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Death on the Barrens: A True Story of Courage and Tragedy in the Canadian Arctic
Set in the remote arctic region of Northern Canada, this book takes readers on a harrowing canoe voyage that results in tragedy, redemption, and, ultimately, transformation. George Grinnell was one of six young men who set off on the 1955 expedition led by experienced wilderness canoeist Art Moffatt. Poorly planned and executed, the journey seemed doomed from the start. Ignoring the approaching winter, the men became entranced with the peace and beauty of the arctic in autumn. As winter closed in, they suddenly faced numbing cold and dwindling food. When the crew is swept over a waterfall, Moffatt is killed and most of the gear and emergency food supplies destroyed. Confronting freezing conditions and near starvation, the remaining crew struggled to make it back to civilization. For Grinnell, the three-month expedition was both a rite of passage and a spiritual odyssey. In the Barrens, he lost his sense of identity and what he had been conditioned to think about society and himself. Forever changed by the experience, he unsparingly describes how the expedition influenced his adult life and what powerful insights he was able to glean from this life-altering experience.
296 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1996
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews
August 28, 2013
I can't give this a rating, because my expectations of what this book was about were quite different from the reality and it wouldn't be fair to the author.
George Grinnell, the author, lays out the story of how in 1955 he and four other guys, all under the leadership of one Arthur Moffatt, spent about three months on a canoe trek from Stony Rapids in Saskatchewan to Baker Lake in Nunavit to get away from the world for a while. Moffatt was the kind of guy who would much rather be communing with nature and indigenous peoples than living the hustle in the real world, and he had planned this trip intending to add a kind of spiritual reinforcement to daily life. He brought no radio, no modern conveniences, nothing really except supplies to live on and a philosophy about nature and living in the world. Grinnell, from a well-placed and rather famous family, was a rebel in his youth, always blasting away at capitalism and the system. This trip was right up his alley. From the time Moffatt, Grinnell and the others grabbed their paddles and started on their long journey, there were the occasional bouts of blizzards, rough waters, near-starvation, changing allegiances among the men and other tribulations in an environment that would either make or break a person. Grinnell hung on mentally by keeping Moffatt's spiritual and philosophical teachings in his head while, according to him, the others were more worried about their physical needs. Sadly, Moffatt never made it back alive, and as the book opens, the rest of the group are being questioned by the Mounties about Art's death.
What I discovered about this book is that the real point of this book is not the "death on the barrens" of Arthur Moffatt, but rather about George Grinnell himself. He spends a huge chunk of time on his prominent family background, his personal life up to that point, and how after a life of rebelliousness he came to find a spiritual inner wellness and meaning to life while on that canoe journey that ultimately took Moffatt's life. Although the story of the expedition itself is well told up to the point of Moffatt's death, this account is widely interspersed with philosophical musings from Zen koans, Inuit lore, literature, poetry and Moffatt's personal philosophy that helped George find his peace, only to lose it later after he had to make his way in the real world once more.
To be very honest, I thought from the title that the author was presenting a book about an expedition gone very, very wrong, and the chapter on the Mounties questioning the rest of the group about Moffatt's death made me even more intrigued to see what the heck had happened out there in the Canadian wilds in 1955. What I discovered was that both the title and the teaser opener were a bit misleading.
Books about spiritual awareness and how people find it, lose it and find it again really aren't my cup of tea, but for many people out there I'm sure that this story might be quite motivational and inspiring.
George Grinnell, the author, lays out the story of how in 1955 he and four other guys, all under the leadership of one Arthur Moffatt, spent about three months on a canoe trek from Stony Rapids in Saskatchewan to Baker Lake in Nunavit to get away from the world for a while. Moffatt was the kind of guy who would much rather be communing with nature and indigenous peoples than living the hustle in the real world, and he had planned this trip intending to add a kind of spiritual reinforcement to daily life. He brought no radio, no modern conveniences, nothing really except supplies to live on and a philosophy about nature and living in the world. Grinnell, from a well-placed and rather famous family, was a rebel in his youth, always blasting away at capitalism and the system. This trip was right up his alley. From the time Moffatt, Grinnell and the others grabbed their paddles and started on their long journey, there were the occasional bouts of blizzards, rough waters, near-starvation, changing allegiances among the men and other tribulations in an environment that would either make or break a person. Grinnell hung on mentally by keeping Moffatt's spiritual and philosophical teachings in his head while, according to him, the others were more worried about their physical needs. Sadly, Moffatt never made it back alive, and as the book opens, the rest of the group are being questioned by the Mounties about Art's death.
What I discovered about this book is that the real point of this book is not the "death on the barrens" of Arthur Moffatt, but rather about George Grinnell himself. He spends a huge chunk of time on his prominent family background, his personal life up to that point, and how after a life of rebelliousness he came to find a spiritual inner wellness and meaning to life while on that canoe journey that ultimately took Moffatt's life. Although the story of the expedition itself is well told up to the point of Moffatt's death, this account is widely interspersed with philosophical musings from Zen koans, Inuit lore, literature, poetry and Moffatt's personal philosophy that helped George find his peace, only to lose it later after he had to make his way in the real world once more.
