The Ice Master

In the 1870s, whaling was America's biggest business, as successful voyages brought back ships to New England laden with the whale oil that lit the lamps of the civilized world and the whale bone that stiffened its corsets. Of the thousands of men involved in this high-stakes search for instant fortune, a large percentage lost their lives. In James Houston's great new adventure novel, it is the spring of 1875, and two ships set sail from New London. Connecticut, travelling together to the Baffin Island Arctic whaling grounds.

One ship is skippered by a hard-as-nails Yankee veteran, the other by a young Newfoundlander, who is an expert at sailing through ice fields -- an "Ice Master" -- but inexperienced at Arctic whaling. Conflicts arise between the two men as they struggle for control during a year-long stay with whale-hunting Inuit on the shores of Baffin Island. Further drama is added by a rivalry with a nearby group of Scottish whalers, a feud with a local shaman woman. and the complicated relationship between the visiting whalers and the local population. On the long, heavy-laden voyage back to New England with a fortune on board they encounter a hurricane -- will both ships survive?

As with his autobiography, Confessions of an Igloo Dweller, Houston's great strength lies in his familiarity with the land, the Inuit, and their customs. His first-hand experience shines through every line, making this a fascinating account of the dangerous business of whale-hunting on seas and on icy shores he knows well.