In this surprisingly interesting book, two Canadian historians examine how Canada asserted its administrative sovereignty over its Arctic regions in the early years of the 20th century. Using previously unavailable archival sources, the authors reveal how explorer Vilhjalmur Stefansson influenced Canada's policy toward the Arctic, including how, in order to advance his own ambitions, he helped create a fraudulent story about Danish plans to invade the Arctic Archipelago and populate it with Greenlanders. Telling quite the tale of intrigue, this book is essential to understanding this transformative period in Canada's Arctic policy, as well as today's debates concerning sovereignty over the world's Arctic regions. Includes three maps and 22 pages of photographs. Distributed by UTP Distribution. Annotation ©2011 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)