Norwich is a superb narrative historian...With Norwich on the Mediterranean we sense that we are accompanied by an old friend. You can take your Blue Guide, or your Rough Guide, anywhere you like; but if you are planning to go anywhere south of the Alps and north of the Sahara...this is your book

An expertly paced, occasionally exhilarating read. It may even prove a landmark in popular history-telling...a splendid achievement for its memorable scope and vitality... This wonderfully riveting history reveals our favourite holiday destination in all its glorious, epic depth

He spices his narrative liberally with entertaining anecdotes, deft portraits and brisk judgements... Lord Norwich's control of his vast and complex subject matter is masterly. And the subject matter itself is a colourful as history can get

Infectiously enthusiastic

Wheeler's book teaches a lot about what is happening in the far north, which is valuable

Wheeler's beautiful language and riveting narrative add up to a powerful account of what is at stake and what has already been lost

An ambitious, adventurous, well-researched, spirited account

[Wheeler brings] and open-eyed sense of salutary wisdom and timely protest to her view of the Arctic Ocean and its surrounds

Elegant prose ... a stylish and engaing account of some of the world's most mysterious, unknowable spots and, like the best travel writing, is infused with the writer's reflections on growing up, life and death

A funny, entertaining and humane piece of writing

Sara Wheeler is the literary maestro of the earth's frozen regions... The prose is startling and sharp-edged as the icy landscapes themselves

Irresistibly attractive ... coddling hoosh of personal travelogue, historical anecdotage and speculative thinking

[Has] a meditative, often melancholy, quality that tells us a lot about what it's like to simply be in the Arctic...the author deftly weaves in some nicely crafted vignettes that illuminate various aspects of the Arctic experience

It is the warmth and the honesty of the portraits that is Wheeler's forte

Wheeler is excellent company for the journey, with her observations on the consequences of our actions always well balanced and open-minded

Is an entertaining mix of popular science, history and reportage, wrapped up in some seriously fine writing

Wonderful account of her journeys through the region

One of the greatest travel books of our times - poignant, funny, a delight to read

Her writing, while brilliantly evocative, is never overblown... If you are lucky you might get to travel in the Arctic yourself; if you don't, this book is the next best thing

A chilling and fascinating work

Quite wonderful

Carries lightly a depth of research that gives alarming edge to Wheeler's engrossing

It is a testament to the author's ability that the text never lurches into despondency- above all, this is a book that celebrates the inspiring endurance and colourful past of those who populate the area

In its many-layered discoveries, the book is truly magnetic