Empire of Ice and Stone: The Disastrous and Heroic Voyage of the Karluk
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- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2022-12-07 17:21:47
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Buddy Levy
- ISBN：B09QBBQQLD
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
Elizabeth
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*Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC of the audiobook*This book sets out to detail the fateful voyage of the Karluk and explain why the two leaders of the expedition had such differing versions of these events。 This book has a clear idea on which of the leaders， either Bob Bartlett or Vilhjalmur Stefansson， had the most blame and the most deserved accolades following the eventual rescue of 12 survivors of the expedition。 Not having any previous knowledge of the Karluk， I cannot give any firm opinions *Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC of the audiobook*This book sets out to detail the fateful voyage of the Karluk and explain why the two leaders of the expedition had such differing versions of these events。 This book has a clear idea on which of the leaders， either Bob Bartlett or Vilhjalmur Stefansson， had the most blame and the most deserved accolades following the eventual rescue of 12 survivors of the expedition。 Not having any previous knowledge of the Karluk， I cannot give any firm opinions on the veracity of these claims， however， I did learn a lot about the expedition as a whole and was able to file the information on the leaders in my mind as a controversial episode of the voyage。 The book charts the entire journey from start to finish， as well as each group as the parties are split following the sinking of the Karluk in the icepack。 The heroism and ability to persevere under extreme and unimaginable circumstances is spectacularly displayed in this book。If you have previously liked stories about Ernst Shackleton， this is another book you should definitely read。 The audiobook is well read and produced and fully engaged my mind all the way through。 。。。more
PAR
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This story is one of a kind。 I had the opportunity to visit Antartica and learn first hand about the The Endurance。 It was the lost vessel of Antarctic explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton。 The ship was crushed by sea-ice and sank in 1915， forcing Shackleton and his men to make an astonishing escape on foot and in small boats。 We walked the ice of the explorers and experienced the cold first hand， but we knew we were safe。 This novel is so genuine in its recounts of the Voyage of the Karluk I could se This story is one of a kind。 I had the opportunity to visit Antartica and learn first hand about the The Endurance。 It was the lost vessel of Antarctic explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton。 The ship was crushed by sea-ice and sank in 1915， forcing Shackleton and his men to make an astonishing escape on foot and in small boats。 We walked the ice of the explorers and experienced the cold first hand， but we knew we were safe。 This novel is so genuine in its recounts of the Voyage of the Karluk I could see and feel what was happening to those on the ship。 One Owner basically deserting them and another willing to give his life to save them。 This navel captured my heart。 I highly recommend it。 I received this novel from NetGallery。 This is my true and honest review。 。。。more
Jennifer Lara
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Empire of Ice and Stone: The Disastrous and Heroic Journey of the Karluk by Buddy Levy is the true and harrowing story of the ill-fated 1913 Canadian Arctic Expedition and the two men who would define it。 It was the summer of 1913 when Captain Bob Bartlett， the world’s greatest living ice navigator， took the wooden-hulled Karluk and its crew to the Arctic Ocean。 The expedition was fueled by the flamboyant Vihjalmur Stefansson， a man who had vision， ambition and hunger for fame。 After six weeks， Empire of Ice and Stone: The Disastrous and Heroic Journey of the Karluk by Buddy Levy is the true and harrowing story of the ill-fated 1913 Canadian Arctic Expedition and the two men who would define it。 It was the summer of 1913 when Captain Bob Bartlett， the world’s greatest living ice navigator， took the wooden-hulled Karluk and its crew to the Arctic Ocean。 The expedition was fueled by the flamboyant Vihjalmur Stefansson， a man who had vision， ambition and hunger for fame。 After six weeks， giant ice formed about the ship， trapping her and her crew， Stefansson would leave for a hunting trip， only to never return。 Twenty-two men and an Inuit woman with two small daughters were left on board。 They would look to Captain Bartlett and his leadership for their survival。 He would make a difficult and courageous decision。 Would his plan work？ Will they survive the harsh Polar environment？ I don’t know much about the expeditions to the icy regions of Earth but I have heard of some of the men made famous from these adventures。 The expedition of the Karluk and the men in charge was a story I hadn’t heard before。 Set at a time of great expeditions and discoveries， as well as historical events like the Titanic disaster and World War I， Empire of Ice and Stone is the story of two men and their very different leadership ideas。 One would be selfless， the other self-serving。 One would be remembered as a hero and the other would be vilified。 From bad decisions and hurried organization， in the search for fame and glory， the journey of the Karluk and her crew were truly doomed from the start。 Empire of Ice and Stone is a very interesting historical book filled with the words of the men who were there。 I highly recommend Empire of Ice and Stone。 Empire of Ice and Stone: The Disastrous and Heroic Journey of the Karluk is available in hardcover， eBook， and audiobook 。。。more