To be very honest, I thought from the title that the author was presenting a book about an expedition gone very, very wrong, and the chapter on the Mounties questioning the rest of the group about Moffatt's death made me even more intrigued to see what the heck had happened out there in the Canadian wilds in 1955. What I discovered was that both the title and the teaser opener were a bit misleading.
Books about spiritual awareness and how people find it, lose it and find it again really aren't my cup of tea, but for many people out there I'm sure that this story might be quite motivational and inspiring.
January 27, 2010
Any book about wilderness survival is also about coming-of-age no matter what your age is. There is something about tragedy and survival situations that not only brings the best and worst out of people but also forces them ro examine themselves as individuals and spiritual beings. Grinnell has written a book that puts all this in perspective. Death on The Barrens is a riveting wilderness adventure story of an ill-fated and ill-planned expedition that resulted in the death of its leader and the rest of the team barely making it back. Yet it is also a spiritual journey for the author who, 50 years later, is still pondering the meaning of the incident in his life. Grinnell expertly weaves the events with his own life background and uses zen tales and poetry to clarify the meaning of his journey. Even though you know the result of the journey from page one it is still a harrowing tale. Yet it is also a beautiful tale showing how adversity and challenge affects and changes all of the participants. I recommend this for those who love true adventure tales but also those who like to read about the more spiritual aspects of human experience.
January 25, 2010
Thank you Goodreads!--another First Reads win!
This is the true account of a harrowing journey to find inner peace that took the author, George Grinnell 50 years to find the right words to write. As a young man of 22, he and four others (the youngest only 18) accompanied experienced guide Art Moffatt on a canoe trip into the Canadian wilderness of the Barron Grounds. Grinnell is frank about revealing the individual members of the group’s failings, including his own. The story is compelling as we accompany them on their journey into this hypnotic and mystical landscape illustrated by Roderick MacIver’s ethereal watercolors that perfectly capture the tone of Grinnell’s words.
At the outset, Grinnell informs us that Moffatt dies during the trip. The tension in the story is derived from when and how it happens. Ironically the member of the group who was the most afraid and the one least expected, turns out to be the most resourceful and heroic when they reach the crisis of the trip.
We learn in the final chapters how Grinnell’s life has gone since taking that journey. It would be interesting to know how life has turned out for the four men who survived the trip with him. Regardless, the book is beautiful. I appreciate Grinnell’s honesty and thank him for sharing his story.
This is the true account of a harrowing journey to find inner peace that took the author, George Grinnell 50 years to find the right words to write. As a young man of 22, he and four others (the youngest only 18) accompanied experienced guide Art Moffatt on a canoe trip into the Canadian wilderness of the Barron Grounds. Grinnell is frank about revealing the individual members of the group’s failings, including his own. The story is compelling as we accompany them on their journey into this hypnotic and mystical landscape illustrated by Roderick MacIver’s ethereal watercolors that perfectly capture the tone of Grinnell’s words.
At the outset, Grinnell informs us that Moffatt dies during the trip. The tension in the story is derived from when and how it happens. Ironically the member of the group who was the most afraid and the one least expected, turns out to be the most resourceful and heroic when they reach the crisis of the trip.
We learn in the final chapters how Grinnell’s life has gone since taking that journey. It would be interesting to know how life has turned out for the four men who survived the trip with him. Regardless, the book is beautiful. I appreciate Grinnell’s honesty and thank him for sharing his story.
February 3, 2010
A fantastic book, especially for those who are interested in wilderness travel. George Grinnell doesn't shrink from describing his party's strong points, as well as their weak ones. No one is idolized, no one is vilified--he pains a very believable portrait of what he and the five others in his group were like when they set out on their canoeing trip across the Canadian Barrens.
I enjoy getting out in the wilderness, but I have never tackled anything quite like this. I probably never will. Regardless, I've tasted a bit of what's described there. Grinnell sums up the euphoria one can feel while away from civilization, and also pegs the despair and fear you feel when you begin to suspect you're in over your head. The five out of six that made it through the end of the journey were extremely lucky. Their trip seems insufficiently planned, and they definitely did not stick to the schedule they needed to keep. Still, a lot of the journey sounds wonderful, and life-changing--even before the titular death.
The edition I received contains maps highlighting where on the river each chapter takes place, and is filled with black-and-white watercolors.
I enjoy getting out in the wilderness, but I have never tackled anything quite like this. I probably never will. Regardless, I've tasted a bit of what's described there. Grinnell sums up the euphoria one can feel while away from civilization, and also pegs the despair and fear you feel when you begin to suspect you're in over your head. The five out of six that made it through the end of the journey were extremely lucky. Their trip seems insufficiently planned, and they definitely did not stick to the schedule they needed to keep. Still, a lot of the journey sounds wonderful, and life-changing--even before the titular death.
The edition I received contains maps highlighting where on the river each chapter takes place, and is filled with black-and-white watercolors.
