In 1899, one of America's wealthiest men gathered together an interdisciplinary team of experts--many who would become legendary in their fields--to join him, entirely at his expense, on a voyage to the largely unknown territory of Alaska. The Harriman Expedition was, and remains to this day, unprecedented in its conception and execution. This book traces the story of the expedition: where they went, what they did, and what they learned--including finding early evidence of glacial retreat, assessing the nature and future of Alaska's natural resources, and making important scientific discoveries, including the accumulation of an astonishing collection of specimens. A second thread involves the lives and accomplishments of the members of the party: weaving multiple biographical strands into the narrative of the journey and the personal experiences that they shared in their odyssey in Alaskan waters. This is the first comprehensive, scholarly treatment of the Harriman Alaska Expedition since the 1980s. It features the diaries, letters home, and post-Expedition writings, including unpublished autobiographies, generated by the members of the party.