"At the Ends of the Earth is a chronicle of the two polar regions that brings home their significance for the rest of the world. In vivid and graceful prose, Kieran Mulvaney tells the fascinating story of human encounters with the Arctic and Antarctic from prehistory through centuries of European exploration and resource extraction to more recent developments involving Cold War politics, oil and gas drilling, tourism, global warming, and the potential melting of ice caps.

His narrative brings to life the Arctic and Antarctic landscapes as well as the people who have explored, lived in, and exploited them. Stories of native Arctic peoples and changes brought by the arrival of Europeans are contrasted with equally striking stories of Antarctic exploration and high-stakes battles over whether that vast continent should be exploited or protected."--BOOK JACKET.