February 13, 2018
So far, I have to say that I am not overly impressed by the book (I have read about half at this point and am pondering if I want to continue). Mr Grinnell spends quite a bit of time talking, sometimes rambling, about his family's glorious history and his past time at Harvard. I would think that if I were in a situation of survival the last thing I would talk about would be things like that.
... I have now finished the book. I am going to be nice and not downgrade it, but I seriously am tempted. There are much better books on the market. As others said, the pacing is off. The important things are not mentioned and things that are mentioned don't need to be there. It is quite obvious that the press is a non-profit.
... I have now finished the book. I am going to be nice and not downgrade it, but I seriously am tempted. There are much better books on the market. As others said, the pacing is off. The important things are not mentioned and things that are mentioned don't need to be there. It is quite obvious that the press is a non-profit.
May 24, 2013
I can't think of the last time I was this irritated with an author. This is not a true story wilderness adventure story. It's the story of an arrogant man "finding his way". Can I tell you how arrogant? This is my favorite. He didn't. Bring gloves. To. THE ARCTIC. He said he and others had earlier in the trip, before the Arctic, you know, was the Arctic, poked fun at the one guy who brought a good sleeping bag, gloves, etc. What? I don't even understand you.
Poor little rich kid from prominent family has Buddhist and Christian epiphanies while nearly starving to death, going so far as to hope they don't kill an animal when they desperately need it to survive. Ok.
Finally, he didn't even talk in detail about the actual story. I really expected something like Into Thin Air, learning how they got out of a deathly situation. The beginning to that story, introduced on the cover so not a spoiler, when their guide dies, doesn't even happen until 2/3 of the way through the book.
Might be a sign of a mediocre to less-than-that book when one of the blurbs on the cover is from an employee of the co-publisher...
Poor little rich kid from prominent family has Buddhist and Christian epiphanies while nearly starving to death, going so far as to hope they don't kill an animal when they desperately need it to survive. Ok.
Finally, he didn't even talk in detail about the actual story. I really expected something like Into Thin Air, learning how they got out of a deathly situation. The beginning to that story, introduced on the cover so not a spoiler, when their guide dies, doesn't even happen until 2/3 of the way through the book.
Might be a sign of a mediocre to less-than-that book when one of the blurbs on the cover is from an employee of the co-publisher...
August 20, 2010
This book sounded intriguing, but it never seemed to get off the ground. It was much more about the characters of the expedition, but not enough about those people. There were some exciting pieces, but they always seemed anticlimactic. The entire book led up to the "Death on the Barrens", but that happened so quickly, and then it was over.
The final two chapters in the book were uncomfortable. The author seems to be trying to convey that he is a failure in life (his opinion, not mine), and he goes into detail how he screwed everything up. This was less of an epilogue to the trip, and more of a sideline mini-biography. It makes me feel bad that I don't think his book is extremely well-written.
Maybe this is a book more about internal struggles than adventure. Or maybe I misinterpreted what the real tragedy was. Either way, the book is worth reading. Maybe other would get something out of it that I missed.
The final two chapters in the book were uncomfortable. The author seems to be trying to convey that he is a failure in life (his opinion, not mine), and he goes into detail how he screwed everything up. This was less of an epilogue to the trip, and more of a sideline mini-biography. It makes me feel bad that I don't think his book is extremely well-written.
Maybe this is a book more about internal struggles than adventure. Or maybe I misinterpreted what the real tragedy was. Either way, the book is worth reading. Maybe other would get something out of it that I missed.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 4, 2013
This book took me nearly two years to read. I set it down frequently and read other books, but always felt compelled to come back and finish the story. The author spends a lot of time in the book with the characters and the trials and tribulations of his group of 6 assorted companions getting through the Canadian Barrons.
While his narrative was interesting, I wish the last 1/4 of the book hadn't seemed so rushed. It was as if he didn't want to dwell on the accident and the tour leader's death, and yet, there would have been no story at all if they hadn't encountered that tragedy. I would have liked to know more about how they were physically cared for at the end and whether there were any long-term damage from frost-bite, etc. I would also have liked to hear more about Grinnell's companions after this trip was over.
While his narrative was interesting, I wish the last 1/4 of the book hadn't seemed so rushed. It was as if he didn't want to dwell on the accident and the tour leader's death, and yet, there would have been no story at all if they hadn't encountered that tragedy. I would have liked to know more about how they were physically cared for at the end and whether there were any long-term damage from frost-bite, etc. I would also have liked to hear more about Grinnell's companions after this trip was over.
November 6, 2010
Holy crap! My aunt recommended this book to me, and said the big question in her mind was "What were they thinking?!" I'd have to agree. I found the story itself gripping--you know right from the beginning who's going to die, and you know it's coming soon--but I also found the frequent philosophical musings thought provoking. I feel mildly more converted to Buddhism after reading this book, even though the author is probably an atheist. I also feel a little exhausted, because the book becomes extremely suspenseful and scary by the end.
January 28, 2010
do not like to give away a story in a blog. I just want to let you know this is a great read. I had a very hard time putting it down.
These young men go through so much yet learned many things. They face trials and tragedy & triumph . This also reflects on many things in the past that we all can relate to. It also brings you to the present to reflect on things that are most important in life.
