7/28/2019 "Canada In the Circumpolar North"

1/2

64 REVIEWSwould be to Canada's disadvantage. All this is written andargued with adm irable clarity, causing no hardship to thenon-lawyer. A point that strikes one such person is thelarge subjective element in matters one might supposewould be cut and dried: phrases like 'to an appreciableextent' or 'sufficiently clos e' abound, but giving an exactvalue to these is of course just where lawyers com e in.

Professor Pharand is admirably balanced in his appre-ciations. He is by no m eans putting a case for Canada, bu tseeking to interpret as accurately as possible the app lica-tion to Canada's Arctic of the body of traditions andobligations that constitute international law. His work issupplied with a numbe r of well-chosen maps (though keeneyesight is needed for som e) and with full documentationof sources.The Northwest Passage, then, from being a romanticpiece of history that Canada fell heir to, has become apractical problem requiring sensitive attention and heavyexpenditure. If the wrong things are done, not only willthere be adverse material results for Canada, but perhapseven more important, the national psyche will be dam-aged. Will the true north be strong and free if foreign shipsare cavorting in waters that Canada claims but cannotcontrol? These two books may help people at least to seewhat is at stake. (Terence Arm strong, Scott Polar Re-search Institute, University of Cambridge, LensfieldRoad, Cambridge CB2 1ER.)

ANTARCTIC GLACIOLOGYANTA RCTICA. Swithinbank, C , with sections on 'Th edry valleys of Victoria Land ' by T. J. Chinn and 'Landsatimages of Antarctica' by R. S. Williams Jr and J. G.Ferrigno. 1988. W ashington, US Government PrintingOffice. (Geological Survey Professional Paper 1386-B).278 p, illustrated, soft cover. Supt. of Docs. no. 119.16:1386-B. US$40.00.'Antar ctica' is the first volume to be published in a seriesof 11 that will comprise U.S. Geological Survey Profes-sional Paper 1386, titled 'Satellite Image Atlas of theW orld '. This ambitious project, conceived and edited byRichard Williams and Jane Ferrign o, has been launched instyle by Charles Swithinbank, the main author of ChapterB. When completed, the 11 chapters will present a global'snapshot' of glacier extent during the first decade ofLandsat operation (1972 -82) . The editors state as theirobjective the establishment of a global benchmark to beused for determ ining area l fluctuations in glaciers as theyrespond to climate change. Between 1979 and 1981 theeditors selected the best images from Landsat 1,2 and 3 ofthe glacierised regions of the Earth and sent them to a teamof 50 scientists who had agreed to author a section of thepaper. As well as analysing the images, the authors wereasked to summ arise information on glaciers within theirregion. The sca le of this task is made apparent by the firstfruits on ly now becoming available.

Charles Swithinbank has obviously revelled in hisbroad remit to describe the continent he loves. His wideauthoritative knowledge and erudition ma ke this chapter

not only a joy to read but also an invaluable reference,acting in some ways as an updated 'Illustrated Glossary ofSnow and Ice' for Antarctica. Despite the title of theProfessional P aper, less than two thirds of the 103 figureshe was allowed are taken from satellites, the rest beingmainly aerial photograph s. To some extent this wasnecessary bec ause the highest latitudes that Landsat im-ages reach is only about 81 and m any important glaciers,for example in the Transantarctic Mountains, cannot becovered. He has skillfully woven vertical satellite im-agery with oblique aerial photography to illustrate manydifferent aspects of Antarctic glaciology that should in-spire future generations of glaciologists. Trevor Chinnhas contributed a small section on the dry valleys, andBaerbel Lucchitta is responsible for many of the finedigitally enhanced Landsat images.In the last half of the chapter, the two editors discussthe problems associated with the availability of Land satimages of Antarctica and give tables of the best ones foreach path/row scene centre. Two ma ps in an end pocketcomplete this impressive volume. Everyo ne concernedwith this publication deserves praise and we look forwardeagerly to the remaining chapters. (C.Doak e, BritishAntarctic Survey, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cam-bridge CB3 OET.)

CANADA IN THE CIRCUMPOLAR NORTHTHE NORTH AND CANADA'S INTERNATIONALRELA TIONS. Canadian Arctic Resources Committee.1988. Ottawa, CARC . 88 p , illustrated, soft cover. ISBN0-919996-37-X.This concise study of Canada's nascent arctic foreignpolicy will be of interest not just to Canadians and C an-ada-watchers, but to all who are interested in circumpolarrelations. In thirteen compa ct, readable chapters theauthors, all 'arctic hands ' living in the Ottawa-Hull area,walk us through the various policy issues facing Canadaand her arctic neighbours. There is less of a southern biasthan might be expected, although one can only wonderwhy no northerners and/or natives were on the workinggroup; the report calls, after all, for the involvement ofthese groups in foreign policy formulation, and theycertainly are well-represented in Ottaw a. And, while thereport correctly links northern foreign and dome stic poli-cies, it gives only scant treatment to the latter.

