Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

Unavailable
In the Kingdom of Ice: The Grand and Terrible Polar Voyage of the USS Jeannette
Unavailable
In the Kingdom of Ice: The Grand and Terrible Polar Voyage of the USS Jeannette
Unavailable
In the Kingdom of Ice: The Grand and Terrible Polar Voyage of the USS Jeannette
Audiobook17 hours

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

Written by Hampton Sides

Narrated by Arthur Morey

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

4.5/5

()

Currently unavailable

Currently unavailable

About this audiobook

New York Times bestselling author Hampton Sides returns with a white-knuckle tale of polar exploration and survival in the Gilded Age

In the late nineteenth century, people were obsessed by one of the last unmapped areas of the globe: the North Pole. No one knew what existed beyond the fortress of ice rimming the northern oceans, although theories abounded. The foremost cartographer in the world, a German named August Petermann, believed that warm currents sustained a verdant island at the top of the world. National glory would fall to whoever could plant his flag upon its shores.

James Gordon Bennett, the eccentric and stupendously wealthy owner of The New York Herald, had recently captured the world's attention by dispatching Stanley to Africa to find Dr. Livingstone. Now he was keen to re-create that sensation on an even more epic scale. So he funded an official U.S. naval expedition to reach the Pole, choosing as its captain a young officer named George Washington De Long, who had gained fame for a rescue operation off the coast of Greenland. De Long led a team of 32 men deep into uncharted Arctic waters, carrying the aspirations of a young country burning to become a world power. On July 8, 1879, the USS Jeannette set sail from San Francisco to cheering crowds in the grip of "Arctic Fever."

The ship sailed into uncharted seas, but soon was trapped in pack ice. Two years into the harrowing voyage, the hull was breached. Amid the rush of water and the shrieks of breaking wooden boards, the crew abandoned the ship. Less than an hour later, the Jeannette sank to the bottom, and the men found themselves marooned a thousand miles north of Siberia with only the barest supplies. Thus began their long march across the endless ice-a frozen hell in the most lonesome corner of the world. Facing everything from snow blindness and polar bears to ferocious storms and frosty labyrinths, the expedition battled madness and starvation as they desperately strove for survival.

With twists and turns worthy of a thriller, In the Kingdom of Ice is a spellbinding tale of heroism and determination in the most unforgiving territory on Earth.

LanguageEnglish
Release dateAug 5, 2014
ISBN9780307966551
Unavailable
In the Kingdom of Ice: The Grand and Terrible Polar Voyage of the USS Jeannette
Author

Hampton Sides

Narrative historian Hampton Sides is the New York Times bestselling author of Ghost Soldiers, Blood and Thunder, Hellhound on His Trail, In the Kingdom of Ice, and On Desperate Ground. He is a contributing editor to Outside magazine and a frequent contributor to National Geographic and other publications. His work has been collected in numerous anthologies, and he is a two-time finalist for the National Magazine Award for feature writing. Hellhound on His Trail, about the murder of Martin Luther King Jr. and the hunt for his killer, was the basis for the acclaimed PBS documentary Roads to Memphis. Sides lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Related to In the Kingdom of Ice

Related audiobooks

History For You

View More

Related articles

Reviews for In the Kingdom of Ice

Rating: 4.3844622812749 out of 5 stars
4.5/5

251 ratings39 reviews

What did you think?

Tap to rate

Review must be at least 10 words

  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    With this book, it was love at first sight. I’ve been looking forward to reading In The Kingdom of Ice since I first heard of it months ago and somehow it still exceeded my expectations. The author’s use of direct quotes was fantastic. They were seamlessly integrated into the story and made the experiences of the explorers more vivid. They also helped to capture the feel of an age with a strong national desire for innovation and exploration. Together with the author’s engaging narration, they made the book feel Jules Vernesque in a number of wonderful ways. The characters were larger than life as were the insane feats they attempted. Despite being 400 pages, this was easy to get through and impossible to put down.

    My only small complaint with this book is that the author often described people’s feelings and personalities without citing specific sources as support. However, the author has clearly read extensively through the logs of the crew members, so I’m inclined to believe that this is well-informed speculation. Either way, these details about the people involved in the story, as well as detailed descriptions of every aspect of the adventure, made this story a pleasure to read. Truly, I was blown away by the author’s ability to craft a compelling narrative while constrained by the framework of true events. I don’t think any fictional embellishments could have improved on this true story. I’d highly recommend this to anyone, but particularly to fans of Mitchel Zuckoff or Jules Verne.