A must read for all who like true stories . Great book....Loved it.
These young men go through so much yet learned many things. They face trials and tragedy & triumph . This also reflects on many things in the past that we all can relate to. It also brings you to the present to reflect on things that are most important in life.
A must read for all who like true stories . Great book....Loved it.
April 6, 2010
Incredible journey! I loved that the story was written by one of the men who went on this disastrous trip! Unfortunately, I am NOT into poetry, so the author lost me towards the end. I often wonder where the will to survive comes from, and why it is stronger in some, than in others. Excellent book............. highly recommended if you like true stories, and have an appreciation for poetry. I am so glad I won this on First Reads.
July 6, 2010
Good survival story and very well-written. What held the book back a little for me was the author's heavy emphasis of how rich, book-smart and rebellious he was (i.e., cool), and the two-full-page diversion on irrelevant liberal topics like why America was wrong to drop the bomb on poor Japan.
April 17, 2019
Six young men went into the Arctic barrens on summer expedition adventure to test their fiber. Five came out quite different men. Their endurance, physical stamina, mental stability but most of all their spiritual awareness was challenged way beyond their ability to conceive. A true tale of man against nature, nature as the seductress enticing rational thought and common sense until she had them in her wintry grip. One life and the breakdown of all supplies had to be lost before the common good and brotherhood could be found. A haunting tale of adventure, joy, pettiness, rapture death and epiphany.
December 29, 2021
Not your typical adventure-gone-wrong wilderness survival book. As much a journey of mind and soul as it is of the body, the tragic Grinnell's matter-of-fact tale of frustratingly naive Arctic exploration some 70 years ago keeps the attention and is simply but at times beautifully written. While the constant spirituality does get slightly tedious towards the end, the fascinating development of group dynamics never gets old, from one freezing lake to the next. Unassuming and introspective, worth a read.
July 24, 2017
The main problem with the book was the uneven writing. The author frequently changes subject and place with only moderate regard to how it pertains to the story. Also what I would call the best part of the story, where the survivors continue to the end of their route, is a very minimal part of the story. The stupidity of packing too little food and not taking advantage of good paddling days is astounding.
June 19, 2019
Started reading yesterday and had to finish it today. Spiritual, gripping (though not intense) this account of an adventure to to the arctic circle by six young males made me feel less lonely living in a city and led me to think more of life's holistic and intrinsic meanings. A very good read - it was given to my husband as a leaving gift from a friend who treasures the extremes and who I have got to know a little better after reading this recommendation.
June 11, 2021
Lead by an experienced but rather fey woodsman, five others join in a trek northward thru summer and into a freezing autumn. A mistaken trip over a waterfall results in the death of said leader and an overwhelming amount of guilt for the author. Hospitable Inuit finally rescue their bodies. Their minds? Hmmm.
“Earlier in the trip, we had been lords of the flies, but now we were pleased to be just flies of the Lord.”
“Earlier in the trip, we had been lords of the flies, but now we were pleased to be just flies of the Lord.”
November 5, 2019
This book started a bit slow, then it swelled into a race after wasting so much time in the short Arctic summer. Indeed that was the downfall. There would have been no death if what happened had happened earlier in the season. This is an adventure story and an autobiographical sketch of Grinnell himself. An interesting life he led. Excellent writing.
June 26, 2021
The book felt rather interminable through most of the narrative, about a badly prepared and badly run expedition of rather annoying people. The author himself was pretty annoying, a naive twenty-something out of his depth. Strangely it was the brief account of his life after this trip that I found more interesting and compelling.
February 17, 2020
I would highly recommend not wasting your time on this adventure gone wrong tale of a canoeing trip in Northern Canada. After the author said “height of land” (whatever that means) so many times I actually did a search. He wrote that phrase 21 TIMES in a short book. Ugh.
October 22, 2025
Although I ultimately enjoyed this book, George J Grinnell spent too much time talking about his wealthy and famous ancestors. Arrogance was a key component of this story and is shared by everyone on the expedition.
August 12, 2019
Spell Binding
I’ve read this twice now and I know why. It’s frighteningly honest and very scary (spent many years in the Arctic) but none as severe as this story.
I’ve read this twice now and I know why. It’s frighteningly honest and very scary (spent many years in the Arctic) but none as severe as this story.
October 17, 2019
20 word book review: Mostly about standing true to yourself with adventure as the medium. Would like to learn about the other men.
May 8, 2024
It was a gripping story of idealistic adventure. It was also a philosophical and poetic coming of age story.
March 11, 2017
Death on the Barrens: A True Story of Courage and Tragedy in the Canadian Arctic is one part Lord of the Flies, one part Into the Wild, one part Heart of Darkness. In this true account of a six-man canoe voyage into Canada’s north, memoirist George Grinnell hides a coming-of-age story within his day-to-day recounting of a forty-year-old story. Despite the difference in time between the 1955 and the publication of the book, the story is fresh, sharp, and engaging. Death on the Barrens does not bask in the glory of adventurism, nor does it carry the boringness of many a journal-based books. Our narrator is flawed, and though we can never doubt his survival by the end of the journey, his humility is what keeps us keyed into this expedition into the Arctic. (NB: you will wish that Roderick MacIver’s watercolour paintings that illustrate the book were in colour the entire time… do yourself a favour and Google his work afterward.)
