Caribou and the Barren Lands

 By George Calef
 Firefly Books/Canadian Arctic Resources Committee
 176 pp. $24.95
 ISBN: 1-895565-68-5

Review by MICHAEL PEAKE -- Che-Mun Editor

Canoelit Home Page

 This book landed with a glorious splash 15 years ago. And now it's been released again, this time in paperback thanks to the efforts of the Canadian Arctic Resources Committee. George Calef's landmark book on the caribou stands out as a prized achievement. Both the words and fabulous pictures garnered this book a Governor General's Award in 1981.
 Calef writes a preface to the new edition and reports that the news is good on the caribou front. Populations are expanding and the future is bright. It was a treat for me to read about the Porcupine herd in the northern Yukon. They descend across the Porcupine River in great numbers every fall. We saw a few caribou on our August trip and only dreamed what they might look like in full numbers. I fact, the famous cover photo from the book is of the Porcupine herd crossing their namesake river.
 This book is really a standout. It is liberally sprinkled with great caribou and scenic photos of the north many of which will be familiar to the reader from a variety of places including National Geographic. Calef is a superb photographer who follows the year of the caribou and their encounters with wolves and the often violent environment in which they live.
 This book has been out of print for quite a while and already turning up on the rare and old book lists around the continent. If you missed it the first time - don't make the same mistake twice.