About the Author

ADAM SHOALTS has been called one of Canada’s greatest living explorers and in 2018 was named an Explorer-in-Residence of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society. He is also a historian, archaeologist, and geographer, and his book Alone Against the North was a #1 national bestseller. His books, A History of Canada in Ten Maps and The Whisper on the Night Wind, were also national bestsellers. Shoalts’ adventurous career has included discovering waterfalls, mapping rivers, numerous archaeological digs, tracking down elusive flora and fauna, and in 2017 completing a nearly 4,000 km solo journey across Canada’s Arctic. His expeditions have been featured in media around the world, including the BBC, CNN, MSN, CTV, CBC, TVO, Global, Nature, and The Guardian. In 2020, Canadian Geographic included him on their list of the most influential explorers in Canada’s history.

Reviews

Shortlisted for the Edna Staebler Award for Creative Non-Fiction
Winner of the Louise de Kiriline Lawrence Award for English Non-Fiction
Longlisted for the RBC Taylor Prize

"It's an epic journey and Shoalts relishes the brutal struggles for dominance, the restless swagger of men such as Peter Pond, the tales of mammoths and wendigos carefully noted by David Thompson, the ghastly cannibalism that occurred on Captain John Franklin's expedition to the Coppermine River.… Shoalts has done an elegant job of patchworking the stories together and reminding us of the vast and brooding influence of geography on our history." —Globe and Mail

"Shoalts analyzes early maps in order to paint a picture of the land that would become a nation, bringing its earliest stories, voices, and battles to life. Combining geography, cartography, history and anthropology, Shoalts leaves no stone unturned." —CBC 

“Adam Shoalts gets around. The historian, archaeologist and geographer has been called one of Canada's greatest living explorers.... He's the author of A History Of Canada in Ten Maps, a researched look at ancient cartography and archaeology to document how the land we call Canada was shaped.” —CBC

"A brilliant book." —Canadian Geographic

“[A] marvel…. If you like maps, you’ll like this book; if you like both maps and crisply recounted Canadian history, you’ll love it. Shoalts … takes you inside [explorers’]  heads as they face fear, doubt and despair in tandem with cold, starvation and rebellious wanting-to-turn-back companions…. Canadian history writ well." —Winnipeg Free Press

“A masterful approach to mapping Canada.” —Toronto Star

“One fine book perfectly written for the armchair adventurer.” —Postmedia