Steller's Island

by Dean Littlepage

In 1741, a Russian expedition ship captained by Vitus Bering carried the first scientist to set foot anywhere on the western half of North America. Georg Steller would introduce the world to the staggering wealth and diversity of life of the North Pacific, providing the first European accounts of the sea otter, sea lion, northern fur seal, native Alaskan Chugach people, and more. Steller's Island is a fascinating tale of the rewards and perils of exploration in this era. It is about the courage of scientific curiosity, even in uncharted waters, alien lands, and desperate circumstances, including storms, scurvy, and shipwreck.

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Reviews

"Kayak Island, where Steller first came ashore in North America [is] no longer a blank spot on the map, as it was in Steller's time, but Littlepage helps the reader understand the excitement the young explorer must have felt 250 years ago, fresh-eyed and eager to be amazed." (Natural History Magazine)

"If you read this book with the idea of finding a biography of Steller you will be disappointed. If you peruse it with the thought of learning more about the natural history of Alaska as noted in 1741 you will enjoy it. Your choice." (Alaska History)

"A wide audience will find this absorbing, from any library specializing in Alaskan history to general-interest holdings where patrons seek true-life adventure or tales of scientific discovery." (The Midwest Book Review)

"A book that makes history touchable… we enjoy Steller without having to pay the adventurer's price: bitter northern winters, endless slogging drudgery, deprivations, and dangers galore... This fascinating little book reads like the vacation Littlepage took on his 20-mile exploration of Kayak Island. Fast and enjoyable." (EarthJustice Magazine)

"Littlepage has written a first-rate account of Steller and the Bering Expedition's year in the Pacific. He brings the science and personalities to life, as well as providing modern insights on both. He also shows how much has been lost since the great naturalist's time…Modern scientists are fortunate to have Steller's descriptions, and modern readers are fortunate to have Littlepage's book." (David Williams, Seattle Times)

"This gripping story of Steller's explorations puts the reader in the era of sailing ships and uncharted wilderness, and reveals the natural beauty of Alaska the way Steller saw it more than two centuries ago." (Alaska Airlines)

"Hikers, historians, and conservationists will appreciate Littlepage's well-researched, thought-provoking narrative." (Wilderness Medicine magazine)

"If you peruse [the book] with the thought of learning more about the earliest natural history of Alaska as noted in 1741, you will enjoy it." (Daily Sentinel)

"Littlepage provides a gripping and vivid account of the struggles the surviving crewmen endured." (Fairbanks Daily News)