    This review first published at Doing Dewey.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    An amazing tale of Arctic exploration in the late 1800's and the brave men who sailed in uncharted waters to seek an open passage. The story is full of details describing their life on board their ice-bound ship for 2 years and their harrowing trip across an unwelcome land to try to get home. The captain carried his logs with him in case he did not make it home then someone hopefully would find the logs and be aided in their future explorations of the Arctic.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This was a heart-rending read! Very interesting, but so hard to imagine anyone surviving as much difficulty as this group did. I've been to the Norton Sound area of Alaska, so could picture a little bit of what they might have experienced, and wish I'd heard more about it in my high school history classes!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Joy's review: This is non-fiction at it's best! Sides makes the story of this audacious journey a gripping read. Attempting to sail to the North Pole in 1879, the Jeanette quickly gets locked in the ice. Sides paints vivid pictures of the crew and their courage, suffering, and, sometimes, insanity. Context and preparations are interestingly described without unnecessary detours. This a great book for anyone who loves adventure tales as well as history buffs and fans of the Arctic.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A true story of adventure in search of the North Pole. I can't understand how this episode seems to have been overlooked by the history books, but three cheers to Hampton Sides for his research. Highly recommended.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    In the summer of 1879, with a crew of 32, the USS Jeannette set sail for the arctic waters, to map a course to the north pole. If the Jeannette succeeds, it would be the first mission to do so. An extremely dangerous voyage, due to the unpredictable and unrelenting ice pack.Shortly, after arriving in the northern waters, near the Bering Strait, the Jeannette was trapped. They were stuck there for two years until the hull was finally breached and the crew was forced to abandon ship and march across the ice. A thousand miles away from Siberia, battling the cold, starvation, snow blindness, injuries and polar bears. Did they survive? You will have to read it, to find out. These lips are sealed.This is a harrowing, incredibly thrilling adventure tale, meticulously researched and written, by one of my favorite nonfiction authors.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    An entertaining and mostly thrilling account of this famous arctic adventure. Some of the preliminary and by the way material seemed gratuitous, but maybe I was just eager for the story to begin. The story of the idea of the open polar sea is another fascinating look at what we are willing to believe strongly despite all evidence to the contrary.
    ==============
    It has occurred to me, since I wrote this review, and as Christmas approaches and I read Chris Van Allsburg's Polar Express to my grandson, that the idea of a mystical place at the north pole where Santa Claus can work with his elves, might be somehow tied up not just with the north pole's remoteness, but also with these other 19th century ideas about what might be there (e.g. a hole into the center of the earth and prehistoric creatures).
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Extraordinary book! Highly recommend.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    nonfiction (doomed north pole excursion; arctic shipwreck/survival). Very readable narrative account of the voyage of the USS Jeannette.

