back again Lopez examines the changing landscape, climate and biosphere leading to some surprising conclusions. A good portion of the book is devoted to the authors observations and thoughts on the behavior and evolution of some iconic Arctic animals like the Musk Ox, Polar Bear and Walrus. The write up on the Musk Ox was fascinating, the first I've ever read. And so was the segment on Narwals leading to an historical link between, of all things, the legendary Unicorn and the Narwal's horn. Most of Lopez's observations were done in the company of other wildlife biologist, explorers and, additionally, some of the local Eskimos that he was living and hunting with. But "Arctic Dreams" is not just about animals and plants! Lopez also delves into our cultural history with thoughts on the early days of Arctic exploration and modern day scientific research and the exploitation of the Arctic by world governments, international industry and multinational shipping. There's an extensive write up on how and when early man came to North America and the peopling of the Arctic by various groups of "Eskimos" and Nordic people. Ice is the signature property of the Arctic and it comes in many forms, each with its own characteristics that can change over time. Modern day shipping has catalogued and named many of them to help them in navigating Arctic waters. The author covers this phenomenon in a fascinating way that surprised me in its complexity. Lopez's descriptive passages make you feel like you're right there with him as he walks the Arctic tundra or observers ice-bergs from the deck of a research vessel. You can almost feel the bitter wind or see snow geese flying overhead. The book is illustrated with several good maps but you may want to keep your tablet or computer handy so you can get a better look at the region's covered. There's so much more to this wonderful, well written book that no review can do it justic, so if you are at all interested in the geography, climate, history and life of the polar region then you might want to give this book a try. I highly recommend it!

    Last Ranger
    69 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on November 29, 2021
    Barry Lopez's extended meditation in print on the Arctic defies easy categorization. Part of the book is the author's fascinating narrative of his own time in the Arctic and his encounters with Eskimos and with the unique wildlife that live and thrive in the Arctic. Another portion of the narrative is a loose-jointed but griping history of European exploration of the Arctic. Not least, the author ponders the meaning of the Arctic for a modern world.

    The book is a good read. This former Alaska resident found large portions to be a page-turning narrative. It would be hard not to admire the author's open-minded approach to what he experiences. He really does seem to have grasped what enabled the Eskimos to survive and thrive in such a challenging environment.

    That said, the narrative is now a bit dated. The Alaska natives so valued by the author are voting with their feet to join the modern world. Alaska villages have been de-populating for years as the young folks head for the bright lights and the big towns. The author's characterization of the work force on the North Slope seems unfair and inaccurate based on this reviewer's experiences. At book's end, it is unclear where the author thinks we should be going, and perhaps that uncertainty was intentional. Recommended.
    8 people found this helpful
    Report

Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English
  • S Pérez
    5.0 out of 5 stars Llegó a tiempo y en buen estado
    Reviewed in Mexico on October 12, 2021
    Excelente libro
  • Dr. Sheila Ann Mason
    5.0 out of 5 stars A fine must read for those interested in the Arctic
    Reviewed in Canada on July 25, 2021
    Written with great sensitivity to all aspects of life in the Arctic including accounts of the animals: muskoxen, polar bears, seals, walruses and birds, as well as to the history of indigenous people and their drastic encounters with white whalers and now contemporary corporations who show no interest or understanding of this landscape and the traditions of these remarkable Inuit people.
  • Giovanni Gottipavero
    5.0 out of 5 stars Meraviglioso
    Reviewed in Italy on February 10, 2023
    Un libro meraviglioso, che oltre a far viaggiare l'immaginazione, è pieno di interessanti nozioni scientifiche sul tema esplorazione artica. Se si vogliono scoprire le varie specie di animali, soprattutto i volatili, meglio armarsi di traduttore o ricerca per immagini su internet
  • Arun Anantharaman
    5.0 out of 5 stars Gorgeous prose, a book of the highest quality
    Reviewed in India on November 28, 2021
    Fabulous book, brings alive the Arctic landscape and the life forms that call it home in a way that will leave you highly affected. I am about half way through it, every chapter is just so beautiful - a tour-de-force of literary non-fiction by a master who knows what he is writing about intimately. Extraordinarily granular and detailed at one level, deeply philosophical and existential at another. What's amazing is both are equally compelling. I would never have thought that I would enjoy reading about the physiology and habits of a musk ox, narwhals or polar bear written about it in such detail, but the way he weaves in these details with elements of history and ruminations on the broader ecosystem, and what the various interactions means to the people living there - the natives, the explorers, the modern migrants, makes you want to read it slowly, savouring each line and paragraph. Reading the book, you can literally feel the Arctic in your bones.
  • Podiceps cristatus
    5.0 out of 5 stars The Gaining of Wisdom!
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 27, 2018
    I confess that I hadn't heard of Barry Lopez prior to noticing that Arctic Dreams was given high praise by Robert Macfarlane in one of his own books. Incidentally it is Macfarlane that writes the introduction to this paperback edition and I feel the two authors write in similar style. I'm certainly pleased that I came across this work and I feel wiser from having read it, although I did struggle in understanding one or two of the chapters written in a fairly intensive and scientific manner. I think it is a book that really requires a second reading. I find it difficult to place the book in a category as it contains so much expertly written information from varying perspectives, landscape, natural history, social/cultural history and exploration to name a few. Each chapter can be enjoyed without resorting to reading the whole book, but few readers once into this work will want to put it down before completion. I especially enjoyed the descriptions of the wildlife, the Inuit culture and the final chapters concerning the history of the exploration of this complex area. Detail is given down to the smallest minutia. Lopez considers humankind's relationship with the environment and of course humankind does not always come out of this looking positive, although I have to say I didn't finish the book feeling too depressed.

    Wonderful writing and well worth putting effort into reading this book, and it did require effort at times.