Arctic

Published in conjunction with Parry's BBC series of the same name, this book is at once a travelogue and behind the scenes glimpse of the show. A curious and humble traveler, Parry hunts caribou in Canada, barrels through Greenland on a huskie-led sledge, and participates in a whale hunt in Alaska, interacting with locals along the way and putting traditional practices into a global context. What he discovers during his travels is a curious%E2%80%94and often tense%E2%80%94mix of politics and custom as big business creeps in on local industries. Whaling, an age-old institution for the Inupiat people of Alaska, was criticized by both scientists and oil companies before a compromise was reached; some fishermen catch as much as they can with little concern for the ecological ramifications; and vast swaths of the Canadian wilderness are clear cut in order to get at the oil beneath the forests. It's a complex web with no easy answers, and Parry doesn't pretend to have them, opting instead to candidly reflect on the predicament. Parry's enthusiasm for his travels and companions is infectious, an effect amplified by the book's myriad photos and designer Georgina Hewitt's ingenious integration of images and prose. The result is a truly magical journey through a seldom-seen region that will entice fans of the series, nature-lovers, and those interested in the struggle to protect the Arctic. Photos & illus. (Apr.)