    What became of them?
    Twenty-five men lock'd in ice,
    'Twas no Paradise.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    In the 1880's, an expedition to be the first to reach the North Pole discovered the true immensity of the polar region with disastrous consequences.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    The storytelling was good, but the end was so grim, particularly with the letters from deLong's wife. I cared too much about the people in this to want to hear that one-third of the party froze, starved to death, and/or died of exposure. Further, one-third of the group was just gone. It seemed like more needed to be done to find them (or explained).
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    One of my favorite genres is non-fiction, exploration accounts. From Stephen Ambrose’s Undaunted Courage (Lewis and Clark) to Jon Krakauer’s Into Thin Air and Alan Morehead’s White Nile and Blue Nile, accounts of the travails faced by explorers have always fascinated me. One subset of this genre is polar exploration. I’ve read several works whose subject was the Northwest Passage and the Franklin Expedition. I’ve read of the journeys of Ernest Shackleton and the Endurance and the race to the South Pole, involving Norwegian Roald Amundsen and Englishman Robert Falcon Scott. In all of these works, many of which detailed the history of polar exploration, I do not recall ever hearing of the Jeanette Expedition of 1880, the subject of this book. This is somewhat surprising, because it seems to have been something of a seminal event in the exploration of the northern polar regions.At the time, little was known of the polar regions. Many surmised that the northern pole was covered by a warm sea, encircled by a girdle of ice which merely had to be pierced in order to access the ice free sea. The Franklin Expedition had previously been lost seeking a Northwest Passage, but attempts to sail to the northern pole were very few, and dismal failures. In the late 1870s, an American naval officer George De Long, teamed up with the owner of the New York Herald, James Gordon Bennett to finance and outfit an expedition to explore the polar region and attempt a sea-based journey to the North Pole. Supported by the U. S. Navy and assisted by many of the leading “experts” on polar exploration, the group purchased a suitable craft, retrofitted it and provisioned it, departing from San Francisco headed north for the Bering Strait. As it turns out, almost everything they were told to expect was wrong. Their maps were almost universally inaccurate and they were soon captured by the pack ice. This book details all of the preparations for the trip, the personalities involved and the brutal results of their journey. After finishing the book, I am somewhat astonished that I have never seen reference to the expedition, even in passing. It is an amazing and compelling story of human endurance and tragedy. I recommend it not just for those who have an interest in polar exploration, but for anyone who enjoys history and/or human interest stories in general.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Wow. To think this happened only 140ish years ago - and that just a shift of events either ahead or back a smidge likely would have changed the confluence of events. I'm amazed that even one boat made it to safety - and a compass certainly would have assisted De Long much better than the sextant, assuming he had some idea of where he landed in the Lena Delta
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I have read a lot of books on Arctic expedition disasters and shipwrecks, but "In the Kingdom of Ice" was definitely a page turner. I especially appreciated the historical references incorporated into the storyline. These tidbits, such as, the origins of the U.S. Open, the early renditions of the electric light bulb, formation of the U.S. Coast Guard, etc, helped ground me into the time period.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Manages the difficult task of being equal parts bonkers, captivating, and tragic. Very hard to put down once you get into it.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I have a weakness for narratives of polar exploration. I think it's partly because I live in a warm climate, and it's hard for me to imagine what REAL cold weather is like. Arctic and Antarctic explorers are really tested and challenged. So I figured I'd like this book too.

    Maybe it was the narrator, but most of the book moved pretty slowly for me. There's a lot of background information. The theory of the time that the North Pole is actually covered by a warm, temperate sea is mentioned a LOT. The Jeannette expedition set out with that thought, and that there was a warm current in the Pacific that was analogous to the Gulf Stream was what was supposed to get the expedition to the Pole. Alas, neither thing was true.

    Some polar expeditions end well, some don't. The most affecting part of the book to me was the last few chapters, where we find out what happened to most of the crew.

