In eight chapters and with over 225 photographs and original illustrations, this book provides a fascinating and colourful view of the history and traditional culture of the Inuit.

From the days of the earliest European exploration, the Inuit have intrigued and impressed the outside world. For a people with no full-time craft specialists, their technology was marvellously complex and inventive.

They built warm and functional houses from snow, hunted giant baleen whales from open boats, pursued seals through holes in the ice and produced the most effective winter clothing in the world.

Their adaptability seems almost limitless. Living in a land without trees they could, if need be, make winter sleds from frozen fish, or a kayak from a few pieces of driftwood.

Their Arctic homeland is both breathtakingly beautiful and terribly dangerous. To survive in such a place, the Inuit had to develop qualities of mind to match their technological skills. Hunger and bitter cold were defeated by cheerful self-reliance.

This book will introduce you to shamans who, through trance and meditation, were able to make spiritual journeys to the bottom of the sea, who could drive away evil spirits, and amaze an audience with their sleight of hand.

You will also discover the secrets of the Inuit seamstress, the mysteries of the whale hunt, and the ancient origins of Inuit culture. INUIT - Glimpses of an Arctic Past offers an exciting vision of daily life at the top of the world.