Empire of Ice and Stone: The Disastrous and Heroic Voyage of the Karluk
- Downloads：8469
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2022-11-30 17:21:35
- Update Date：2025-09-09
- Status：finish
- Author：Buddy Levy
- ISBN：1250274443
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
Chad
，
This was the last of a lingering group of eARC's I had signed up for on NetGalley a few months ago。 I wanted to make sure I fit this into November as if my memory serves me right it's scheduled to be released in December。At this point I'm regretting the fact that I held off on this one for so long。 I don't typically give full reviews of non-fiction reads as I haven't come up with a system that works yet for me。 But one of the shining aspects to this book by Buddy Levy is the fact it doesn't read This was the last of a lingering group of eARC's I had signed up for on NetGalley a few months ago。 I wanted to make sure I fit this into November as if my memory serves me right it's scheduled to be released in December。At this point I'm regretting the fact that I held off on this one for so long。 I don't typically give full reviews of non-fiction reads as I haven't come up with a system that works yet for me。 But one of the shining aspects to this book by Buddy Levy is the fact it doesn't read like non-fiction。 If I didn't know better I'd think this was a purely fiction novel。 The story told is fantastical and hard to believe that it truly happened。 Now I can't truly contest to the validity of everything portrayed by Levy's story telling but worst case scenario this is at least one perspective of this tale。Levy seems to have a knack in perhaps filling in the games from documentation to make it feel like we are hearing this tale from those who were actually involved rather than a dry text book style collection of facts as we know them。 I did love the fact that he also included a rather large list of the documents he used to gather information for this book。 Since I didn't know much about this historical tale prior to this book， these give me lots of other documents to look into if I so wish。I think most of us even today realize just how deadly these regions can be。 But reading what tools this crew had when they set out and what they used during their struggle to survive just makes even in more of a grand adventure of exploration！ The crew dealt with so many physical and emotional struggles along the way but also finding ways to not only survive but triumph in the face of those struggles so many times。From what I've since read from other reviews of Buddy Levy works， I need to pick up some more in the near future！As far as recommendations， I can't recommend this enough for anyone who is interested in a bit of history regarding exploration of the artic in the early 1900's。 But even beyond that， I would recommend this to just fans of fiction that include mystery， suspense and survival。 。。。more
Lori L （She Treads Softly）
，
Empire of Ice and Stone: The Disastrous and Heroic Voyage of the Karluk by Buddy Levy is the very highly recommended true story of the 1913 Canadian Arctic Expedition。When the Karluk departed Canada for the Arctic Ocean， Captain Bob Bartlett was at the helm and Vilhjalmur Stefansson was the leader of the expedition。 The expedition set out in June and by early August the Karluk was icebound。 Stefansson headed off with five men on a hunting trip and never returned， choosing to head for land and co Empire of Ice and Stone: The Disastrous and Heroic Voyage of the Karluk by Buddy Levy is the very highly recommended true story of the 1913 Canadian Arctic Expedition。When the Karluk departed Canada for the Arctic Ocean， Captain Bob Bartlett was at the helm and Vilhjalmur Stefansson was the leader of the expedition。 The expedition set out in June and by early August the Karluk was icebound。 Stefansson headed off with five men on a hunting trip and never returned， choosing to head for land and continue the expedition on his own。 This left Bartlett in charge of the survivors。 When the ship was crushed by the ice， they trekked 50 miles across the ice pack to Wrangel Island。 Then Bartlett and an Inuit hunter set out on a 1，000 miles hike to Alaska to summon help to rescue the survivors。Empire of Ice and Stone reads like a thriller。 It is a fascinating， terrifying， and un-put-downable account of a polar expedition gone terribly wrong。 Levy takes the facts and uses them to portray these people as real individuals facing a harrowing， impossible situation where a good outcome seems highly unlikely。 He also clearly portrays the two different paths taken by Stefansson and Bartlett， with most of the focus on the crew trying to survive。 Bartlett is legitimately the hero of this frightening true story。Anyone who enjoys reading about Arctic expeditions will want to add Empire of Ice and Stone to their list of must read nonfiction。 Included at the end is an extensive list of documents， collections， websites， etc。 in a selected bibliography that showcases the research that went into writing this account。 This is an excellent， well-researched book and one of the best nonfiction books of the year。Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of St。 Martin's Press via NetGalley。http://www。shetreadssoftly。com/2022/1。。。 。。。more
