In the Kingdom of Ice: The Grand and Terrible Polar Voyage of the USS Jeannette

by Hampton Sides

Book Overview

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.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0307946916
• ISBN13: 9780307946911
• Release Date: May 2015
• Publisher: Vintage
• Length: 480 Pages
• Weight: 1.04 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.1" x 7.9"

Customer Reviews

Epic Arctic Adventure- a must read.

An incredible voyage of Arctic exploration. I have read the book once, and listened to it 2 times… just incredible story telling and research. Really takes you back in time to the late 1800’s when America was blossoming and northern exploration was on the rise. H. Sides delivers a masterpiece. Once you get going on this book you will not be able to put it down.

Stirring tribulation and USA in late 19th century

The story of the crew of the Artic exploring ship Jeanette is indeed a harrowing tale of almost mind numbing survival and death. Meticulously researched and easily readable, the true story includes many asides and insights into life during and after the Centennial Exposition in the USA in 1876. Rutherfotd B Hayes defeated Tilden with Tilden winning the popular vote. Opponents called the President Rutherfraud! His wife Hetty was a teetotaler and it was said in the White House "the water flowed like wine". Edison's early experiments with electric lights are covered but they were referred to as "artificial suns". Captain DeLong, leader of the expedition, along with his wife Emma, stayed at a modern hotel in San Francisco with the first hydraulic powered elevator referred to as a "rising room". I finished the 400 page book in four days, a truly absorbing read that won't disappoint.