Dee Arr
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If you are looking for a story that has all the suspense of a thrilling novel yet is a gripping account of an actual event， look no further。 Author Buddy Levi’s “Empire of Ice and Stone” will fulfill all your expectations。This is a story that will pull you in， and as the author reveals the chain of events one can sense future danger hang over the expedition right from the very start。 This is Nature at its strongest， and at times the expedition could do nothing but make an educated guess when eac If you are looking for a story that has all the suspense of a thrilling novel yet is a gripping account of an actual event， look no further。 Author Buddy Levi’s “Empire of Ice and Stone” will fulfill all your expectations。This is a story that will pull you in， and as the author reveals the chain of events one can sense future danger hang over the expedition right from the very start。 This is Nature at its strongest， and at times the expedition could do nothing but make an educated guess when each problem arose and then wait for the answer from the ice and cold。 From the beginning there is no doubt who the antagonist is， and it is scary that this faceless force with the benign name could wreak so much havoc on a small group。 Over and over I kept telling myself that it couldn’t get any worse…and then it did。Taken from the accounts of the people who endured this ordeal， “Empire of Ice and Stone” is a book that I devoured in just a few days。 There is always something going on or a new danger around the bend to keep readers glued to its pages。 Highly recommended。 Five stars。My thanks to NetGalley and St。 Martin’s Press for a complimentary electronic copy of this book。 。。。more
Kathy
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WOW。。。。 How did anyone survive this journey？！Performing extensive research， gathering notes from diaries， news files， and investigations， Buddy Levy does an absolutely amazing job of piecing together the story of the sinking of the Karluk during an Arctic Expedition。 Rather than merely reporting facts， he focuses on the bravery， self-sacrifice， and the life-or-death importance of the decisions made by the main characters。He also documents the difference between the leadership of the crew （Captai WOW。。。。 How did anyone survive this journey？！Performing extensive research， gathering notes from diaries， news files， and investigations， Buddy Levy does an absolutely amazing job of piecing together the story of the sinking of the Karluk during an Arctic Expedition。 Rather than merely reporting facts， he focuses on the bravery， self-sacrifice， and the life-or-death importance of the decisions made by the main characters。He also documents the difference between the leadership of the crew （Captain Bartlett） and the leader of the scientific team （Vilhjalmur Stefansson） could not be more pronounced。 Bartlett leads by example， and takes his responsibility for the ship and each soul aboard her very seriously。 Stefansson leads by title only， and is concerned for his one safety and glory， leaving the ship as soon as possible when things got rough。Though the writing at the beginning struck me as dry， Levy is so adept at depicting the conditions， the characters of the individuals making up the crew and scientific team， and the fateful decisions that were made at each step of the journey， that I soon found myself quite captivated。 It was easy to imagine myself on board， feeling that blasted cold and damp with them。An outstanding book， worth more than the five star limit available。My thanks to St。 Martin's Press for allowing me to read an ARC of the book via NetGalley。 All opinions expressed here are my own and are given freely。 。。。more
Joy Whiteside
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Wow， this book。 I discovered that once I started reading this， I could not put it down。 I ended up reading it in one sitting。 It moves along at a great pace， has interesting characters that you want to know and a story that will grab you， keeping you interested until the last page is read。 This book is a must read， no doubt about it。
The Keepers of the Books
