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Greenland for $1.99
Greenland for $1.99 - a short e-book illustrated by more than twenty photographs - is the story of the authors’ journey inside the Arctic Circle. You can walk with them over the Greenland ice cap, touch the world’s biggest and fastest-moving glacier, hike along the Arctic Circle Trail, hear sled-dogs yowl and watch whales surface near drifting icebergs, as well as listen to the Inuit talk about the future of their country.
- GenresTravel
73 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 8, 2013
5 people are currently reading
3 people want to read
About the author
Richard Starks
12 books7 followersRichard Starks is a former journalist, editor and publisher, and is now a full-time writer.
"My latest book (cowritten with Miriam Murcutt) is a novel, In A Town Called Paradox, which is set in 1950s Utah when the Big Five Hollywood studios arrived to film their blockbuster movies. Part of the plot is centered on the making of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. The opening line sets the scene: I wasn't looking for Marilyn Monroe when I bumped into her...
"My other books include a couple of financial thrillers and the novelization of a horror-movie script by the director David Cronenberg. I've also written for television.
"My non-fiction books include a (mercifully short) economics book, and four narrative non-fiction titles, all co-authored by Miriam Murcutt."
These are:
Lost in Tibet (published by The Lyons Press; it tells the story of five US airmen who, in 1943, were forced to bail out of their plane over Tibet);
Along the River that Flows Uphill - from the Orinoco to the Amazon (published first by Haus Publishing and now also a Kindle ebook; it tells the story of a journey that Miriam Murcutt and I took along a strange river in Venezuela called the Casiquiare);
A Room with a Pew - sleeping our way through Spain's ancient monasteries (published by The Lyons Press; it tells the story of another journey we took, this time through Spain, where we stayed exclusively in ancient monasteries); and
Greenland for $1.99 (published by Prestwicke Publishing as a Kindle ebook; it gives an account of journey we made inside the Arctic Circle)."
"My latest book (cowritten with Miriam Murcutt) is a novel, In A Town Called Paradox, which is set in 1950s Utah when the Big Five Hollywood studios arrived to film their blockbuster movies. Part of the plot is centered on the making of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. The opening line sets the scene: I wasn't looking for Marilyn Monroe when I bumped into her...
"My other books include a couple of financial thrillers and the novelization of a horror-movie script by the director David Cronenberg. I've also written for television.
"My non-fiction books include a (mercifully short) economics book, and four narrative non-fiction titles, all co-authored by Miriam Murcutt."
These are:
Lost in Tibet (published by The Lyons Press; it tells the story of five US airmen who, in 1943, were forced to bail out of their plane over Tibet);
Along the River that Flows Uphill - from the Orinoco to the Amazon (published first by Haus Publishing and now also a Kindle ebook; it tells the story of a journey that Miriam Murcutt and I took along a strange river in Venezuela called the Casiquiare);
A Room with a Pew - sleeping our way through Spain's ancient monasteries (published by The Lyons Press; it tells the story of another journey we took, this time through Spain, where we stayed exclusively in ancient monasteries); and
Greenland for $1.99 (published by Prestwicke Publishing as a Kindle ebook; it gives an account of journey we made inside the Arctic Circle)."
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
January 19, 2014
A thoughtful and detailed description of a journey into fairly unchartered territory. The authors provide a glimpse of all the atypical (and for me unknown) aspects of Greenland: history, people, language, food, culture, landscape, and of course the glaciers! The photographs were an added bonus and brought the authors’ descriptions to life. The authors’ sense of adventure and straight-forward writing style left me with a desire to pack my bags and make the trek to Greenland. This was the first book I read by the authors and I look forward to reading more about their journeys and related stories.
*I received a free kindle copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, however, this has not influenced my review in any way.*
*I received a free kindle copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, however, this has not influenced my review in any way.*
March 1, 2022
Fun travelogue with a lot of interesting information about the tourist experience in Greenland. Helpful for anyone considering a visit. Nice photographs.
March 3, 2025
Short travelogue on Greenland, but long enough to want to learn more.
