Unfrozen is a collaborative enterprise between Dodds and Bennett, drawing on their rich experiences from across the Arctic and as part of the wider international community. The book embodies a unique positionality which hops from small Arctic communities, bearing the burden of extractivism, to bustling international environments where perspectives are reconciled. Framing their argument is the unwavering clarity that humans are altering our environment beyond a safe tipping point, and these changes are positioning the Arctic in a state of multi-scalar transition.
From social media-friendly Sámi to mid-winter high-North sunbathing, the reader is plunged into a nuanced Arctic. Using a unique storytelling narrative, the reader is immersed in the account of the historical and current impacts of Arctic change across geological epochs and waves of human existence. From woolly mammoths, ancient trading routes and Arctic sea monsters to Chinese espionage in Russia, Unfrozen encapsulates a version of the Arctic which is both factual and imaginatively gripping, incorporating statistical and political realities with stories of human endeavour and everyday life.
This polyvalent approach allows Bennett and Dodds to employ new geopolitical analysis, recasting Arctic events across time, place, perspective and context. As new Arctic discourses are frequently pushed within sectarian perspectives, the sometimes untold narratives of peoples and events erased within an adversarial Arctic are a breath of fresh air to a region in need of renewed theoretical attention. The nuanced storytelling encapsulating folklaw and linguistic symbolism does not mean that realpolitik is not considered by Bennett and Dodds. Looking to the future, Bennett and Dodds consider how climatic changes impact the broader security environment, drawing on historical and current examples of Arctic cooperation and conflict. Throughout Unfrozen, an unsettling picture comes to the forefront that realist politics are back on the table for the Arctic.
As norms of cooperation continue to be diminished, galvanised by Trump’s claims on Greenland in 2026 and as he removes the US from international treaties in an America First attitude, this book comes at a pivotal moment in Arctic geopolitics. Significantly, the authors, somewhat unnervingly, predict Trump’s attempts on Greenland and future confrontation in the region based on natural resource rivalry. This prediction highlights the success of their analytical style and makes this book a must-read for those interested in Arctic change with an emphasis on geopolitics.
Unfrozen offers a novel analysis for multidisciplinary and multisocietal readers, offering a unique interdisciplinary perspective, taking readers on an immersive journey through Arctic geopolitics. The book is intellectually diverse, making it particularly suited to those who employ an inter, trans or multidisciplinary perspective in their approach. Overall, Unfrozen occupies a unique position between a textbook, a story and a critical analysis with a futures perspective, which employs lessons from the past. Considering the strained Arctic research and governance landscape, ultimately, Unfrozen offers a much-needed nuanced approach to understanding Arctic change.