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Under the command of Bob Bartlett， the Karluk set sail for its ill-fated voyage in June。 At the time， it was ill-chosen and equipped for its voyage。 Several times， its engine would give out and supplies had to be transferred to its sister ships。 By August， the ship was completely icebound。 By January， the ship had sunk。 This book covers the ship’s residents 700-mile trek to find shelter， food， and help。 Full of action， intense survival， and harrowing events， this plot is a well-written and engag Under the command of Bob Bartlett， the Karluk set sail for its ill-fated voyage in June。 At the time， it was ill-chosen and equipped for its voyage。 Several times， its engine would give out and supplies had to be transferred to its sister ships。 By August， the ship was completely icebound。 By January， the ship had sunk。 This book covers the ship’s residents 700-mile trek to find shelter， food， and help。 Full of action， intense survival， and harrowing events， this plot is a well-written and engaging page turner。 The narrative-style non-fiction is well suited for this story and helps bring it to life。 Readers who like informational books， survival stories， and narrative non-fiction will enjoy reading this book。 Please note: This was a review copy given to us by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review。 No financial compensation was received。 。。。more
Thomas Lambe
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Many， many， many thanks to NetGalley and St。 Martin's Press for the ARC of this。 This was terrific！ Wow。 What a story。 The story of the Karluk is not one that the reader with ever forget。 Fans of this genre will eat this up。 Wonderful and suspenseful storytelling。 Unbelievable characters like Captain Barlett will stay with the reader。 I really enjoyed this one。 Will recommend to my reader friends。 Highly recommended！ Many， many， many thanks to NetGalley and St。 Martin's Press for the ARC of this。 This was terrific！ Wow。 What a story。 The story of the Karluk is not one that the reader with ever forget。 Fans of this genre will eat this up。 Wonderful and suspenseful storytelling。 Unbelievable characters like Captain Barlett will stay with the reader。 I really enjoyed this one。 Will recommend to my reader friends。 Highly recommended！ 。。。more
Janilyn Kocher
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I chose a perfect day to read this chilling， harrowing read。 It’s a cold， gloomy winter day mirrored by the experiences the men of the Karluk expedition endured， Although many perished。I had never heard of this particular expedition so when I received a widget from the publicist I was intrigued。I’ve never visited the Arctic， the closest I’ve come is Fairbanks， Alaska， but the stories Of expeditions from the early 20th century fascinate me。While reading Some parts I sucked in my breath and cringe I chose a perfect day to read this chilling， harrowing read。 It’s a cold， gloomy winter day mirrored by the experiences the men of the Karluk expedition endured， Although many perished。I had never heard of this particular expedition so when I received a widget from the publicist I was intrigued。I’ve never visited the Arctic， the closest I’ve come is Fairbanks， Alaska， but the stories Of expeditions from the early 20th century fascinate me。While reading Some parts I sucked in my breath and cringed and during other sections I mourned the animals that were harvested for survival， especially the polar bears。It’s an incredible tale and Levy does a first rate job with the narrative， research， afterward， and bibliography。 I appreciated knowing the what happened afterward for the survivors。It took guts and fortitude to survive， something I pay homage to， as I snuggle under my warm blanket。Thanks to NetGalley and St。 Martin’s Press for the early copy。 。。。more
Rhonda Lomazow
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Excellent writing vividly brings the ill fated story of this artic expedition。Reading about their desperate fight to survive kept me on the edge of my seat@netgalley#st。martins
Lonnie C
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One of the best adventure tales of the seas。 A researched history of the Canadian Arctic Expedition in 1913。 At times I found myself bracing for what was ahead reading about the bitter cold conditions and what these people were forced to eat to stay alive。 Unimaginable conditions。 I highly recommend。
Susan
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This book was amazing。 I was unfamiliar with Captain Robert Bartlett and the Karluk and decided to take a chance on Empire of Ice and Stone。 I am so glad I did。 After I finished it I had the desire to read everything else Buddy Levy has written and then to investigate other books about Arctic exploration。 I could write a review that would come across as a long essay for a class， giving everything away。 I wouldn't be able to pick just a few examples of how well this book is written。 I would be sp This book was amazing。 I was unfamiliar with Captain Robert Bartlett and the Karluk and decided to take a chance on Empire of Ice and Stone。 I am so glad I did。 After I finished it I had the desire to read everything else Buddy Levy has written and then to investigate other books about Arctic exploration。 I could write a review that would come across as a long essay for a class， giving everything away。 I wouldn't be able to pick just a few examples of how well this book is written。 I would be spoiling it for others。 The research is meticulous and the writing style flows effortlessly。 Captain Bartlett was brave and selfless and Vilhjalmun Stefansson was out for himself， fame and glory。 I usually refrain from saying things like page turner， couldn't put it down， etc。 but those apply here。 My thanks to the publisher St。 Martin's Press and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more