September 24, 2015
Important Lesson: Don't Dally!
I simply loved this book. I found it an interesting and entertaining read-- if one can say that such a tragic trip can be entertaining.
It's an account of a river journey made by five youngsters in their early twenties and late teens, and 36 year-old 'leader' through the wilds of northern Canada. Between you and me it's surprising that the whole lot of them didn't perish, they were so ill-prepared. Not only did they leave without the supplies they intended to take, but they left late in the season .AND. then they dallied along the way. Traits which, if you've read about any adventures in northern climes, are pretty much tantamount to a death sentence for someone if not everyone.
Never-the-less, they paddled for what they were worth and tried to do what they could to find food along the way. They fished and hunted and scavenged along the shore. But really their physical trip down the river isn't really what grabbed my interest. What really caught me up and kept me flipping page after page late into the night, was Grinnell's insight into what was going on in their little group; as well as his own reflections on his life and the upper class he belonged to. He doesn't, in fact, focus on descriptions of 'the barrens' so much as how being there made him feel. And his work ends up being more about group dynamics and sociology, religion and culture, than it is about a canoe trip.
For example, one of the things that Grinnell talks about is that nearly all of the young people underwent a profound change. Partly this was because their leader, Arthur Moffett, refused to lead them, and partly this was because they were put under so much pressure. They were alone, without supervision for probably the first time in their lives, isolated and starving, and yet dependent on other people they hardly knew. And under those circumstances, it's not surprising that the atheist Grinnell found religion, like many others who suddenly discover that their life isn't a sure thing, while sinking his teeth into a fresh caribou steak.
The other aspect of the book that I found interesting was the picture he painted of what it was like to be an exceeding rich rebel in a community of effete intellectuals in the last century. Grinnell went to Groton and Harvard, and what he has to say about the institutions' fraternity-like "hazing" system isn't very flattering. But he talks about these things, his failings, his families troubles, and how money and their 'Mayflower' heritage was mixed blessing. (124 of his relatives fought in the Revolutionary War....)
:::
If this book had only been written in the 10th Century it would be poured over and would find it's own Gibbons or Wallace-Hadrill to make it famous. Which is to say that it's a fabulous primary source that has a great deal to teach people if only their put on their history or sociology "hats".
Personally, I found the group dynamics fascinating. Here were these coddled children thrust into a very dangerous situation with no recourse but to muddle through. They look naturally to "the adult" to guide them, but unfortunately "the adult" wasn't there for them, and they had to 'find themselves' in a way most of us wouldn't envy.
If you are looking for simple book about a travel adventure, "Death on the Barrens" is not it. This book isn't simple at all. There's a great deal of soul-bearing and talk about spiritual experiences. As well, there's a great deal of reflection about what life was like for the upper class mid 20th Century.
I simply loved this book. I found it an interesting and entertaining read-- if one can say that such a tragic trip can be entertaining.
It's an account of a river journey made by five youngsters in their early twenties and late teens, and 36 year-old 'leader' through the wilds of northern Canada. Between you and me it's surprising that the whole lot of them didn't perish, they were so ill-prepared. Not only did they leave without the supplies they intended to take, but they left late in the season .AND. then they dallied along the way. Traits which, if you've read about any adventures in northern climes, are pretty much tantamount to a death sentence for someone if not everyone.
Never-the-less, they paddled for what they were worth and tried to do what they could to find food along the way. They fished and hunted and scavenged along the shore. But really their physical trip down the river isn't really what grabbed my interest. What really caught me up and kept me flipping page after page late into the night, was Grinnell's insight into what was going on in their little group; as well as his own reflections on his life and the upper class he belonged to. He doesn't, in fact, focus on descriptions of 'the barrens' so much as how being there made him feel. And his work ends up being more about group dynamics and sociology, religion and culture, than it is about a canoe trip.
For example, one of the things that Grinnell talks about is that nearly all of the young people underwent a profound change. Partly this was because their leader, Arthur Moffett, refused to lead them, and partly this was because they were put under so much pressure. They were alone, without supervision for probably the first time in their lives, isolated and starving, and yet dependent on other people they hardly knew. And under those circumstances, it's not surprising that the atheist Grinnell found religion, like many others who suddenly discover that their life isn't a sure thing, while sinking his teeth into a fresh caribou steak.
The other aspect of the book that I found interesting was the picture he painted of what it was like to be an exceeding rich rebel in a community of effete intellectuals in the last century. Grinnell went to Groton and Harvard, and what he has to say about the institutions' fraternity-like "hazing" system isn't very flattering. But he talks about these things, his failings, his families troubles, and how money and their 'Mayflower' heritage was mixed blessing. (124 of his relatives fought in the Revolutionary War....)
:::
If this book had only been written in the 10th Century it would be poured over and would find it's own Gibbons or Wallace-Hadrill to make it famous. Which is to say that it's a fabulous primary source that has a great deal to teach people if only their put on their history or sociology "hats".