Lovely Loveday
，
The gripping account of a fatal polar adventure with a cast of eccentric and fascinating characters on a grand adventure - and misadventure - in one of the most extreme regions of the world。 Empire of Ice and Stone reads more intensely than a thriller。
Hannah
，
If you enjoy survival and adventure true stories， this is the book for you。 The setting was perfect。 Writing style was fast paced and easy to follow along with。 Highly recommend
Brenda
，
Empire of Ice and Snow took my breath away while reading it and also as I think about it this moment。 Vivid and sharp， atmospheric and multisensory， it is written in stunning Buddy Levy style。 He scrupulously gathered information and details on the Karluk Expedition's harrowing journey into the Arctic Ocean in 1913 and even includes a list of those involved as well as their ages。 Many were very young but their heroism is out of this world。 The photographs are etched on my brain。 Explorer Vilhjal Empire of Ice and Snow took my breath away while reading it and also as I think about it this moment。 Vivid and sharp， atmospheric and multisensory， it is written in stunning Buddy Levy style。 He scrupulously gathered information and details on the Karluk Expedition's harrowing journey into the Arctic Ocean in 1913 and even includes a list of those involved as well as their ages。 Many were very young but their heroism is out of this world。 The photographs are etched on my brain。 Explorer Vilhjalmur Stefansson had always been adventurous。 But he also knew how to manipulate from a young age and enjoyed glory。 Master Mariner Bob Bartlett also felt more at home at sea than on land but was fiercely loyal and reliable。 Along with a motley crew of hunters， a seamstress and her two young daughters， scientists， a doctor and a skier Stefansson and Bartlett left British Columbia on the Karluk on a Canadian Arctic Expedition。 But six weeks after things went terribly wrong which resulted in Stefansson and a few of the crew leaving the others on the pretense of a hunting trip to provide food。 But they never returned。 Bartlett was a remarkable captain and leader。 After the Karluk was crushed by ice and sank， the rest of the crew's goal was to escape and survive。 But survival was impossible for some。 Daily life was rife with one horror after another。Descriptions of the sounds of the ice， scrounging for scraps of carcasses to eat， threadbare clothing in frigid temperatures， frostbite， total darkness， a bear hug and bear attacks are lucid， raw and real。 But the descriptions of the ski jump， courageous sled dogs， successful hunts， aurora borealis and Christmas sports are equally moving。 Though in dire straits the crew relied on and respected their captain。 He led them to Wrangel Island which probably saved them but their troubles didn't end there。 The island was isolated and help was far away。 Bartlett reluctantly left for aid out of necessity returned with rescuers。 Meanwhile， Stefansson was living his life without remorse。 There are so many layers to the story including a mysterious death。 The photographs are etched onto my brain。 I appreciate that Levy also included what happened to each person after the journey。 If you are even remotely interested in polar adventures， especially those which actually happened， do read this unmissable book。 Be prepared to get utterly captured in the story and forget everything else。 It is THAT good。My sincere thank you to St。 Martin's Press and NetGalley for the honour to read this phenomenal book， one which I will never forget。 。。。more
Casey Wheeler
，
This book is well written and reads more like fiction than history。 It addresses the differences in the leadership styles of the Vilhjalmur Stefansson， the arctic expedition leader， and Bob Bartlett， the captain of the Karluk。 Stefansson left the ship to founder in the ice using the need to hunt caribou as an excuse， but continued until he was safe leaving those in the ship to find a way to survive。 Bartlett on the other hand did his best to first save the ship and then failing that， managed to This book is well written and reads more like fiction than history。 It addresses the differences in the leadership styles of the Vilhjalmur Stefansson， the arctic expedition leader， and Bob Bartlett， the captain of the Karluk。 Stefansson left the ship to founder in the ice using the need to hunt caribou as an excuse， but continued until he was safe leaving those in the ship to find a way to survive。 Bartlett on the other hand did his best to first save the ship and then failing that， managed to save as many of the crew and scientists as possible。 A very good read。I received a free ARC of this book courtesy of Net Galley and the publisher with the understanding that I would post a review on Net Galley， Goodreads， Amazon， Facebook and my nonfiction book review blog。 。。。more
CYIReadBooks （Claire）
，
