In 31 chapters, each as self-contained and pointed as a shard of ice, Brunner presents a different historic, political, natural or cultural facet of his subject. Together, these shards form a glacial memory palace-cum-climbing wall that lets readers scale this myth-wreathed territory. He looks not so much for a through-line as for arresting spots on the berg of the notional north where the reader can plant an ice ax, pause for breath, look out and down, and ponder the mysteries of the northern lights, spread out across the centuries.

As content creators continue to find inspiration in the mythical north, readers interested in why these themes have had such longevity will find this book invaluable..

Brunner does not skirt around these thorny topics. Likewise he laments the present-day slow destruction of the Arctic through industrial exploitation and climate change. His book is arid and sober-minded, with the occasional witty line.

Panoramic.

Captivating and wide-ranging.

In an engaging, sometimes academic tone, the author analyzes how the idea of the North has evolved over the centuries.