Suggested reading - Svalbard
Many inspiring books have been published about Svalbard. We have listed a few of them.
GENERAL
Svalbard Guide by Pål Hermansen
An informative guide book of Svalbard by the writer and internationally recognized photographer Pål Hermansen.
Arctic Dreams – Imagination and Desire in a Northern Landscape by Barry Lopez
This celebrated meditation on the Arctic draws on Lopez’s travels throughout the North. A dazzling writer and compassionate observer, Lopez weaves biology and history into his storytelling. With chapters on the Polar Bear and Narwhal.
The Arctic - a Guide to Coastal Wildlife by Tony Soper
A compact, illustrated guide to coastal marine mammals and seabirds of the circumpolar north featuring handsome water colour illustrations by Dan Powell and lively text on the natural history of each species by intrepid expedition leader and bird-lover Tony Soper.
Life on Svalbard by Cecilia Blomdahl
With evocative text and spectacular photography, Cecilia shares the joys and challenges of adapting to an inhospitable climate along with advice and insight for anyone seeking to thrive in unusual living conditions.
FLORA
Flowers of Svalbard by Olav Gjaerevoll and Olaf I. Rönning
This excellent field guide to all flowers in Svalbard is available in most shops in Longyearbyen.
HISTORY
The Expedition - a love story by Bea Uusma
Author and physician Bea Uusma leads a passionate search for the truth about what happened to the Andrée-expedition on Kvitøya (White Island).
Face to Face – Polar Portraits by Huw Lewis-Jones
A lavish account of pioneering polar photography and modern portraiture. The book features the very first polar photographs and the first portraits of explorers. It is published by the Scott Polar Research Institute (SPRI) in association with Polar World.
Disaster at the Pole – The Tragedy of the Airship Italia and the 1928 Nobile Expedition to the North Pole by Wilbur Cross
A thrilling account of the crash of the airship Italia in 1928 and the political aftermath in an increasingly fascist Europe.
Ninety Degrees North – The Quest for the North Pole by Fergus Fleming
A thrilling artfully told chronicle of the mostly 19th-century adventurers, madmen and explorers who quested after the North Pole.
Shipwrecked at the Top of the World – Four against the Arctic by David Roberts
Combines the little-known but remarkable tale of fourteen Russian Walrus hunters that were stranded on the icepack around Svalbard after a storm destroyed their ship in 1743.
NATURAL HISTORY
Frozen Oceans – The Floating World of Pack Ice by David N. Thomas
The author’s lively and readable text conveys his excitement at the unique relationships between living communities and the ice. Published in 2004 by the Natural History Museum in London.
Polar Bears – Living with the White Bear by Nikita Ovsyanikov
A beautiful book chronicling four years living among the polar bears (of Wrangel Island in Russia).
The World of the Polar Bear by Norbert Rosing and Ian Stirling
Fantastic photographs and brief essays on the behaviour and history of the polar bear.
MOVIES/TV
Frozen Planet
This is a nature documentary series with David Attenborough as narrator. The seven-part series focuses on life and the environment in both the Arctic and Antarctic. A sequel titled Frozen Planet II began airing in September 2022, which covers more frozen habitats than just the polar regions, while also emphasizing more on the threat of climate change.
ON THE WEB
- The Governor of Svalbard provides information about the rules and regulations in Svalbard. www.sysselmesteren.no/en
- Read more about AECO: www.aeco.no
- The Scott Polar Research Institute is a centre of excellence in the study of the Arctic and Antarctic.
- For those of you who are interested in following the ice conditions in Svalbard, click HERE