Empire of Ice and Stone is the true story of the disastrous Arctic expedition aboard the sail-and-steamship Karluk。 It is my first time learning of the Karluk， expedition leader Vilhjalmun Stefansson， Captain Bob Bartlett， and how Stefansson’s and Bartlett’s decisions determined the fate of the ship and all of its passengers。It began with an aggressive timeline and an ill thought of plan to explore the Artic ocean。 Unprepared for the worst that could happen， the Karluk became ice bound capturing Empire of Ice and Stone is the true story of the disastrous Arctic expedition aboard the sail-and-steamship Karluk。 It is my first time learning of the Karluk， expedition leader Vilhjalmun Stefansson， Captain Bob Bartlett， and how Stefansson’s and Bartlett’s decisions determined the fate of the ship and all of its passengers。It began with an aggressive timeline and an ill thought of plan to explore the Artic ocean。 Unprepared for the worst that could happen， the Karluk became ice bound capturing with it the entire crew and scientists aboard。 Eventually， the Karluk succumbed to the pressure from the ice floes， thus marooning all of the passengers in the middle of nowhere。Under the guise of a caribou hunting trip， expedition leader Stefansson leaves the stranded crew and scientists with a handful of men， never to be seen or heard from again。 Left behind were 22 men， Captain Bartlett， 1 woman， and 2 children。 Most of the men would perish from sickness and injuries。 And in the end， only 9 persons survived and were rescued。 And it was due to Bartlett’s heroic effort of traversing 700+/- miles to civilization。Author Levy has done an excellent job in capturing the essence of the desperation， and survivalist nature of the persons left behind to fight the perils of nature。 With references from the crew members’ diaries， Levy has compiled a harrowing account of the dangerous environment hazards the remaining survivors had to face。Empire of Ice and Stone is a tour de force novel。 It is riveting， emotional， and unforgettable。 Five masterful stars。I received a digital ARC from St。 Martin’s Press through NetGalley。 The review herein is completely my own and contains my honest thoughts and opinions。 。。。more
Anjali
，
Levy has written another gripping and well-researched account of a harrowing Arctic expedition。 The beginning was a little slow as the main characters were introduced， but once the expedition was underway， the story of the Karluk and its crew was a real page-turner。 It's remarkable that anyone survived this 1913 shipwreck， and it's clearly thanks to Captain Bob Bartlett's tenacity and leadership。 At times， the graphic descriptions of frostbite and amputations were a little much for me， but overa Levy has written another gripping and well-researched account of a harrowing Arctic expedition。 The beginning was a little slow as the main characters were introduced， but once the expedition was underway， the story of the Karluk and its crew was a real page-turner。 It's remarkable that anyone survived this 1913 shipwreck， and it's clearly thanks to Captain Bob Bartlett's tenacity and leadership。 At times， the graphic descriptions of frostbite and amputations were a little much for me， but overall I really enjoyed this book。 Thank you to NetGalley and St。 Martin's Press for a digital review copy。 。。。more
Barb
，
review to come
Scott Nickels
，
My thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read “Empire of Ice and Snow” written by Buddy Levy。 The best thing about this story is that I was not familiar with the events behind the shipwreck and survival story in the Arctic Ocean in the early 20th Century。 Levy writes in an easy to read style， yet provides a detailed description of what happened before， during， and after the sinking of an exploratory ship that didn’t stand a chance against the crushing pressure of Arctic ice flows。We find th My thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read “Empire of Ice and Snow” written by Buddy Levy。 The best thing about this story is that I was not familiar with the events behind the shipwreck and survival story in the Arctic Ocean in the early 20th Century。 Levy writes in an easy to read style， yet provides a detailed description of what happened before， during， and after the sinking of an exploratory ship that didn’t stand a chance against the crushing pressure of Arctic ice flows。We find the story has heroes such as Captain Bob Bartlett。 We are stuck for miserable months on Arctic ice flows and/ or barren Arctic islands。 And we even have the efforts to save the lives of the men and woman enduring freezing and starvation。 An excellent telling of this true story that has equal parts tragedy as well as triumph。 。。。more
Cat
，
