Captain Mac: The Life of Donald Baxter MacMillan, Arctic Explorer

by Mary Morton Cowan

Overview

From 1908 until 1954, Donald Baxter MacMillan spent nearly 50 years exploring the Arctic—longer than anyone else. Growing up near the ocean, and orphaned by 12, MacMillan forged an adventurous life. Mary Morton Cowan focuses on the vital role MacMillan played in Robert Peary's 1908-09 North Pole Expedition, as well as his relationships with explorers Peary, Matthew Henson, and Richard Byrd. She follows his long and distinguished career, including daring adventures, contributions to environmental science and to the cultural understanding of eastern Arctic natives. Working closely with the Peary-MacMillan Arctic Museum at Bowdoin College, Cowan showcases many MacMillan documents and archival photographs, many MacMillan's own in this winner of the John Burroughs Nature Books for Young Readers Award.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781629791746
Publisher:	Astra Publishing House
Publication date:	03/01/2010
Sold by:	Penguin Random House Publisher Services
Format:	eBook
Pages:	208
File size:	22 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	4 - 6 Years

About the Author

Mary Morton Cowan is the author of Timberrr ... A History of Logging in New England, winner of Maine Library Association's Lupine Honor Award, and Ice Country, a historical novel based on Donald MacMillan's Arctic adventures. She lives near Sebago Lake in Maine.

Editorial Reviews

"This engaging biography is also a solid overview of an era of exploration that still captivates adventurous youths. It will find an audience among readers who enjoyed Katherine Kirkpatrick's The Snow Baby (Holiday House) or adventure novels such as Roland Smith's Peak (Harcourt, both 2007)." —School Library Journal

"A good read for reluctant male readers." —Library Media Connection

"The severe hardships and wild beauties of the Arctic come through as strongly as [Cowan's] case for the significance of [MacMillan's] achievements. Extensive back matter concludes." —Booklist

From the Publisher

Gr 5–9—This biography, written with obvious respect and admiration, covers the life and achievements of the Arctic explorer. MacMillan grew up reading about Arctic adventures and longed for the seafaring life, even after his father was lost at sea in 1883. After graduating from Bowdoin College with a degree in geology, he joined Robert Peary's 1908 expedition to the North Pole. This was followed by other scientific explorations into the Arctic's vast unknown regions, some by airplane, where Captain Mac filmed and photographed wildlife and icebergs that he would later incorporate into his popular lecture tours. Chapters open with a black-and-white photo that acts as a backdrop for Mac's next adventure. Archival photos with explanatory captions appear on nearly every page. The author skillfully weaves primary-source quotes with short, action-oriented sentences (e.g., "Mac was lucky to escape alive!"). The grimmer aspects of Arctic life (drownings, amputations, and eating the weakest dogs) are mentioned but not addressed in detail. This engaging biography is also a solid overview of an era of exploration that still captivates adventurous youths. It will find an audience among readers who enjoyed Katherine Kirkpatrick's The Snow Baby (Holiday House) or adventure novels such as Roland Smith's Peak (Harcourt, both 2007).—Amy Pickett, Ridley High School, Folsom, PA

School Library Journal