Description
Longlisted for the 2020 Cundill History Prize
Named a Best Book of the Year by Nature, NPR, Library Journal, and Kirkus Reviews
"A monument to a people and their land… an allegory of the world we have created." —Sven Beckert, author of Pulitzer Prize finalist Empire of Cotton: A Global History
Floating Coast is the first-ever comprehensive history of Beringia, the Arctic land and waters stretching from Russia to Canada. The unforgiving territories along the Bering Strait had long been home to humans—the Inupiat and Yupik in Alaska, and the Yupik and Chukchi in Russia—before American and European colonization. Rapidly, these frigid lands and waters became the site of an ongoing experiment: How, under conditions of extreme scarcity, would modern ideologies of capitalism and communism control and manage the resources they craved?
Drawing on her own experience living with and interviewing indigenous people in the region, Bathsheba Demuth presents a profound tale of the dynamic changes and unforeseen consequences that human ambition has brought (and will continue to bring) to a finite planet.
Details
Experience the captivating and eye-opening story of the Arctic land and waters in Floating Coast: An Environmental History of the Bering Strait. Winner of the prestigious 2021 AHA John H. Dunning Prize and longlisted for the Cundill History Prize, this book has been hailed as a Best Book of the Year by Nature, NPR, Library Journal, and Kirkus Reviews. Dive into the depths of history and explore the interplay between human ambition and nature in a region filled with rich cultural heritage and environmental significance.
Travel through time as you uncover the profound tale of Beringia, a region inhabited by indigenous people such as the Inupiat, Yupik, and Chukchi. Learn about the challenges these communities faced as American and European colonization encroached upon their lands, and discover how modern ideologies of capitalism and communism played pivotal roles in shaping the destiny of the region. Floating Coast is a must-read for those who seek a deeper understanding of the complex relationship between humanity and the environment.
Immerse yourself in the world of Floating Coast with author Bathsheba Demuth, who brings her firsthand experiences living among indigenous communities to the pages of this groundbreaking book. Through insightful interviews and meticulous research, Demuth weaves a narrative that embodies the struggles, triumphs, and unforeseen consequences of human ambition on a planet with finite resources. Explore the interconnected web of ecological and cultural transformations that have shaped the Bering Strait, leaving a lasting impact on both the environment and the indigenous peoples who call it home.
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