This is a deeply researched history of the 1913 Canadian Arctic Expedition by writer and educator Buddy Levy， who has been writing about various historical adventures for over twenty years。We’re introduced to Vihjalmur Stefansson， a self-serving and somewhat lazy “explorer” who convinces Canada to fund an elaborate exploration， and takes all the credit but doesn’t stick around for the tough parts。 Luckily for him， his choice of a sea captain and ice navigator， Bob Bartlett， prevented the Arctic This is a deeply researched history of the 1913 Canadian Arctic Expedition by writer and educator Buddy Levy， who has been writing about various historical adventures for over twenty years。We’re introduced to Vihjalmur Stefansson， a self-serving and somewhat lazy “explorer” who convinces Canada to fund an elaborate exploration， and takes all the credit but doesn’t stick around for the tough parts。 Luckily for him， his choice of a sea captain and ice navigator， Bob Bartlett， prevented the Arctic Expedition from being a complete and total failure。Based on personal journals， news articles， and court records， Levy brings us up close and personal with the decisions and struggles of the leaders and each crew member on the fated ship Karluk。 For history buffs and novice readers alike， this story brings it all back to colorful life。A sincere thank you to St。 Martin’s Press for an ARC in exchange for my honest review。 The publishing date is December 6， 2022。 。。。more
AltLovesBooks
，
"Narra a bit o' bacca， narra a bit o' comfort！"Buddy Levy is turning into one of those authors I could probably read on release and easily add it to my favorites list for that year。 I read Labyrinth of Ice about the Greely expedition in 2021， and this was an easy pick when it showed up in my list of possible ARCs to choose from this year。 He sets up the expedition quickly， gets you up to speed on the main players of the trip， and off you go on another adventure where you're not quite sure who's "Narra a bit o' bacca， narra a bit o' comfort！"Buddy Levy is turning into one of those authors I could probably read on release and easily add it to my favorites list for that year。 I read Labyrinth of Ice about the Greely expedition in 2021， and this was an easy pick when it showed up in my list of possible ARCs to choose from this year。 He sets up the expedition quickly， gets you up to speed on the main players of the trip， and off you go on another adventure where you're not quite sure who's going to make it out on the other side。 This one was no exception。This one was different from the other polar expedition books I've read so far， in that the goal wasn't to strike out for the North Pole in competition with other people， but rather for scientific exploration。 Vilhjalmur Stefansson set up the expedition to explore the islands and people of the northernmost regions， and whether he actually believed he could or just wanted to make a name for himself in any way he could， the expedition set out and very quickly things went south。 The Karluk was separated from the other ships in the group， icebound， and without much of the supplies that the other ships had on them。 Captain Bob Bartlett makes the most of a bad situation， and shepherds his group of sailors and scientists alike through a series of harrowing close calls。 Stefansson， meanwhile， bailed out of the Karluk as soon as he was able， and wrote the ship off as being lost at sea， poor men。Written from a collection of diaries， firsthand accounts， other books on the topic， and archived documents about the trip， this book really drew me in from the start。 Bartlett was clearly the hero of the story， and， as with the other books on the topic I've read， I could never imagine willingly risking myself on a wooden ship in the ice。 It's such a heroic， heartbreaking， and engaging read， I really had a hard time putting it down once I started。Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance ecopy in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Doug Phillips
，
This is simply put， a terrific read。 I thank St。 Martins and the author of this advance reader provided to me in exchange for my honest review。Mr。 Levy has crafted a very entertaining （and interspersed with gritty and true realism） story of the Karluk and all that transpired amidst this tale of heroism in the early 20th century。 When you approach this work， you may wish to do as I did （with the e-book version） and create a bit of a timeline and map showing the various components and players that This is simply put， a terrific read。 I thank St。 Martins and the author of this advance reader provided to me in exchange for my honest review。Mr。 Levy has crafted a very entertaining （and interspersed with gritty and true realism） story of the Karluk and all that transpired amidst this tale of heroism in the early 20th century。 When you approach this work， you may wish to do as I did （with the e-book version） and create a bit of a timeline and map showing the various components and players that took part in this adventure。Most children go through school learning at least a bit of Robert Peary， and recent popular culture has spotlighted Sir Ernest Shackleton。 Personally， this was my first venture in to the intrepid explorer Robert Bartlett and this expedition。 A very readable account of non-fiction that is approachable by anyone who has an interest in the exploration of the most remote places on our planet。 。。。more
Mary
，
