Book excerpt: Arctic Oil: Photographs of Alaska's North Slope introduces readers to a remote region north of the Arctic Circle. Only the Native peoples who lived there for centuries and the small workforce that keeps Alaska s mammoth oil fields producing had previously known the area. Judy Patrick s photographs now bring this secret corner of the world to the public eye. Images of ice roads and ice islands built for winter exploration lie next to images of year-round production complexes hauled north by barge, and page turns reveal the faces of roughnecks on drill rigs. The melding of pristine Alaska and modern industry in each image make this book is a unique and intriguing compilation. Taken over two decades, these photographs showcase Alaska s North Slope oil industry from the massive Prudhoe Bay field to the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska and beyond. Few people beyond those who work there get to see what Alaska s oil industry looks like, but Alaskan photographer Judy Patrick brings it to life for those of us who will never make the trek north.