Taming the Arctic: The 20th Century Renown Explorer--Louise Arner Boyd by Durlynn Anema Ph.D.

Louise Arner Boyd inherited millions of dollars when her parents died. Totally alone in the world, she wondered at thirty-two years old what she would do with her life. Travel abroad, community volunteering, social prestige -- these beckoned to her -- leading her first to try a socialite life of parties, events and travel abroad. She quickly was bored. Then, when she traveled to the far north Atlantic Ocean, she discovered her life goal. This frozen wilderness intrigued her. She found a purpose, deciding to explore the many facets of the Arctic. Her millions would be spent to increase knowledge of the Arctic through four expeditions. She planned each expedition, hired crew and scientists and became world renown for her contributions. As a gifted photographer she took thousands of photographs of the Eastern Greenland Coast in the 1930’s. Boyd, flamboyant yet practical, never was afraid to speak her mind, or get what she wanted. Her many awards from Scandinavian nations and her status as the Arctic expert for the U. S. military during World War II demonstrated her success. Explore her determination to succeed through this biography which takes the reader from the gold fields of Bodie, California to the frozen shores of Eastern and Western Greenland to the society pages of San Francisco. Boyd always was up for adventure -- as will be the reader traveling to a little-known place in the world.