Northwest of the World

Northwest of the World, first published in 1944, is the memoir of American explorer and fur-trader Olaf Swenson (1883-1938). The book chronicles his long career in Alaska and Siberia, and provides a fascinating look into the native culture of northeastern Siberia, as well as the difficulties - extreme cold, ships frozen in ice, nearly impossible travel conditions, and Soviet officials -- faced by Swenson and his crews. Illustrated with 8 pages of photographs.

About the Author: Born and raised in Michigan, Swenson first reached the far north as a Nome prospector in 1901. The next year he signed on for a prospecting venture in Siberia, spending two summers and one winter on the Chukchi Peninsula. He returned to Siberia in 1905, this time with his wife and their infant son. His introduction to trading came when their ship was wrecked and he contracted to salvage cargo on a share basis. He continued to trade at Anadyr until 1911. In 1913, Swenson and C.L. Hibbard of Seattle formed the Hibbard-Swenson Company which operated trading schooners and steamers on the Siberian coast, buying furs and ivory and trading a variety of general merchandise until 1921. Swenson continued this business as Olaf Swenson & Co. until 1923 when the Bolshevik victory led to seizure of his business. Two years of negotiations led to a contract with the Soviet government to supply goods on a cost-plus basis and buy furs. This arrangement persisted through 1930. The difficulties of getting furs and personnel out of the Siberian Arctic led to the first commercial flights across the Bering Strait. The fourth such flight crashed in a Siberian winter storm, killing aviation pioneer Carl Ben Eielson and his mechanic in 1929. Swenson's Northwest of the World contains observations on commerce, conditions, and native life in northeast Siberia and has long been praised for vivid description of life in this harsh region.