Kay
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What a story！ This is a gripping survival adventure and the sinking of the Karluk。Captain Bob Bartlett was asked to join The Canadian Arctic Expedition led by Vilhjalmur Stefansson。 Captain Bartlett was concerned about the retrofitted wooden whaler "Karluk" that was commissioned for the 1913 expedition。 He joined anyway along with many scientists， crew， Inuit hunters， the family， and sleigh dogs。Karluk Departure: wikimedia。orgCaptain Bartlett's instinct and Arctic experience proved correct。 In A What a story！ This is a gripping survival adventure and the sinking of the Karluk。Captain Bob Bartlett was asked to join The Canadian Arctic Expedition led by Vilhjalmur Stefansson。 Captain Bartlett was concerned about the retrofitted wooden whaler "Karluk" that was commissioned for the 1913 expedition。 He joined anyway along with many scientists， crew， Inuit hunters， the family， and sleigh dogs。Karluk Departure: wikimedia。orgCaptain Bartlett's instinct and Arctic experience proved correct。 In August， two months into the journey， the Karluk was stuck in ice。 She continues to drift westward toward Siberia for months。 They eventually had to abandon her and set "Shipwreck Camp" on ice in January。 This is where a real story is so terrifying。 If this were fiction it would definitely be classified as horror with some gore！ Buddy Levy presents such great detail about the expedition， the leadership style of Captain Bartlett vs Stefansson， and what it took to survive in this inhospitable environment。 When the Karluk was crushed and sank， I sure felt like life was lost。 It's heartbreaking。 Until the end of the book， I still couldn't believe how anyone could travel 700 miles in that condition to seek help。Voyage Map: wikimedia。orgThis is masterful storytelling and I highly recommend it to fans of the genre。 Will Damron brought this epic story to life with his excellent narration。 As this was an advance audio copy， there was no accompanying file which I believe will be included with the release edition。 Thank you Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for my ALC。Published December 6， 2022。 。。。more
Jessica
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I was provided a free advanced copy of this book from @netgalley in exchange for my honest review。 Based on the real events of the Karluk， a ship on an Arctic expedition， this story was pretty wild！ A lot of research went into piecing journals and resources together to gather a full picture of the events。 If it hadn't really happened you would think some of their experiences were impossible！ There were definitely some tough things to read about。 But if you enjoy an adventure and a tale of surviv I was provided a free advanced copy of this book from @netgalley in exchange for my honest review。 Based on the real events of the Karluk， a ship on an Arctic expedition， this story was pretty wild！ A lot of research went into piecing journals and resources together to gather a full picture of the events。 If it hadn't really happened you would think some of their experiences were impossible！ There were definitely some tough things to read about。 But if you enjoy an adventure and a tale of survival against all odds， this one is for you！ I normally struggle with non-fiction， but this one kept my attention pretty well。 There were some monotonous parts， but it was based on real events and there are monotonous parts of real life too！ It is set to be published on 6 December， so add it to your Christmas wish list！ #EmpireOfIceAndStone #NetGalley 。。。more
Dan
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My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher St。 Martin's Press for an advanced copy this book on Arctic exploration and survival。Explorers deserve all the praise that there exploits merit。 The idea of going into the great unknown for knowledge and discovery is a very noble idea。 The exploitation that usually follows is a big problem， but does not take away from the fact that they planned， fund raised， talked， listened， researched， and undertook a sometimes perilous trip， to find themselves in My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher St。 Martin's Press for an advanced copy this book on Arctic exploration and survival。Explorers deserve all the praise that there exploits merit。 The idea of going into the great unknown for knowledge and discovery is a very noble idea。 The exploitation that usually follows is a big problem， but does not take away from the fact that they planned， fund raised， talked， listened， researched， and undertook a sometimes perilous trip， to find themselves in more danger when they get there。 Sure the rewards were fame， book deals， lecture tours， medals， political office， might await them if they have a successful expedition。 