    It's a worthy entry into the polar exploration genre, but not as exciting as the book about Ernest Shackleton's epic journey on the other end of the globe.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    4.5 starsIn the late 19th century, Captain De Long paired up with the owner of the New York Herald (who funded the trip) to sail the USS Jeannette to the North Pole. At the time (though no one had yet been there), some people thought that once you pushed past the ice, there was warmer and open water. De Long, armed with maps (many of which were simply incorrect) from German cartographer Petermann, took off on the multi-year voyage with 32 other men to sail through to the ice-free section and the North Pole. Without wanting to give too much away, this would prove to be incredibly dangerous. This was amazing! Some of the background information near the start of the book, particularly about Bennett (who funded the trip), wasn’t as interesting, but it wasn’t uninteresting, either. I seem to be fascinated by survival stories (though I’m about the opposite of a risk-taker, myself - I’ll just read about it, thanks!). This one read like fiction and it kept me wanting to keep reading to find out what happened next. It is nonfiction, so it really happened, but I honestly didn’t know how it would turn out, so I was riveted!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A superb book although I did find the introductory chapters that covered off the history of Polar expeditions, the public interest, financing, and preparing somewhat dull. But once the ship got underway it was gripping.In all the expeditions such as this I’d never heard of this one. Pity, as its scope considering where it started and ended, without spoiler alerts, is mind boggling. Eventually, most worthwhile.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I read this book because it was by Hampton Sides. Normally, I'd not be much interested in tales of Polar (or any other) exploration. I'm a sit at home in comfort kind of person who thinks that climbing mountains or journeying to the edges of the Earth in extreme climatic conditions is utter madness. But then I also wasn't keen on stories of daring rescues during the 2nd world war until I read Hampton Sides' "Ghost Soldiers". This man writes popular history as if they were thrillers or crime novels (see also "A Hellhound on his Tail".
    This is such a harrowing tale and I identified so strongly with the protagonists thatI still find myself checking my toes and fingers to check that they are still all there.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    In the late 19th century, exploration was all the rage, and there were many expeditions to reach both the north and south poles. Most of these were unsuccessful, the USS Jeanette was remarkable in it's total failure but survival of some crew members to tell the fascinating story.The book starts out rather slowly establishing the cast of characters, their relationships and expectations. A geologist and explorer, Wrangel, posed a theory of lush, green gardens at the poles. James Bennett, owner of the New York Herald, financed the expedition in hopes of lots of exciting print material. George Melville, related to author Herman, was an officer. And captain George DeLong was unflappable, respected commander of the expedition.The journey began in San Francisco. The ship held stores for several years -- while the Arctic was largely unknown, it's dangers were not unanticipated. Once in polar seas, the ship became promptly locked in ice for nearly 2 years. When the ice finally started to give way, the ship was destroyed by moving ice floes. Among rescue missions sent to look for the Jeanette was one containing renown naturalist John Muir.The expedition discovered a number of islands, most of them off the north coast of Siberia and now Russian possessions. Jeanette Island, Bennett Island, Wrangel Island were among these, and an island group has been named "The DeLong Islands" in memory of the expedition. After the Jeanette was destroyed, three small boats were portaged by the crew, who at first had teams of dogs to help move supplies, but as food became scarce, the dogs could no longer be supported. When the three boats attempted to cross a channel in stormy seas, the group was separated -- one boat was never heard from again, DeLong and Melville landing at different spots but were unable to find each other. Ultimately, Melville, with a few other crew members, found some Inuit that eventually helped him get back to civilization. He mounted a rescue search but unfortunately it became a mission of recovery instead. DeLong's recovered journal details the horrifying fate of the brave party.This is one of those stories where one marvels at the limits of human endurance. It really is a fascinating story, I'm surprised I wasn't aware of it earlier.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Just plain excellent! But hauntingly horrible in terms of thinking of those men and the days and months and years of freezing and cold and hunger. The audio, read by Arthur Morey was wonderful. The descriptions were so full of detail and to think that the actual words written by DeLong and other members of the crew were the source--truly amazing that all of that material was saved for history.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I tell everyone that, if Hampton Sides wrote a book about paint drying, I'd buy it immediately and read it! Ever since I picked up "Ghost Soliders," Sides has become one of my favorite authors & and top-notch storyteller. Sides has a distinct gift for finding that one amazing story you've never heard before, and then proceeding to tell it in such a way that it immediately becomes your favorite story.

    "In the Kingdom of Ice" is a tremendous tale of human achievement and tragedy. He captures both the grandeur and hubris of a bygone America and treats both honestly and respectfully. Every key character in the tale of the Jeanette expedition is truthfully but sympathetically drawn; they aren't "heroes" or "villains"...they are real, flesh-and-blood people. This strikes me as a difficult accomplishment when one is telling a story of feats of near-superhuman endurance.

