In 1969, an icebreaking tanker, the SS Manhattan , was commissioned by Humble Oil to transit the Northwest Passage in order to test the logistical and economic feasibility of an all-marine transportation system for Alaska North Slope crude oil. Proposed as an alternative to the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, the Manhattan made two voyages to the North American Arctic and collected volumes of scientific data on ice conditions and the behavior of ships in ice. Although the Manhattan successfully navigated the Northwest Passage—closing a five-hundred-year chapter of Arctic exploration by becoming the first commercial vessel to do so—the expedition ultimately demonstrated the impracticality of moving crude oil using icebreaking ships. Breaking Ice for Arctic Oil details this historic voyage, establishing its significant impact on the future of marine traffic and resource development in the Arctic and setting the stage for the current oil crisis. "[Coen] has plucked a rare gem from the dust bin of Alaska’s relatively brief but colorful petroleum history and endowed it with a fresh voice that speaks to a new generation of adherents largely unaware of its historic genesis....Prof. Coen’s book is arguably the most important book written by an Alaska author on any subject. It’s a must read for anyone dealing with or engaged in the far-reaching implications of the overarching state, national and international issues it explores." -- Joe E. LaRocca ― Anchorage Daily News Published On: 2012-07-14 “A great read—well organized, well written, and fully referenced—providing many lesser known details about SS Manhattan ’s history and the role it played in the Alaska pipeline debate.” -- Shelagh D. Grant, author of Polar Imperative “ Breaking Ice for Arctic Oil is an inform­ative, accessible, and enjoyable read. Those interested in Arctic and Alaskan histories will undoubtedly find much to enjoy in [Ross] Coen’s detailed and personable narrative, while scholars of northern and transportation histories will recog­nize important linkages to contemporary northern affairs.”  ― Arctic “As the discussion of marine travel in the Arctic continues to ramp up, the release of Fairbanks' author Ross Coen's newest book couldn't be timelier.” ― Arctic Sounder “In Breaking Ice for Arctic Oil , Fairbanks-based historian Ross Coen recounts the voyage of the Manhattan and places it in the larger context of the heady early days of Alaska’s entry into the world oil market. The result is a fascinating look at what happens when politics, big business, and technology dovetail to accomplish what has never been done before.” ― Daily News-Miner Ross Coen works at the Alaska Center for Energy and Power at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, where he oversees a program of rural energy development jointly sponsored by the Tanana Chiefs Conference. He also teaches at the university and has published numerous articles on Alaska and arctic history in the Northern Review , Alaska Magazine , Alaska History , and other publications.