In spite of these deficiencies, the interested lay readercan in one sitting gain a basic understanding of thecomplex en vironmental, legal, strategic and cultural prob-lems extant in the North, with special emphasis on Can-ada. One strength of the report is its call for an Arctic BasinCouncil. It also provides a devastatingly accurate critiqueof the 1988 Canada-United States Agreement on ArcticCooperation. Unfortunately, the wo rking group waffles inits support of the Government's decision to purchase afleet of expensive nuclear-powered submarines, one ortwo of which would patrol the Arctic. The generals in thegroup appear to have had their way, but the 'dissentingopinio n', as it were, of Judge Maxw ell Cohen is appropri-

7/28/2019 "Canada In the Circumpolar North"

2/2

REVIEWS 65ately sceptical.The report is comprehensive and well-reasoned, butlacks in-depth, penetrating analysis. It is more of a lengthyexecutive summary than a full report. On balance, how-ever, it is a very useful d ocument, and the four principalobjectives it sets for a northern foreign policy (nationalsecurity and peaceful cooperation; self-reliance for abo-riginal people ; protection of the arctic environment andbetter understanding of it; promotion of economic devel-opme nt consistent with environmental protection) are alllaudable. (Gerald Graham, 4-60 First Ave., Ottawa K1S2G2, Canada.)

ANTARCTICA THROUGH SOUTHAMERICAN EYESANTARCTICA AND SOUTH AMERICAN G EOPOLI-TICS: FROZE N LEBENSR AUM . Child, Jack. 1988.New York, Praeger. 232 p, maps, hard cover. ISBN 0-275-92886-1. 28.95.The author, a specialist on Latin American affairs, previ-ously wrote Geopolitics and conflict in South America,which included a substantial am ount of material on SouthAmerican considerations of Antarctic regions. Th is pres-ent work examines the subject in much greater detail andprovides an excellent elucidation of a decidedly compli-cated set of circumstances.

The book be gins with introductory notes on the geog-raphy, history, resources and sovereignty of Antarctica,and describes the operation of the Antarctic Treaty. Thisis followed by an analysis of the concept of geopolitics,particularly with regard to the nature and significance ofSouth American geopolitical thinking, which stronglyreflects the influences of the history of the states con-cerned. One chapter is devoted to each of the principalSouth American countries involved Argentina, Brazil,and Chile; another summarises the views of Peru, Uru-guay, Ecuador, and has a synopsis of those of severalothers. The treatment of each national section is on a verysimilarplan and this greatly helps in appreciating the oftendistinctive views expressed. Such a crystallization, to-gether with an explanation of the concept of an 'organicstate', I found particularly useful in understanding muchpresent South American thought about the problems ofAntarctica.Although concerned primarily w ith Antarctica, Childdiscusses the Falkland Islands and some Southern O ceanislands, e specially as the events of 1982 were importantfor regions further south. The different national an-nouncem ents and activities are described from this period.The work is provided with a comprehensive series of notesand a detailed bibliography w hich incidentally provides avery useful source for information on South AmericanAntarctic thinking. Several maps and an efficient indexcomplete a very timely work which I highly recommend.(R . K. Headland, Scott Polar Research Institute, Univer-sity of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2

1ER.)

EPIC SOUTHERN OCEAN VOYAGETHE TOTORORE VOYAGE: AN ANTARCTIC AD-VENTURE. Clark, G. 1988. LOND ON , Century Hutch-inson. 357 p, illustrated, hard cover. ISBN 0-7126-2438 -4 . 15.95.This is a personal account of an exceptional circumnavi-gation in high southern latitudes by the 11 metre woodencutter Totorore. Gerry Clark departed from Kerikeri,New Zealand and travelled, in nearly four years, over24,500 nautical miles. Totorore visited remote coastalparts of Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego, several sub-Antarctic islands, and went as far south as the SouthShetland Islands and Curtis Bay, Graham Land, where alanding was made. The book is Clark's edited dailyaccount with explanations and descriptions added; it is afascinating tale of adventure, exploration, exhilarationand survival through the eyes of an experienced andresourceful navigator. Clark is a keen ornithologist andhis interest in Antarctic wildlife, and for its conservation,was no doubt a strong motivation for the circumnaviga-tion and for this book.

Despite the extreme hardship of the voyage, includinghazards of sea ice, capsizes, dismastings and the departureof crew at Marion Island, C lark visited all but one of theislands he originally intended to visit. He does no t hide thedangers; there are overtones of H. W. Tilman whereroutine reference is made to high seas and the difficultcircumstances confronted. An important message fromthis book is its relevance to national A ntarctic activities.Small yacht voyages form a category of polar tourism thatwill not diminish. C lark's circumnavigation is an extremeexample, but his book is an enlightened account of thegreat attractions that high latitudes hold for many smallboat own ers, and shorter excursions are likely to becomemore popular. Readers will be interested in the mixedreception that Totorore received at several of the outpostsvisited.

Century Publications are to be congratulated on thequality of production. Photographs, maps and wildlifesketches are of high quality; the sketches are well posi-tioned and complement the text. I thoroughly recommendThe Totorore voyage to nautical enthusiasts, and to thosewith an interest in remote islands and in Antarctic conser-vation. Gerry Clar k's voyag e must rank as one of the epicsmall yacht voyages of our times. (Peter Kea ge, Austra-lian Antarctic Division, Channel Highway, Kingston,Tasmania 7050, Australia.)

AUSTRALIAN ANTARCTICA: PEOPLE,PENGUINS AND POLITICSSITTING ON PENGUINS: PEOPLE AND POLITICSIN AUSTRAL IAN ANTARCT ICA. Murray-Smith,Stephen. 1988. Surrey Hills, NSW , Hutchinson Austra-lia. 249 p, illustrated, hard cover. ISBN 0-09-16912 0-6.Aus$29.95.Stephen Murray-Smith, a distinguished Australian histo-rian and author, died shortly after completing Sitting onpenguins. It is agreat pity he will not be able to gauge the