This is the story of the Karluk and the Canadian Arctic Expedition。 In 1913， the Karluk sets out to sail to the Arctic and discover what lands and people are there。 However， the ship was not up to the task。 It becomes set in ice and the leader， Vilhjalmur Stefansson， leaves the ship to "search for Caribou"。 This leaves Captain Bartlett to look after the remaining 24 crew members， scientists and Inuit members， plus a stowaway kitten and all the sled dogs。 The book starts off with a lot of backgro This is the story of the Karluk and the Canadian Arctic Expedition。 In 1913， the Karluk sets out to sail to the Arctic and discover what lands and people are there。 However， the ship was not up to the task。 It becomes set in ice and the leader， Vilhjalmur Stefansson， leaves the ship to "search for Caribou"。 This leaves Captain Bartlett to look after the remaining 24 crew members， scientists and Inuit members， plus a stowaway kitten and all the sled dogs。 The book starts off with a lot of background on both Vilhjalmur Stefansson and Captain Bartlett， but it becomes clear who the real hero is。 While being stuck in the ice， the ship drifting and eventually sinking， you see the friendships and bonds of the shipmates really start to grow。 Then the move to the ice and everyone learning to shelter and live through winter。 Captain Bartlett takes one of the Inuit hunters and decides to trek to Siberia in order to get to Alaska and ask for help， leaving the remaining members there。There is a list in the beginning of the book or who every is and I found this very helpful。 As the book was very long and not a quick read， I found myself forgetting who some of the people where and what their function was。 At the end of the book， it does give details about who survived and what they went on to do before their deaths。 I didn't know anything about the expeditions in the Arctic and I thoroughly enjoyed this book。 。。。more
Nancy
，
Empire of Ice and Stone should come with a warning label。 Don’t read before bedtime unless you can stay up way too late。 It may cause bad dreams。 No matter how many blankets you pile on， you will feel an Arctic cold in your bones。 Its a thrilling， harrowing true story of survival。Buddy Levy’s newest book on the 1913 voyage of the Karluk has the adventure and bravery that I love about these tales of polar exploration， which also are about the hubris of mankind and the brutal vagaries of weather a Empire of Ice and Stone should come with a warning label。 Don’t read before bedtime unless you can stay up way too late。 It may cause bad dreams。 No matter how many blankets you pile on， you will feel an Arctic cold in your bones。 Its a thrilling， harrowing true story of survival。Buddy Levy’s newest book on the 1913 voyage of the Karluk has the adventure and bravery that I love about these tales of polar exploration， which also are about the hubris of mankind and the brutal vagaries of weather and climate。 There are villains and men who buckle under the hardships， good men who are lost， men determined to do the impossible。 And the Inuit family whose stamina and knowledge was essential to their survival。Fame-seeking Vilhjalmur Stefansson assembled the expedition hastily and without good planning。 Supplies were stowed haphazard among the ships。 Within weeks， the Karluk became encased in an ice flow。 Stefansson abandoned the ship under cover of going hunting for caribou， leaving the chip captain Robert Bartlett in charge。The ship drifted westward with the ice which crushed and sank it after five months。 Bartlett had planned ahead， moving necessary goods to the ice。 The did not have adequate clothing and essential supplies。 The men had to cross the ice to an island off the Siberian coast。 They woke in the night to sudden cracks under their igloos。 They had to hack paths through ice ridges。 Polar bears were a constant threat。 The sled dogs fatigued and supplies had to be cached along the way。 Feet and hands froze and some sustained life-threatening injuries。 Some of the scientific men made their own party， going off on their own， never to be seen again。Arriving at Wrangle Island didn’t end their suffering。 They had to erect shelters and they could not find enough food。 The men were starving， and under duress personalities changed。 Stefansson never alerted authorities of the ship’s loss， or arranged a rescue mission。 Bartlett and Kataktovik had to travel across the ice to Siberia， and down the coast to find a ship to Alaska where they could arrange a rescue mission for the men。 What they accomplished was amazing。 They were helped by the generous Inuit and Russian traders they came across along the way。You get to know these men intimately and suffer with them。 While Stefansson left men on the Kurlak to fend for themselves， turning his attention to another expedition， it was Bartlett who worried about the crew and risked his life on an arduous trek to arrange a rescue ship to find the survivors。This is a wonderful follow up to Levy’s last book Labyrinth of Ice about the Greeley Expedition。I received a free ARC from the publisher。 My review is fair and unbiased。 。。。more
Jessica
，
