Tip of the Iceberg: My 3,000-Mile Journey Around Wild Alaska, the Last Great American Frontier
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Tip of the Iceberg: My 3,000-Mile Journey Around Wild Alaska, the Last Great American Frontier Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

Mark Adams (Narrator, Author), Penguin Audio (Publisher)
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 396 ratings
Editors' pick Best Biographies & Memoirs
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**The National Best Seller**

From the acclaimed, best-selling author of Turn Right at Machu Picchu, a fascinating and funny journey into Alaska, America's last frontier, retracing the historic 1899 Harriman Expedition.

In 1899, railroad magnate Edward H. Harriman organized a most unusual summer voyage to the wilds of Alaska: He converted a steamship into a luxury "floating university", populated by some of America's best and brightest scientists and writers, including the anti-capitalist eco-prophet, John Muir. Those aboard encountered a land of immeasurable beauty and impending environmental calamity. More than 100 years later, Alaska is still America's most sublime wilderness, both the lure that draws a million tourists annually on Inside Passage cruises and a natural resources larder waiting to be raided. As ever, it remains a magnet for weirdos and dreamers.

Armed with Dramamine and an industrial-strength mosquito net, Mark Adams sets out to retrace the 1899 expedition. Using the state's intricate public ferry system, the Alaska Marine Highway System, Adams travels 3,000 miles, following the George W. Elder's itinerary north through Wrangell, Juneau, and Glacier Bay, then continuing west into the colder and stranger regions of the Aleutians and the Arctic Circle. Along the way, he encounters dozens of unusual characters (and a couple of very hungry bears) and investigates how lessons learned in 1899 might relate to Alaska's current struggles in adapting to climate change.

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  1. Listening Length
    9 hours and 12 minutes
  2. Author
    Mark Adams
  3. Narrator
    Mark Adams
  4. Audible release date
    May 15, 2018
  5. Language
    English
  6. Publisher
    Penguin Audio
  7. ASIN
    B07B4JVP5F
  8. Version
    Unabridged
  9. Program Type
    Audiobook
  10. See all details
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Product details

Listening Length 9 hours and 12 minutes
Author Mark Adams
Narrator Mark Adams
Whispersync for Voice Ready
Audible.com Release Date May 15, 2018
Publisher Penguin Audio
Program Type Audiobook
Version Unabridged
Language English
ASIN B07B4JVP5F
Best Sellers Rank #130,724 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals)
#98 in North America Travel & Tourism
#369 in Travel Writing & Commentary
#1,233 in Pacific West United States Travel Books

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
396 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Blake Thomas
5.0 out of 5 stars Two Wild Adventures
Reviewed in the United States on July 10, 2018
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“Tip of the Iceberg – My 3,000-mile Journey Around Alaska, The Last Great American Frontier” is just terrific. It is an enormously satisfying parallel adventure, pairing the story of Edward Harriman’s 1899 expedition to Alaska with the author’s modern retracing of the same adventure nearly 120 years later. Both stories are beautifully told, with plenty of illuminating historical context to bring the past to life, and enough wry observation, real adventure and beautiful nature writing to make the modern story almost as amazing as the original one.

The constant throughout is the Alaskan wilderness. Adams allows the original explorers to speak for themselves, and passages by John Muir and John Burroughs are powerful in communicating the wild vastness and shocking beauty of Alaska and the awe they felt as they encountered it. But Adams’ writing is so vivid and affecting about nature, and his descriptions so good, that it is his writing that makes the real connection for you to wild Alaska.

Finally, Adams is no armchair adventurer, and his enthusiastic pursuit of the journey pays off in two ways. He has real adventures, recalled with humor and terror disguised as humor. But most rewarding are the portraits of the people he encounters in Alaska. He honors all by truly seeing them and reporting with compassion what he sees. Throw in some fascinating and tragic Native American History, some environmental history, some climate change, some geology, some huge earthquakes, some modern Alaskan political science, some tsunamis and some beer for dinner. Then you get the encounters with bears.

