Huntford has accomplished an unusual feat, producing a history of a means of transportation that ties together myriad human endeavors, including journeys of exploration, competitions, and sheer survival, demonstrating the ubiquitous place of the ski in life across the northern climes. Enjoyable to read and impressive in scope, this history spans the earliest archaeological evidence of skiing, its development as a sport, its use by the military and explorers, and competitive skiing after 1945. Illustrated in b&w. Annotation ©2010 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)