Many thanks to St。 Marten's Press and NetGalley for an ARC of this book！I confess that I have been anxiously awaiting publication of this book for months， and it did not disappoint！ I am fascinated with polar exploration in general and the Karluk specifically， and I've always felt that this story doesn't get enough love from other polar enthusiasts。 It has everything-- a gripping survival narrative， a great leader， a complicated villain， big personalities， hubris （and HOW）， a medical mystery， a Many thanks to St。 Marten's Press and NetGalley for an ARC of this book！I confess that I have been anxiously awaiting publication of this book for months， and it did not disappoint！ I am fascinated with polar exploration in general and the Karluk specifically， and I've always felt that this story doesn't get enough love from other polar enthusiasts。 It has everything-- a gripping survival narrative， a great leader， a complicated villain， big personalities， hubris （and HOW）， a medical mystery， a mutiny， a possible murder。。。 you get the idea。 It's an incredible story， and Levy tells it very well， interjecting details about the crew and their lives into the more monotonous parts of the tale to keep the book going。 The pacing is excellent， and even though this is objectively a long book， it doesn't feel long at all。 I've read extensively about the Karluk and thought that I'd heard pretty much everything there is to hear about this story， but Levy still managed to surprise me with a few new-to-me details and anecdotes。 I can't recommend this enough to polar history enthusiasts， but anyone with an interest in survival narratives will love it。 I am excited for this book to introduce more people to the Karluk story， and I will certainly do my part by putting it in the hands of as many of my library patrons as possible！ 。。。more
Stacey
，
I've always been interested in travels to places that most of us would never take。。 Empire of Ice and Stone is a wonderful look into the 1913 journey that Vilhjalmur Stefansson and later Captain Bartlett set upon。 Met with hardships as the ice flows blocked the ship， survival becomes difficult because of not enough supplies。 After Stefansson leaves the ship to hunt caribou， Captain Barlett now has to lead the men so that they all have a chance at survival。 Not everyone makes it。 Author Buddy Lev I've always been interested in travels to places that most of us would never take。。 Empire of Ice and Stone is a wonderful look into the 1913 journey that Vilhjalmur Stefansson and later Captain Bartlett set upon。 Met with hardships as the ice flows blocked the ship， survival becomes difficult because of not enough supplies。 After Stefansson leaves the ship to hunt caribou， Captain Barlett now has to lead the men so that they all have a chance at survival。 Not everyone makes it。 Author Buddy Levy has written a harrowing account of the final sailing of the Karluk。 The Franklin Expedition is the story that I believe more people have read about and so I am thankful to Mr。 Levy for spotlighting the story of these brave people。This book is long but every page is as interesting as the last。 Wonderful read for those interested in the struggle of men in unforgiving places or for those just interested in history。 。。。more
Tara Alemany
，
I don't often read stories of arctic expeditions， but I knew that I'd enjoyed "The Endurance" years ago， so thought I'd give this one a try。 It did take me a little while to get into it because I kept expecting the expedition's leader Vilhjalmur Stefansson to get his act together。 Once I gave up on that expectation， the book really started moving。What a journey！ I can only imagine what the experience might have been like in real life， and I'm not eager to experience it firsthand。 But this book p I don't often read stories of arctic expeditions， but I knew that I'd enjoyed "The Endurance" years ago， so thought I'd give this one a try。 It did take me a little while to get into it because I kept expecting the expedition's leader Vilhjalmur Stefansson to get his act together。 Once I gave up on that expectation， the book really started moving。What a journey！ I can only imagine what the experience might have been like in real life， and I'm not eager to experience it firsthand。 But this book provides a wonderful study in leadership lessons， especially when you compare the narcissism of Stefansson to the service-based leadership of William Bartlett and his raising up of another leader to replace him。 I'm glad I decided to give this book a go。 It's truly a gripping tale， and one I knew nothing about before reading it。Thank you to Buddy Levy， St。 Martin's Press and NetGalley for an advance review copy。 。。。more
Natalie
，
Empire of Ice and StoneBy Buddy LevyThis is a true story which could just as well be the story line of an adventure novel – or even a horror story。 Indeed， such novels have been written。Books about expeditions to the artic in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries， by their very nature， are filled with trials and hardships which we would have struggle to comprehend today。 Why men would choose to pit their courage and stamina – and indeed their very lives - against the harshest of landscapes is a Empire of Ice and StoneBy Buddy LevyThis is a true story which could just as well be the story line of an adventure novel – or even a horror story。 Indeed， such novels have been written。Books about expeditions to the artic in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries， by their very nature， are filled with trials and hardships which we would have struggle to comprehend today。 Why men would choose to pit their courage and stamina – and indeed their very lives - against the harshest of landscapes is almost inconceivable。 And yet they did it – some for the fame and glory， others to test their own abilities。This is a very depressing – almost shocking – read。 And yet， once it draws the reader in， it is impossible to put down。 。。。more