June 18, 2017
Who doesn't dream of the next big adventure? There are so many places on my 'to see' list that it's stating to look a little like my 'to read' list. That is, long and hard to decide which next. I can't say that Greenland has ever hit either of those lists though. In fact, I can't even say I've really given Greenland much thought at all except to wonder why it is called 'Greenland' when it is covered in ice. But, sitting here sweltering in a heat wave seemed like a good time to travel to Greenland (in my imagination) to cool down a little.
This is the first travelogue I have read from Richard Starks and Miriam Murcutt. If I'm honest, it is probably the first travelogue I've read at all. Now that I think about it, I'm not sure why given it seems the perfect way to combine two loves. The authors narrate primarily from a singular first person narrative. Whilst this means it is unclear which of the authors is speaking this wasn't an issue for me. I liked that this provided a uniform tone and approach to the book.
Starks and Murcutt spend around month in Greenland all up. Their journey commenced with them flying into Nuuk, and spending time there before travelling to Kangerlussuaq, Sisimiut, and Ilulissat. Their travels included hiking sections of the Arctic Circle Trail.
The authors' descriptions of glaciers reminded me of a now too long ago trip to Alaska. Quite a hike from little old Tasmania. I remember the ice cracking and sounding like gun shots. "The glacier was alive, always moving, always shifting, melting and calving, so the sound of cracking and growling was constant but distant, like the far-off rumble of approaching thunder." Descriptive passages such as: "We were in a lonely universe of ice, and as we stood and looked and listened, the silence seemed almost to hum. This was nature edging towards the supernatural - a vast emptiness devoid of the life we all too often take for granted." are evocative. I've kept that passage highlighted on my Kindle.
The books contains some photographs which I enjoyed seeing and which complemented the narrative well. I particularly enjoyed the images of colourful, picture perfect villages. Because I'm greedy I would have liked more photographs . In particular I would have loved to see Santa's 20 foot tall mailbox.
In the background of the narrative is gentle commentary on climate change and why the advancement of the glaciers visited is confirmation of climate change, rather than being to the contrary as assumed by some.
The impressions of Greenland that have stayed with me from the travelogue is a vast and as yet largely untouched and unspoiled frontier. How many other places in the world are there where the only option for travel between cities is to fly as there are no roads?
The only criticism I really have of this book is that I wanted it to be something it isn't. The travelogue whet my appetite and I want to know more about Greenland. I have so many questions going through my head. What do musk ox, reindeer and arctic bunnies eat given there isn't much vegetation? Given how expensive Greenland is, how do the indigenous locals make their living? Can we be sure that Rudolph and his mates won't end up on a plate or in the local fish market? I would have loved to have heard the stories of those characters the authors came across in their travels. I found the book intriguing and it has opened a desire in me to know more. But, after all, isn't that what all good books do?
Quickly scrolling through the published works of these authors, I'm thinking I may take a 'trip' down the Orinoco in the near future.
*Thank-you to the authors who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This has in no way influenced my review.*
This is the first travelogue I have read from Richard Starks and Miriam Murcutt. If I'm honest, it is probably the first travelogue I've read at all. Now that I think about it, I'm not sure why given it seems the perfect way to combine two loves. The authors narrate primarily from a singular first person narrative. Whilst this means it is unclear which of the authors is speaking this wasn't an issue for me. I liked that this provided a uniform tone and approach to the book.
Starks and Murcutt spend around month in Greenland all up. Their journey commenced with them flying into Nuuk, and spending time there before travelling to Kangerlussuaq, Sisimiut, and Ilulissat. Their travels included hiking sections of the Arctic Circle Trail.
The authors' descriptions of glaciers reminded me of a now too long ago trip to Alaska. Quite a hike from little old Tasmania. I remember the ice cracking and sounding like gun shots. "The glacier was alive, always moving, always shifting, melting and calving, so the sound of cracking and growling was constant but distant, like the far-off rumble of approaching thunder." Descriptive passages such as: "We were in a lonely universe of ice, and as we stood and looked and listened, the silence seemed almost to hum. This was nature edging towards the supernatural - a vast emptiness devoid of the life we all too often take for granted." are evocative. I've kept that passage highlighted on my Kindle.
