Uten Nåde translates to Without Mercy in Norwegian, and what a merciless book it is!
This book is about two things: polar bears, and the people who’ve encountered them—be that through hunting, research, or other, terrifying encounters.
It’s written by Birger Amundsen, a multi-faceted man who is (among other things) an Arctic researcher, a journalist, and a very talented author. Though the book is about polar bears in general, it’s geographical focused on Svalbard, a Norwegian archipelago in the Arctic.
I read this book because I live here, in an old coal mining company town called Longyearbyen which is now growing into a sprawling, multicultural research hub and tourist attraction at the top of the world. But it used to be that people came up here to eithrr mine coal or to hunt, be it reindeer, seal, fox or—back in the day—polar bears.
These rough and weathered trappers would take up shelter in tiny cabins spread across these barren, snow-clad islands and spend every waking moment making the most of the hunting season, trying to turn a profit by the time they had to return to the mainland.
Of course it’s a sad story at its core—thankfully polar bears are protected now and the fur trapping industry has long since died, but the tales of these people and their encounters with the majestic animal is truly fascinating. You wouldn’t believe how some of these people lived, what they endures and sacrificed to keep it up, and the terrifying encounters they had.
Because that’s basically the second half of the book: human and polar bear encounters of a very specific kind—fatal ones. And no, I’m not talking about when the bears were the losing part.
There’s been more than a few over the last seven decades—even more since this book was published (I know that for a fact). And though they’re sad and horrifying, they are also incredibly fascinating. Perhaps I’m biased since I live up here, I walk the same mountains and experience the same wilderness, but if you’re fascinated with the Arctic, with true tales of people meeting their demise in the face of… well, nature, then I think you’ll enjoy this book. It’s unlike anything else.
Then again, maybe it’s not for everyone. My wife for one doesn’t ever want to read it. She says she doesn’t need the reminder of all the horrible things that have happened to people out there—perhaps for the same reasons that I enjoy it: because we live here.
But I am caught with this feeling that I just can’t look away. And these stories deserve to be told. For the people who experienced them—and maybe also for the bears.
Have you read anything exciting lately? Found a new favorite author? Anything you’d recommend? Let me know in the comments!
And as always, please check out all my books and stories below. If you’re into psychological horror, crime thrillers, or science-fiction and fantasy, you’ve come to the right place! Bye for now!
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