Nicole
，
Thank you to St Martins Press and Goodreads Giveaways for the opportunity to read this ahead of its December 6， 2022 release date！ An incredible story of shipwreck and survival in the extreme north。 Very detailed accounting of this disaster。
Elisa
，
If someone had given me this book without any explanations， I would have sworn that it was a fictional adventure thriller！ The real-life story of Canadian Arctic exploration is insanely fascinating and suspenseful。 In 1913， a team of explorers and scientists went to the North Pole。 Everything that could go wrong went wrong and they ended up stranded in a lifeless desert with very limited resources。 Many died。 When the survivors were rescued， they didn’t even know the Great War had started， that’ If someone had given me this book without any explanations， I would have sworn that it was a fictional adventure thriller！ The real-life story of Canadian Arctic exploration is insanely fascinating and suspenseful。 In 1913， a team of explorers and scientists went to the North Pole。 Everything that could go wrong went wrong and they ended up stranded in a lifeless desert with very limited resources。 Many died。 When the survivors were rescued， they didn’t even know the Great War had started， that’s how isolated they were。 If the story is fascinating， the characters are truly compelling。 And they were real people！ Not just men， but also women whose contributions were vital。 As Shakespeare said， some have greatness thrust upon them， Captain Bob Bartlett had to step up and lead the teams when their original leader left them “to hunt caribou” and never returned。 The book follows each party as they separated， came back together and eventually I was cheering when they reunited and cringing when something bad happened。 Their injuries and diseases are explained in detail， so squeamish readers may want to be careful here。 Same with animal lovers。 It is understandable how the explorers needed to hunt to survive but， at some point， I had to skip all those parts。 The book may be a little too long for my taste， with sometimes too many details for casual readers， but other than that it is a fascinating story。 I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased。 Thank you， #NetGalley/#St。 Martin's Press！ 。。。more
Jenna （Falling Letters）
，
omg omg a new book about the Karluk omg （thank-you to Katie for putting this on my radar！！！）while you are waiting for this book drop， check out my booklist on the last voyage of the Karluk omg omg a new book about the Karluk omg （thank-you to Katie for putting this on my radar！！！）while you are waiting for this book drop， check out my booklist on the last voyage of the Karluk 。。。more
CS
，
Interesting book on the difficulty of exploring the North Pole。
Kevin
，
I received this book through Goodreads giveaways。 Excellent adventure book on the voyage of the Karluk。 There are a number of participants， but the author does an excellent job of narrative flow。 Story moves at a fast pace。 Great read！
Aletha Pagett
，
This incredible accounting of the last artic journey of the ship， Karluk， and the men who were with her， had me seemingly holding my breath until the last page。 This stunning book was received from Goodreads。
Namera [The Literary Invertebrate]
，
I got MASSIVELY into Arctic exploration nonfiction in August， with Hampton Sides's excellent In the Kingdom of Ice。 Levy had written a fairly decent follow-up called Labyrinth of Ice， so when I saw that he had another Arctic book coming out， I was very intrigued。Overall， this is a solid effort， though somehow the voyage of the Karluk lacks the high tension and drama of the Grealey or De Long expeditions。 Maybe it's because almost everyone survives， even the cat。。。（Which of course I am thrill I got MASSIVELY into Arctic exploration nonfiction in August， with Hampton Sides's excellent In the Kingdom of Ice。 Levy had written a fairly decent follow-up called Labyrinth of Ice， so when I saw that he had another Arctic book coming out， I was very intrigued。Overall， this is a solid effort， though somehow the voyage of the Karluk lacks the high tension and drama of the Grealey or De Long expeditions。 Maybe it's because almost everyone survives， even the cat。。。（Which of course I am thrilled about， being a huge cat-lover）。It does feel though as if Levy should look in a different direction for his next book。 This one happens in 1914， and is pretty much the last major Arctic expedition of any note。 The backdrop of WW1 puts a definite end to the old Heroic Age of expedition。 Levy ought to reverse back to the 20th century next， or maybe go down to the Antarctic， to keep that heroic spirit alive。There's also a slight error when it comes to addressing Lord William Percy， a younger son of the Duke of Northumberland; Levy mistakenly calls him Lord Percy， but I did email and he says it'll hopefully be fixed before publication。 Yes， I am a pedant。 Deal with it。 。。。more
