Skiing over Greenland
Polar series for youth
By Fridtjof Nansen
Fridtjof Nansen (1861 – 1930) was a Norwegian polar explorer, explorer, diplomat and scientist. In 1888 Nansen wanted to explore the interior of Greenland. Previous expeditions, including Adolf Erik Nordenskiöld, had attempted to go from the inhabited west coast to the uninhabited east coast. Nansen decided instead to go from east to west. Various authorities attacked him for this, but he defied the warnings. After the trip, Nansen wrote two books; "On Skis Across Greenland" (1890) and "Eskimo Life" (1891). In "On Skis Across Greenland" Nansen tells about the trip across Greenland, about preparations, equipment, the history of skiing and skiing, the Eskimo way of life, the scientific results of the expedition and Greenland's geology, topography and meteorology. "On Skis Across Greenland" was also translated into English and German and influenced the spread of skiing internationally. The book includes pictures and drawings.