If any of this sounds interesting at all, then you should read this book right away.
19 people found this helpful
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David B.
4.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable read.
Reviewed in the United States on August 29, 2018
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I enjoyed this book. The author does a good job of blending the historical Harriman expedition with the author’s own experiences. I recommend the book if you are interested in Alaska.
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MikeB
5.0 out of 5 stars Great read, highly recommend
Reviewed in the United States on December 17, 2021
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One of the best books I’ve read lately. The look both past and present was exceptional, entertaining, informative, and thought provoking. Regardless where you stand politically and your views of global warming, the comparisons made from 1899 to now will make you want to visit Alaska next week. I went ahead and bought both the Muir book and Expedition log to learn more of that time period. Been to AK at least four times for short work visits and a cruise along the inside passage and it was never enough. This book reinforced my desire to spend a few months there next year.
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Dan B
5.0 out of 5 stars Learn, Laugh and Experience an Adventure
Reviewed in the United States on May 29, 2018
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Mark Adams consistently delivers books that take three stories that are masterfully woven into pure adventure, insights, and fun. If you love history, travel, and discovering the stories behind the stories, then Tip of the Iceberg is for you. Like Turn RIght at Machu Picchu, there are three chords; the main story (Harriman), the history of the town and adventurers that came before Harriman, and Mark's story of retracing the steps. You’ll appreciate the research and detail provided at each station of the journey as well as the odd, funny, or scary things that happen along Mark’s trip. I am amazed how he can connect with people and how quickly they open up, which adds to the understanding of the culture. This ability is what makes Mark’s book pure fun to read.
22 people found this helpful
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V. L. Wilson
5.0 out of 5 stars FIVE STARS - HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
Reviewed in the United States on August 6, 2018
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For all the armchair travelers and especially for those who are unable to visit Alaska, Mark Adams has written an illuminating and very enjoyable book for you! I purchased the hardback copy instead of Kindle as I knew I'd want to share this book - it contains a map and some photos, sources and bibliography. I especially enjoyed Alaska's history, climate changes, early explorers, natives, and the scenery as described so perfectly in this utterly delightful book! Most of all I enjoyed the author's usual good-natured humor as he sailed, hiked, flew, biked, kayaked, camped, ate, communicated with tourists and Alaskans, and described the journeys by explorers in the 1800's. Alaska is America's final frontier. I've read many books on Alaska, but this is my favorite one to share.
10 people found this helpful
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Road Warrior
3.0 out of 5 stars Alaska traveloge in book form
Reviewed in the United States on January 6, 2020
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Having only seen Alaska from an inside passage cruise, I was hoping to get from this book a much better picture of and deeper appreciation for the state. After reading about all the stops made and activities undertaken by Mr. Adams on his 3,000 mile journey, I guess it's impossible, in just 297 pages, to paint much of a picture that could be called Alaska. I'm thinking that this was written according to some new rule that says, consumers of printed material will no longer buy books over 300 pages. With the detail I was seeking, a book of this nature would probably run to 600+ pages. Don't get me wrong, it's a fun read. I enjoyed the book. It was simply not the in-depth story I had hoped for.
2 people found this helpful
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J. F. Kuzmick
4.0 out of 5 stars Helpful for Alaska prep
Reviewed in the United States on August 30, 2018
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Enjoyed reading this book before heading to Alaska for two weeks. Especially reading about the nineteenth century history of some of the places we were to visit. We also read the author's book "Turn Right at Machu Picchu"before hiking in Peru so knew what to expect as far as his style of mixing historical and modern day events. We could have done without the last chapter's digs at people who don't believe the PC line on what glaciers are doing, global warming-wise. Absolutely no reason to bring politics into an otherwise enjoyable read.
2 people found this helpful
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H.,
5.0 out of 5 stars Educational AND Entertaining
Reviewed in the United States on December 6, 2018
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I love this book. I love travelling to Alaska. I love this book. And if you've enjoyed Adams' previous work, you'll like this one, too, whether you love Alaska or not. As Adams more or less follows the route of the Harriman Expedition, he compares the earlier trip to modern day Alaska using gentle humor, making fun of some of the folks he encounters, but not in a mean way, and he pokes fun at himself as well. I'm going on an Alaskan cruise this summer with friends--which is not the same as either the Harriman Expedition or Adams' trip AT ALL, but I'm still getting this book as a gift for everyone who's going.
3 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Jules
4.0 out of 5 stars Chilled travel
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 24, 2019
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The author follows in the footsteps (or more literally - the wake), of a game-changing expedition a century before.

Painting a colorful backdrop to his own excursions, by using references and historical notes from the original, he touches on multiple cultural and political issues which are also shaping the Alaskan scenery - in an entertaining, yet serious way.

I really enjoyed this on many levels and the photo showing the retreat of one glacier over the century vividly brings into question the concept of climate change denial.

Fabulous armchair travel and I will be reading more of his work.
One person found this helpful
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