Jan
，
I was surprised at the depth of character study。 I was also pleased that this was not just another Publish or Perish but exhibited real readability （even if it did lead me down a few Wiki rabbit holes）。 I don't know how other ethnicities react， but we are Norse and have a tendency to devour all the extreme North forays and the documented absorption into North America of earlier times。 Although the book is quite long， it is well worth the effort to dive into it at odd intervals and learn more abo I was surprised at the depth of character study。 I was also pleased that this was not just another Publish or Perish but exhibited real readability （even if it did lead me down a few Wiki rabbit holes）。 I don't know how other ethnicities react， but we are Norse and have a tendency to devour all the extreme North forays and the documented absorption into North America of earlier times。 Although the book is quite long， it is well worth the effort to dive into it at odd intervals and learn more about this particular expedition。 I requested and received an advanced review e-book copy from St。 Martin's Press via NetGalley。 Thank you！ 。。。more
Annette
，
This was an interesting book。 I feel like I spent a couple winters aboard the ships。 I did think it was a bit too long and dragged in spots。 Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the early copy
Christine
，
5 Huge Stars！！Wow！ This book is phenomenal！ My first polar expedition book was Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage。 Since reading that， I have been thoroughly hooked on arctic and antarctic nonfiction。 In this one， Author Buddy Levy has pulled together a beautiful gem recounting the Canadian Arctic Expedition of 1913 and the tragic yet heroic voyage of the ship Karluk。This takes place in the northern waters around Alaska and Siberia。 If you are like me， you don’t want to know any more deta 5 Huge Stars！！Wow！ This book is phenomenal！ My first polar expedition book was Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage。 Since reading that， I have been thoroughly hooked on arctic and antarctic nonfiction。 In this one， Author Buddy Levy has pulled together a beautiful gem recounting the Canadian Arctic Expedition of 1913 and the tragic yet heroic voyage of the ship Karluk。This takes place in the northern waters around Alaska and Siberia。 If you are like me， you don’t want to know any more details about what happens as that is most of the fun of reading—seeing where things go。 I intentionally did not look up this ship’s history nor the history of its captain， Robert Bartlett， as I wanted to experience the adventure as it unfolded。 The author did an incredible amount of research （as noted in the afterword） to prepare for this book。 Much of the narrative was based on the personal journals of the men on the expedition。 This was wonderful for several reasons。 First， it lent one the sense of actually being there， plus I was privy to the inner thoughts of the explorers。 My favorites were Mamen and McKinlay who really bared their souls。 Furthermore， I got the sense that I was getting the real truth about the details of the expedition。 I learned a lot， including the beauty and wonder of the arctic; the myriad of dangers of such a mission; what the nutritional needs were and how food and drink were obtained; what the everyday lives of these people were like and how that affected them physically and emotionally; the lives of the inuit people; and perhaps most impressively， the horrors of what these explorers had to go through to survive。 I was also struck by how disaster and desperate situations brought out the true nature of each individual in the expedition。 I am a character lover and I thought Mr。 Levy did an impressive job showing us what these people were really like in this nonfictional historical treatise。 I loved that this book was also a rousing adventure with many tense moments and situations that made the over 600 pages fly。 Finally， I truly appreciated the author’s brilliant epilogue covering most everyone， even the ship’s cat！Congratulations， Mr。 Levy， for a magnificent read。 I will continue to seek out books like this。 I encourage everyone to try at least one polar expedition book as an “out-of-the-box” personal adventure。 This one as well as Endurance would be good choices。 Who knows？ You might get hooked too！ If anyone has other polar or otherwise icy recommendations for me， I’m all ears。 In the meantime， I will be looking for a copy of Mr。 Levy’s Labyrinth of Ice: The Triumphant and Tragic Greely Polar Expedition。I would like to thank Net Galley， St。 Martin’s Press， and Mr。 Buddy Levy for an advanced review copy。 Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way。 。。。more
Gina Baratono
，