In the Kingdom of Ice
The Grand and Terrible Polar Voyage of the USS Jeannette
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4.4 • 660 Ratings
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- $14.99
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
NATIONAL BESTSELLER • A white-knuckle tale of polar exploration and heroism in the Gilded Age from the New York Times bestselling author of Blood and Thunder and Ghost Soldiers. • “A splendid book in every way…a marvelous nonfiction thriller.” —The Wall Street Journal
On July 8, 1879, Captain George Washington De Long and his team of thirty-two men set sail from San Francisco on the USS Jeanette.
Heading deep into uncharted Arctic waters, they carried the aspirations of a young country burning to be the first nation to reach the North Pole. Two years into the harrowing voyage, the Jeannette's hull was breached by an impassable stretch of pack ice, forcing the crew to abandon ship amid torrents of rushing of water. Hours later, the ship had sunk below the surface, marooning the men a thousand miles north of Siberia, where they faced a terrifying march with minimal supplies across the endless ice pack.
Enduring everything from snow blindness and polar bears to ferocious storms and labyrinths of ice, the crew battled madness and starvation as they struggled desperately to survive. With thrilling twists and turns, In The Kingdom of Ice is a spellbinding tale of heroism and determination in the most brutal place on Earth.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
This chronicle of a deadly but daring Arctic mission proves that some of the most gripping adventures come straight from history. In 1879, a rich and powerful newspaper magnate planned and backed an expedition to the North Pole—still a mysterious place at the time—through the Bering Strait. George Washington De Long commanded the steam-powered USS Jeannette, but the ship got stuck in ice for two years before it eventually sank. The survivors faced a frosty trek across miles of ice, pulling everything they could haul. Historian Hampton Sides draws on loads of research to spin a story full of international politics, larger-than-life characters, and tons of high-stakes dramatic tension. Dive into this true story of heroism and heartbreak.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In a masterful retelling, Sides (Hellhound on His Trail) chronicles American naval officer George Washington De Long's harrowing 1879 expedition to the North Pole, an account as frightening as it is fascinating. Each page envelops readers in the bravery of De Long and the crew of the Jeannette, their indefatigable quest for the "Polar Grail," and their dogged will to survive. News mogul James Gordon Bennett Jr., a colorful personality who famously sent Sir Henry Stanley to Dr. David Livingstone, was De Long's patron, mostly because he desired another front-page stunner for his paper. De Long's journal entries are mixed in with Sides's description of a voyage fraught with peril their steamboat was wedged in ice for two winters and,upon released, was crushed. Seeking rescue, the crew hauled supplies hundreds of miles across Arctic ice fields. Weather was harsh, erratic, and frigid with food and shelter scarce; many succumbed to frostbite and madness. Flawed theories of Siberian geography and settlements caused further setbacks. (Disastrously, De Long had already discovered that prevailing theories about warm currents under Polar icecaps were incorrect.) Impeccable writing, a vivid re-creation of the expedition and the Victorian era, and a taut conclusion make this an exciting gem.
Customer Reviews
USS Jeannette
Thoroughly researched, this was a fascinating read. I happened to finish the book the night I arrived in Annapolis and found that there is a memorial to the exploration on the grounds of the Naval Academy.
Amazing story
I had a hard time getting through this. Too many side stories made it easy to lose the narrative.
Thrilling storytelling
I’ve read several books about arctic exploration, but none more engrossing than Sides’ telling of the journey of the USS Jeannette. A combination of journal entries, letters and official logs of the exploration allow the reader to get to know some of the main players in getting the expedition funded and the Jeannette crew itself. Sides describes the arctic environment incredibly vividly. I couldn’t put the book down!