The books contains some photographs which I enjoyed seeing and which complemented the narrative well. I particularly enjoyed the images of colourful, picture perfect villages. Because I'm greedy I would have liked more photographs . In particular I would have loved to see Santa's 20 foot tall mailbox.
In the background of the narrative is gentle commentary on climate change and why the advancement of the glaciers visited is confirmation of climate change, rather than being to the contrary as assumed by some.
The impressions of Greenland that have stayed with me from the travelogue is a vast and as yet largely untouched and unspoiled frontier. How many other places in the world are there where the only option for travel between cities is to fly as there are no roads?
The only criticism I really have of this book is that I wanted it to be something it isn't. The travelogue whet my appetite and I want to know more about Greenland. I have so many questions going through my head. What do musk ox, reindeer and arctic bunnies eat given there isn't much vegetation? Given how expensive Greenland is, how do the indigenous locals make their living? Can we be sure that Rudolph and his mates won't end up on a plate or in the local fish market? I would have loved to have heard the stories of those characters the authors came across in their travels. I found the book intriguing and it has opened a desire in me to know more. But, after all, isn't that what all good books do?
Quickly scrolling through the published works of these authors, I'm thinking I may take a 'trip' down the Orinoco in the near future.
*Thank-you to the authors who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This has in no way influenced my review.*
February 4, 2014
Greenland for $1.99 – the title may sound a bit misleading as my initial thought was that the authors managed to travel to and explore Greenland for cheap. Well, seeing the sights in Greenland certainly isn’t cheap; what the authors have done is provide their readers with an inexpensive way to experience the beauty and diversity of the world’s largest island. This book is part travel log and part history lesson nicely mixed together. The reader enjoyed facts on culture and history as the authors discover them, so rather than becoming dry and boring it is more like visiting museums or listening to the “natives” and tour guides along with them. The pictures also add a great deal to the experience of this book. You can almost feel the cold, clean air as you try to reach into a photo of the Kangia fjord or hear the “creak and groan” of the icebergs as the authors describe them. Of course the photographs bring up the only problem I had with the book (or rather, the eBook version); when reading a hard copy of a text it is no problem to jump to the middle and look at the photograph that goes with a particular section; but with an eReader version it would have been nice to have the photographs dispersed throughout as you came to them rather than in the middle. However, this is meant more as a constructive thought than criticism. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Hiking around Greenland, even in the summer, is not for the weak; but this book has certainly reinforced my desire to visit this beautiful place and made me more aware of the reality of the culture. It is a fun, informative and quick read and you’ll find yourself going back to look at the photos numerous times as well as Googleing places in between. I highly recommend it.
January 29, 2014
What better way to "travel" to Greenland on a really tiny budget than through this book. I enjoyed the casual, relaxed writing style - no long preambles and very straightforward - which made it a quick and easy read. However, it is not so concise to the point of excluding any crucial information about the country's history and the descriptions about the geography of each city were detailed enough to form a mental picture of the place. Photographs are also included, which to me is a bonus in a travel book. This is a good introductory book to Greenland that left me wanting to know more about the country, its culture and its people.
*I received a reviewer's copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
*I received a reviewer's copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
February 22, 2014
Never had I thought Greenland would be on my list of places to go, but thanks to this book I feel a pull. This is another great read that is accompanied by stunning photos. "Greenland" is a journey to experience part of the Arctic Circle, its people and its traditions. With a haunting description of Greenland's ice caps, glaciers and interesting people; I was left feeling intrigued and cold as though I was right there!
August 11, 2015
Well written, simple book cataloging a trip around Greenland. Though not very thorough, it provides a very nice snapshot of life in that wonderful country.
August 21, 2015
We are contemplating a travel to Nuuk and therefore read this useful travelexperience.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews