Friday, December 5, 2014

In the Kingdom of Ice

In the Kingdom of Ice: The Grand and Terrible Polar Voyage of the USS Jeanette
By Hampton Sides
Doubleday, 2014. 480 pgs. Nonfiction.

George Washington De Long was a young naval officer that led the expedition of the Jeanette  in 1879, to discover more of the Arctic, which explorers had become obsessed with. 32 men were funded for this particular exploration and even though well prepared and ready for the ice, they did not make it to their destination after being caught in a pack of ice two years in to the journey. The majority of this book discusses the travel and adversity of the cold, unforgiving Arctic, after the Jeanette sinks and leaves them stranded.

The audio book was a fantastic listen and played out like a fiction thriller book. From lack of food, freezing limbs, getting lost, and lost again, there were so many plot twists and nerve wracking moments I couldn't stop listening. Anyone that likes adventure stories, exploration, or even feeling very cold,  would like this book. The perseverance and hope was another thing that made me want to finish the book so I can see who survived.

EW

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