Personally, I found the group dynamics fascinating. Here were these coddled children thrust into a very dangerous situation with no recourse but to muddle through. They look naturally to "the adult" to guide them, but unfortunately "the adult" wasn't there for them, and they had to 'find themselves' in a way most of us wouldn't envy.
If you are looking for simple book about a travel adventure, "Death on the Barrens" is not it. This book isn't simple at all. There's a great deal of soul-bearing and talk about spiritual experiences. As well, there's a great deal of reflection about what life was like for the upper class mid 20th Century.
June 24, 2013
In Death On The Barrens, George Grinnell tells the story of a fateful three month trip across "The Barrens" - a desolate tundra area in the far North of Canada. Art Moffatt, a 36 year old drop-out dreamer, gathered together five young men to accompany him on a canoe trip during the summer. With only a little food, not enough warm clothing or outdoor equipment, these six men set off in August of 1955.
Grinnell goes into great detail about the conflicting personalities these men had, and how their "leader" didn't actually lead them. He fawns over Moffatt's apparent state of nirvana as he meditates through the days. As the summer wore on, the men became bored with the sameness of day after day paddling on the river, and began lagging and taking days off to admire the scenery and dream. Soon winter caught them hundreds of miles from the Hudson Bay post that was their final goal. By this time, they had traveled out of the areas with trees, so they had no fuel for a fire. With several pacifists in the group, they fought over killing caribou and wildfowl for food as they slowly starved. They spent days and nights freezing in their inadequate clothing, and dreaming of eventual death.
Then came the day when the canoes overturned on a stretch of icy waterfalls. Art Moffatt died from exposure while being rescued, and several others came close to dying too. With all their supplies lost in the river, their "leader" dead, the remaining five men paddled like crazy to make it to the trading post before ice froze the river solid. They were frostbitten and exhausted, and shocked by the way nature had turned on them with the changing of the seasons.
Grinnell has spent the rest of his life drifting from job to job, wife to wife, and philosophy to philosophy. The reader might be tempted to think his life was forever changed by this disastrous voyage. But throughout the book he mentions his privileged youth, private schools, famous relatives, his disdain for authority and responsibility, and his beatnik desire to drift along through life, at one with nature. He often interrupts the story of the canoe adventure to fill in details of his life history, which I found awkward.
It's no wonder that modern day forest rangers insist on campers filing a travel plan and showing that they have the proper supplies and food for the terrain. An ill-conceived plan like Moffatt's gets people killed. I don't think I've ever heard of a less prepared, less experienced group of young men taking on the wilderness and expecting to survive.
Throughout the book you will find very pretty black and white drawings of songbirds, bears, hawks, fish, canoes and men in silhouette. While beautiful, they have almost nothing to do with the story. Grinnell didn't write much at all about the animals and plants he observed during their journey. The maps at the start of each chapter, showing their progress (or lack thereof) are interesting, and probably the best parts of the book.
Overall I give this book three stars. Without the excessive quoting of Marxist doctrine and counter-culture nonsense, I would have given it four stars for being a true wilderness survival story.
Grinnell goes into great detail about the conflicting personalities these men had, and how their "leader" didn't actually lead them. He fawns over Moffatt's apparent state of nirvana as he meditates through the days. As the summer wore on, the men became bored with the sameness of day after day paddling on the river, and began lagging and taking days off to admire the scenery and dream. Soon winter caught them hundreds of miles from the Hudson Bay post that was their final goal. By this time, they had traveled out of the areas with trees, so they had no fuel for a fire. With several pacifists in the group, they fought over killing caribou and wildfowl for food as they slowly starved. They spent days and nights freezing in their inadequate clothing, and dreaming of eventual death.
Then came the day when the canoes overturned on a stretch of icy waterfalls. Art Moffatt died from exposure while being rescued, and several others came close to dying too. With all their supplies lost in the river, their "leader" dead, the remaining five men paddled like crazy to make it to the trading post before ice froze the river solid. They were frostbitten and exhausted, and shocked by the way nature had turned on them with the changing of the seasons.
Grinnell has spent the rest of his life drifting from job to job, wife to wife, and philosophy to philosophy. The reader might be tempted to think his life was forever changed by this disastrous voyage. But throughout the book he mentions his privileged youth, private schools, famous relatives, his disdain for authority and responsibility, and his beatnik desire to drift along through life, at one with nature. He often interrupts the story of the canoe adventure to fill in details of his life history, which I found awkward.
It's no wonder that modern day forest rangers insist on campers filing a travel plan and showing that they have the proper supplies and food for the terrain. An ill-conceived plan like Moffatt's gets people killed. I don't think I've ever heard of a less prepared, less experienced group of young men taking on the wilderness and expecting to survive.
Throughout the book you will find very pretty black and white drawings of songbirds, bears, hawks, fish, canoes and men in silhouette. While beautiful, they have almost nothing to do with the story. Grinnell didn't write much at all about the animals and plants he observed during their journey. The maps at the start of each chapter, showing their progress (or lack thereof) are interesting, and probably the best parts of the book.
