The Northwest Passage is so far north that only a polar projection map presents an accurate picture of its expanse. It has been both an integral part of Canada's national identity and a source of contention between the United States and Canada. Canadian claims that the Passage is internal Canadian waters have been challenged by United States insistence that it is an international strait. Continental partners and allies, the two countries have charted a unique course in continental cooperation, while concurrently working to resolve contentious bilateral issues. This study places the Northwest Passage in the context of U.S.-Canadian relations and argues that its resolution lies in the spirit and history of bilateral cooperation found in the second half of the twentieth century. «This book fills an important gap in literature on the Arctic and in the strategic study of the North. It is well researched and solidly written. It possesses the advantage of having looked at sources on both sides, American and Canadian. It is not a 'Prisoner of the Cold War,' but at the same time it acknowledges that the Cold War gave the principal impetus to concerns about the strategic use of the Arctic. A wide range of scholars and policy makers including historians, political scientists, and experts of all sorts can use this book. I cannot imagine an expert, in the Arctic or in strategic matters in the North, being without it.» (Charles Doran, Andrew W. Mellon Professor of International Relations and Director of the Center of Canadian Studies, Johns Hopkins University) The Author: Elizabeth B. Elliot-Meisel is Assistant Professor of History at Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska. She received her Ph.D. in History from Duke University. Dr. Elliot-Meisel's current research interests focus on Canadian-American bilateral cooperation and postwar naval operations in the High Arctic.