Vagrant Viking: Peter Freuchen

Peter Freuchen (1886-1957) lived an epic life of adventures ranging from exploring the frozen Arctic to fighting the German war machine of World War II. In Vagrant Viking he chronicles his exploits from Copenhagen to Siberia to Hollywood. Together with fellow polar explorer Knud Rasmussen, Freuchen established the Greenland trading station of Thule, and spent many years living amongst the indigenous people of the region. During World War II Freuchen served in occupied Denmark's anti-Nazi underground and survived being imprisoned and sentenced to death by the Germans. His subsequent life of countless travels and adventure took him from the United Nations to Hollywood, where he mixed with notables on the world stage, movie stars, and beauty queens. During all these years, Freuchen wrote, leaving a body of work that includes both fiction and memoirs, all rich with an experienced storyteller's sense of action, romance, and dry wit. He authored Book of the Eskimos and other fascinating works about exploring and living in the amazing world of the Arctic. All of his works portray a person determined to live life to the fullest, and at that he succeeded with extraordinary spirit and courage.