Overall I give this book three stars. Without the excessive quoting of Marxist doctrine and counter-culture nonsense, I would have given it four stars for being a true wilderness survival story.
October 5, 2018
I don't often give books five stars. This one is not getting five stars because it is one of the "great books" of the Western Canon.
I'm giving it five stars because everyone should read it.
Why? Because on the surface while it seems to be just another story of young men going out somewhere dangerous and getting into trouble the author manages to elevate the tragedy to a transformative experience that is on the one hand existential and on the other hand mystical and spiritual.
Grinnell who was born with a silver spoon in his mouth was a rebel who got kicked out of the army and Harvard, embraced Marxism and long before the protests of the 60's and the current "occupy' movements was standing on Wall Street protesting capitalism's "evils".
One gets the sense through the book that he softened his stance quite a bit (although one chapter is an almost cringy conspiracy theory of how a cabal of graduates from his prep school (Groton) control the world and that FDR's New Deal was really just a plan to "force farmers off their land and into the cities" where greedy business people could suck them dry. I've ready plenty of criticisms of the New Deal but this was new to me.
Aside from that the book is an intense and personal recounting of the doomed trip and reveals the fractures and fissures that can arise due to poor leadership and poor planning. You not only see this on long wilderness expeditions but in business as well. Leadership is a funny thing and lack of leadership is an obvious thing. Unfortunately for the young men in this tale their leader had some flaws that ultimately caused his demise. But long before the Art Moffat's deadly encounter with a freezing Arctic river he had abdicated his position as leader allowing first one and then another of the group to assume some sort of direction but without wholehearted support of the others.
I didn't expect this to be so well written - it is. Or so bracingly honest. Grinnell pulls no punches on what he attributes to his cowardice and moral failings as a man and human being. It must have been tough to face that demon and put it down on paper.
Grinnell blames himself for Moffat's death because he wasn't able to get him out of the water quick enough (choosing to rescue two others first) and then while almost succumbing to hypothermia himself neglected to get Moffat into a sleeping bag with him. The Arctic in a seeming acknowledgment saw fit to take two of his own sons in another ill fated expedition 30 years later. Those who believe in karma (I don't) might see this as a balancing of the ledger. It wasn't.
The one thing I would have liked to see included in the book would be an addendum with a "where are they now?" of the other four members. We are told that one became an editor of National Geographic but not much is told of the others. One gets the sense that they went their separate ways and never spoke again.
The big take away: plan your trip. Bring more food than you need. Don't waste good weather. Select a good leader but allow for consensus and flexibility and most important - don't be afraid to turn around and cut your trip short.
I'm giving it five stars because everyone should read it.
Why? Because on the surface while it seems to be just another story of young men going out somewhere dangerous and getting into trouble the author manages to elevate the tragedy to a transformative experience that is on the one hand existential and on the other hand mystical and spiritual.
Grinnell who was born with a silver spoon in his mouth was a rebel who got kicked out of the army and Harvard, embraced Marxism and long before the protests of the 60's and the current "occupy' movements was standing on Wall Street protesting capitalism's "evils".
One gets the sense through the book that he softened his stance quite a bit (although one chapter is an almost cringy conspiracy theory of how a cabal of graduates from his prep school (Groton) control the world and that FDR's New Deal was really just a plan to "force farmers off their land and into the cities" where greedy business people could suck them dry. I've ready plenty of criticisms of the New Deal but this was new to me.
Aside from that the book is an intense and personal recounting of the doomed trip and reveals the fractures and fissures that can arise due to poor leadership and poor planning. You not only see this on long wilderness expeditions but in business as well. Leadership is a funny thing and lack of leadership is an obvious thing. Unfortunately for the young men in this tale their leader had some flaws that ultimately caused his demise. But long before the Art Moffat's deadly encounter with a freezing Arctic river he had abdicated his position as leader allowing first one and then another of the group to assume some sort of direction but without wholehearted support of the others.
I didn't expect this to be so well written - it is. Or so bracingly honest. Grinnell pulls no punches on what he attributes to his cowardice and moral failings as a man and human being. It must have been tough to face that demon and put it down on paper.
Grinnell blames himself for Moffat's death because he wasn't able to get him out of the water quick enough (choosing to rescue two others first) and then while almost succumbing to hypothermia himself neglected to get Moffat into a sleeping bag with him. The Arctic in a seeming acknowledgment saw fit to take two of his own sons in another ill fated expedition 30 years later. Those who believe in karma (I don't) might see this as a balancing of the ledger. It wasn't.
The one thing I would have liked to see included in the book would be an addendum with a "where are they now?" of the other four members. We are told that one became an editor of National Geographic but not much is told of the others. One gets the sense that they went their separate ways and never spoke again.
The big take away: plan your trip. Bring more food than you need. Don't waste good weather. Select a good leader but allow for consensus and flexibility and most important - don't be afraid to turn around and cut your trip short.
