In the Kingdom of Ice - Hampton Sides

In the Kingdom of Ice

By Hampton Sides

  • Release Date: 2014-08-05
  • Genre: History
4.5 Score: 4.5 (From 660 Ratings)

Description

NATIONAL BESTSELLERA 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

  • Thrilling storytelling

    5
    By Jordan Fleur
    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!
  • 10 stars

    5
    By tersoc
    This book was gripping from page one to the very end. Excellent read!
  • Ice

    5
    By Peter 14
    Fascinating story. Excellently written.
  • Quite the adventure

    5
    By AguaJefe
    This 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

    4
    By ChaosNurse
    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.
  • Fantastic book!

    5
    By Meatball 2
    I 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

    4
    By Dkinas
    It took me few pages to settle in but when I did I could not put it down.
  • Good read

    4
    By WilksPhD
    Starts 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

    5
    By chuckh48
    This is by far the most incredible survival story I have ever read. It is well researched and documented with colorful accounts of all involved.
  • Fantastic read

    5
    By Phatlanta
    This is one of the best books I've read in years. Similar to Unbroken, the things these me endured would not be believable if it was a fictional tale. It is a page-turner from the start.

Comments