    "In the Kingdom of Ice" strikes that wonderful balance of telling a TRUE story...a little bit sad, a little bit grandiose, a little bit humorous...but REAL and, therefore, worthy to be told.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    It's amazing to me that we have gone from having unexplored areas on Earth to passing by Pluto in less than 150 years.James Gordon Bennett was the eccentric and extremely wealthy owner of The New York Herald. He had recently funded Stanley's trip to Africa to find Dr. Livingstone as way to sell papers. Now he was looking to create the next sensation. He set his sights on an expedition to reach the North Pole.At the time, the North Pole was still unknown and unexplored. The foremost cartographer in the world, a German named August Petermann, believed that warm currents sustained open water at the top of the world. The theory was that the warm Japan current flowed through the Bering Strait toward the pole and created an area of warmer, ice-free water around the pole. If a ship could just break through the ice ring, it could reach the pole. Peterman even forecast that there was a landmass at the pole.Of course, we now know that he was wrong.The writing in the book is superb. There are great elements and themes in the book. I found the story itself to be lacking. Perhaps I've read too many polar expedition books. (Explorers travel north, get trapped in the ice floe and suffer.)
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This was a compelling read. I was weary at first as to whether it would hold my attention but the book was very well written. I can't say I enjoyed the story I was very tragic . I could have done without some of the details, but that is what made the story rich. The men on this voyage had great tenacity. They moved on no matter what was put in front of them. I admire their character. In my eyes all of them are heroes.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    A gripping tale and even better writing. The reason I pushed this to 5 stars instead of 4.5 is that the writing flowed so well that I couldn't put the book down--Hampton Sides is truly a gifted author and this book is a great one.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    An excellent book. Easy to read and very captivating. Unlike so many works of history, this never drageed or got bogged down with minutia. The story moved and kept me engaged the entire time. I found it very interesting that not really so long ago mankind was so amazingly ignorant of the geography and conditions in the polar regions.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This book describes the goal and the history of the USS Jeannette in the late 1800's. For a number of years different ships had set out to find the warm water sea at the North Pole. Eminent cartographers and scientists of the time "knew" that if a passage could be found through the ice circling the Polar Sea, then ships could use the Pole as a short route to countries on the other side of the globe. Of course that was the ultimate goal of the Jeanette. This is a remarkable story of human survival through unbelievable circumstances. If it were fiction I would not have believed that the crew could have possibly lived through what they did. This is one of the most inspiring accounts I have read. I was enthralled with the book from beginning to end. Many ships had set out for the Pole but no one had made it yet and the deaths were plentiful. Since the previous ships had all used the same general route, Lieutenant DeLong (USN) believed that the key to success was to take a completely different route. He also knew that he had to carefully select his crew because the voyage would include terrible privations. Selecting provisions was also a huge and critical process.The wealthy Editor of The New York Herald agreed to finance the trip. The US Navy agreed to make the Jeanette a Navy ship with Lieutenant DeBold in command. The hand selected crew consisted of military and civilians making for an interesting command situation.Although the Jeanette did not make it to the Pole, they went far enough to determine that there was no warm sea to be found. In the process they recorded an exceptional amount of critical scientific data heretofore unknown.Some of the men made it home, but not all. Since some did live, and because the scientific data they had meticulously gathered made it home, the voyage of the USS Jeanette was very successful in spite of the fact they did not meet their final goal, their ultimate goal.The men underwent such traumatic conditions that some of them started eating their clothes and shoes which were made of animal skins.I enjoy reading about those who have succeeded against all odds. The Jeanette was locked in ice for over a year, with the crew suffering incredibly cold and often wet conditions, lack of food and not knowing when to turn around nor how to return home. The word "hero" is used lightly today, but the Jeanette crew were true heroes. It was people like that who made our nation great.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Not only is this a gripping tale of adventure, survival, and loss in the northern Arctic in the 1800's, but the author delivers a fabulous back story on the cultural norms of the time, the state and impact of the media, and prevailing beliefs that makes this fascinating from beginning to end. I admit to being a fan of Hampton Sides since reading Ghost Soldiers.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Not only is this a gripping tale of adventure, survival, and loss in the northern Arctic in the 1800's, but the author delivers a fabulous back story on the cultural norms of the time, the state and impact of the media, and prevailing beliefs that makes this fascinating from beginning to end. I admit to being a fan of Hampton Sides since reading Ghost Soldiers.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Hampton Sides has written a masterpiece of arctic exploration, bravery, loyalty and love. In the Kingdom of Ice tells the story, today nearly forgotten, of one of the most gripping adventures of the late 19th century. The story of a doomed polar expedition and the brave and incredibly loyal men of the crew pulls the reader along from the first page in a Melville-like way. Through explanations of the search for the perfect vessel, the inventory of scientific equipment and foodstuffs, Sides never writes a word without it relating to the character of the men and women that inhabit this tale. And also, like Melville, the United States and its young country search for its place in the world is underlying the entire tale. This is a story of amazing loyalty and tortuous hardship. Where men and women kept promises under hopeless conditions. Of luck and fate and, at least for me, surprise at the outcome. Finally, Sides writing is masterful. The story is enough to pull one along to the end, but Sides manages to craft his prose in a manner that follows or maybe leads the pace of the story. It is difficult to tell as the interweaving is done perfectly. Finally, although in the 19th century, maritime exploration is usually a story of men at sea, some of sides most eloquent, brave and loyal characters are the women who were a part of the voyage. This is a complete story of the lives of those who were a part of the Grand and Terrible Voyage of the U.S.S. Jeanette.