December 17, 2016
I got this book in the mail yesterday and before I quite knew what was happening, I was a few chapters in. I am fascinated by explorers, especially polar explorers, and mountain climbers, mainly because I can't understand why someone would choose to do that to themselves. The book tells the story of an ill-fated canoe trip along along a series of rivers and lakes from the northern edge of Saskatchewan to an RCMP post on Baker lake in Nunavut, near the northwest edge of Hudson's Bay, taken in 1955 by a singularly ill-prepared group of six men.
George James Grinnell was one of those six men and struggled for half a century to write the story down. It's also the story of his life and his deep dissatisfaction with the wealthy, privileged society he was born into, which was more concerned with amassing even more wealth and power than it was with improving the world. There's a history of mental instability in his family as well, and he was kicked out of Harvard at the same time that his father committed suicide. Searching for meaning, George joins the expedition, led by its oldest member, 36 year old Art Moffat, and they set out weeks later than originally planned. What's more, since their food supplies had not been delivered on time, they purchased what they could find at their departure point.
The arctic summer is short, but the group quickly lost all sense of urgency. Their leader liked to sleep in and then begin the day with a pleasant walk to watch the birds. The weather often deteriorated later in the day, so that the best traveling time was wasted. They also began to take frequent holidays from the arduous task of canoeing and going slowly on the days they did move. George, like most of his fellow adventurers, looked on Art as their spiritual guru, seeking to follow his one with nature style, and as Art lost his momentum, so did they, loitering even as they watched their food supplies dwindle. It was only at the end of August, the beginning of the arctic winter and finding themselves only halfway to their destination, that they began to hurry.
The amazing thing about their journey is that it took so many blatant errors to get them into a life-threatening situation. In the end, Art dies as a result of a culmination of those many mistakes, but the remaining men manage to reach the RCMP post. Grinnell has spent half a century trying to give meaning to Art's needless death and to understand why they dawdled when they should have hurried. The book ends up being a little self-indulgent as the author tries to convince us that Art's fatal lack of leadership ability was really spiritual maturity and that the mental fog that descended upon them that summer was really enlightenment. But he does try explain the why as well as the how and for that the author should be commended.
George James Grinnell was one of those six men and struggled for half a century to write the story down. It's also the story of his life and his deep dissatisfaction with the wealthy, privileged society he was born into, which was more concerned with amassing even more wealth and power than it was with improving the world. There's a history of mental instability in his family as well, and he was kicked out of Harvard at the same time that his father committed suicide. Searching for meaning, George joins the expedition, led by its oldest member, 36 year old Art Moffat, and they set out weeks later than originally planned. What's more, since their food supplies had not been delivered on time, they purchased what they could find at their departure point.
The arctic summer is short, but the group quickly lost all sense of urgency. Their leader liked to sleep in and then begin the day with a pleasant walk to watch the birds. The weather often deteriorated later in the day, so that the best traveling time was wasted. They also began to take frequent holidays from the arduous task of canoeing and going slowly on the days they did move. George, like most of his fellow adventurers, looked on Art as their spiritual guru, seeking to follow his one with nature style, and as Art lost his momentum, so did they, loitering even as they watched their food supplies dwindle. It was only at the end of August, the beginning of the arctic winter and finding themselves only halfway to their destination, that they began to hurry.
The amazing thing about their journey is that it took so many blatant errors to get them into a life-threatening situation. In the end, Art dies as a result of a culmination of those many mistakes, but the remaining men manage to reach the RCMP post. Grinnell has spent half a century trying to give meaning to Art's needless death and to understand why they dawdled when they should have hurried. The book ends up being a little self-indulgent as the author tries to convince us that Art's fatal lack of leadership ability was really spiritual maturity and that the mental fog that descended upon them that summer was really enlightenment. But he does try explain the why as well as the how and for that the author should be commended.
August 29, 2012
It is strange in some ways to say that I 'enjoyed' this book since the whole story is a slow march towards disaster. Are you supposed to say that you 'enjoy' a story where you know people die? But in a sense, that's the whole point. You really know that life is on the line. It's adventure! Real adventure, where people that you come to care about are in peril. Real adventure where not everything turns out okay. But it is also the journal of a man who has experienced deep pain and loss. I never did quite figure out exactly where he was coming from, and it is disarming to find in the end how deeply broken his life became after the journey.[return][return]I also find it interesting in that it is a journey that was traveled in a time gone by. Not so long ago that you can't relate, but long enough ago that the adventures he describes are a thing of the past. The barrenness and wilderness he describes is kind of gone. The struggle with gear and the minimalist travel is mostly gone, replaced by big dollar 'expeditions' and large groups of guided tours. Mostly gone are the days where you can be met on shore by a native hunter and know that you are both hungry and lonely. Now, you just whip out your satellite phone and tell somebody that you are in trouble. As painful as his journey turned out to be, isn't there also some grieving to be done that we have mostly lost this wilderness and sense of adventure?[return][return]It is written journal-style, so I could read just 5 pages or so at each sitting, which is awesome for people with little ones and a distracted life! It keeps you wanting to read just one more entry. The writing is surprisingly good, not in high style, but descriptive, engaging, and it flows well. The language makes it easy to read and to see what he was seeing during his journey.[return][return]I can highly recommend reading this book. It is fascinating, real and reads quickly and easily.
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