In the Kingdom of Ice
By Hampton Sides
- Release Date: 2014-08-05
- Genre: History
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.
Reviews
Amazing story
3By Dennis SmithI had a hard time getting through this. Too many side stories made it easy to lose the narrative.Thrilling storytelling
5By Jordan FleurI’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!10 stars
5By tersocThis book was gripping from page one to the very end. Excellent read!Ice
5By Peter 14Fascinating story. Excellently written.Quite the adventure
5By AguaJefeThis was one polar expedition I had never heard about. An epic tale of courage and naiveté, combined with adventurers choosing to believe the “science” that backed their hopes (much like today). Dumb mistakes, bad timing, great passion, and hard effort combined to create a doomed but heroic adventure. I have been to the arctic, and spent many years conducting field work in some tough conditions, but this makes me really admire what those early explorers went through to discover the unknown.USS Jeannette
4By ChaosNurseThoroughly 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.Fantastic book!
5By Meatball 2I love reading about polar expeditions, and this is one of the very best. Sat up too late, couldn't put it down!Another great work by Mr. Sides
4By DkinasIt took me few pages to settle in but when I did I could not put it down.Good read
4By WilksPhDStarts ok, a bit slow in the middle, gets strong toward the end. I recommend it for readers interested in emotional, historic adventure stories.In the Kingdom of Ice
5By chuckh48This is by far the most incredible survival story I have ever read. It is well researched and documented with colorful accounts of all involved.