Where the Sea Breaks Its Back

Corey Ford’s historical narrative covers the discovery of modern day Alaska. The author utilizes the journal of naturalist Georg Wilhelm Steller to recount the perilous Great Northern Expedition. Throughout the book, Ford explicitly focuses on how Steller’s personality flaws and intellectual strengths allowed him to access and document incredible findings. Where The Sea Breaks Its Back is a ode to Steller’s work as an early naturalist and details his harrowing and tragic voyage abord the St. Peter.

Historical Comprehension

The author primarily relies on Georg Steller’s journal, the log of the St. Peter and memoirs written by one of the St. Peter’s crewmembers (Sven Waxell). Given that Steller took meticulous notes and heavily documented his journeys, it was much easier for the author to compile research than with many other comprehensive historical novels. The author’s primary piece of new analysis relates to Steller’s post-mortem accolades, despite his personality flaws and lack of material success within the Russian kingdom.

Modern Readability

The author maintains a consistent flow of storytelling and analysis to describe Steller’s life with a particular focus on the Great Northern Expedition. The author spends slightly too much time recounting the ongoing struggle to return to Kamchatka, but rounds out Steller’s biography in a succinct manner. Ford also bookends Steller’s biography with his own accounts of observing the natural beauty of Alaska during and after WWII. In these passages, the author parallels some of his experiences alongside what the expeditionary crew could have observed to draw in more contemporary readers. This work appeals to those interested in learning about the brutal struggles and post-mortem successes of an early pioneer of natural history.

Unique and Balanced Perspective

Despite having access to detailed primary source materials, prior to its publishing, there were not many works solely dedicated to exploring the life of Georg Steller. To date, the book remains one of few notable works detailing Steller’s life and analyzing his impact on early naturalism. In terms of bias, the author does a strong job explaining Steller’s substantial personality flaws and personal shortcomings, but credits his absolute dedication to natural studies to accurately depict his full persona.