Failure， famine， disease， loss of limb， sanity and loss of life was a lot more common。 Also more common were casualties among the support crew that never get much headlines for the risks they take。 Especially when things go tragically wrong。 Empire of Ice and Stone:The Disastrous and Heroic Voyage of the Karluk， by Buddy Levy is a tale of an mission of exploration that goes horribly wrong and how two men face their destines and the lives of their comrades on the ice in different ways。 Vihjalmur Stefansson was born with a skill for influencing people， and with a want and a need for fame that had not limits， nor morals。 Deciding that exploration was his way to gain the life he wanted Stefansson planned a trip to Africa， where he hoped to make his name。 Instead an offer was made to voyage to a place almost opposite where he planned。 The Arctic as part of a plan to find the fabled white eskimos， descendents of early Viking settlers who traveled from Greenland hundreds of years early， and intermarried with the Inuit people。 Trouble began immediately with Stefansson lacking the skill or the interest in caring for the small things about a artic expedition， not caring about the pemmican， a food product that could travel north and be safe to eat for year being contaminated。 Also in his choice of transportation the Karluk， an underpowered steam ship， whose better days were behind her。 However his choice in Captain for the Karluk was inspired。 Bob Bartlett was considered the premier Arctic navigator， who had come within miles of reaching the North Pole aiding a previous expedition。 Here he got a taste of both exploring and sailing in the North。 Which served him well， though he began to question much about this expedition including the leadership。 Soon his fears would be justified as the Karluk became entrapped in ice， and things went quite quickly from bad to far far worse。 This book should be read in the summer， when the sun is high， the birds are singing and the only pops and cracks are fireworks， not the slow crushing force of ice collapsing a boat in the frozen wastes。 Levy has a very good way of presenting the story， filling the mind with the sounds of ice wind and empty stomachs， and the smells of pemmican， wet wool， and the salt of the sea。 Levy is quite good at balancing the two men， and does not choose sides， but you can tell what person did their best for others， and who did the best for themselves。 The writing is good， with a steady tension that makes the book move quick， but still delivers a lot of information both nautical， on ice and on survival。 A fascinating tale of survival on the ice。 Recommended for fans of both arctic survival， and nautical stories。 Some of the scenes on the ice and on the open water are very well written， putting readers in the situation， and with a clear sense of the gravity of the what is happening。 A book that should be read with plenty of blankets a few hot toddies， and a dog or cat nearby for extra warmth。 。。。more
Erin
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This was arguably my favorite read of the year， I genuinely could not put the book down。 This was a horrible tragedy full of suspense， sacrifice， and survival and it piqued my interest almost immediately。 So many times while reading this， I had to stop myself because I couldn't believe it was real！ This was arguably my favorite read of the year， I genuinely could not put the book down。 This was a horrible tragedy full of suspense， sacrifice， and survival and it piqued my interest almost immediately。 So many times while reading this， I had to stop myself because I couldn't believe it was real！ 。。。more
Debra Pawlak
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I received an advance reading copy of this book from NetGalley。com and the publisher in return for a fair review。 Author Buddy Levy tells the saga of the doomed Karluk that was part of a Canadian Arctic expedition in 1913。 Three ships headed north under the guidance of expedition leader Vilhjalmur Stefansson。 While two of the ships made the trek， one ship--the Karluk--became stuck in the vast ice floes。 Instead of staying and trying to help the stranded men， Stefansson left the ship on the prete I received an advance reading copy of this book from NetGalley。com and the publisher in return for a fair review。 Author Buddy Levy tells the saga of the doomed Karluk that was part of a Canadian Arctic expedition in 1913。 Three ships headed north under the guidance of expedition leader Vilhjalmur Stefansson。 While two of the ships made the trek， one ship--the Karluk--became stuck in the vast ice floes。 Instead of staying and trying to help the stranded men， Stefansson left the ship on the pretext of going hunting， never to return。 In the meantime， Captain Bob Bartlett， did everything he could to save the men on his ship including crew， scientists， and a young Eskimo family with two children。 Eventually the ice gobbled up the ship and it sunk but not before Bartlett got everyone and their supplies off safely。 Now they were forced to stay directly in the harsh elements with only igloos to protect them。 They called the place Camp Shipwreck。 It was a harrowing ordeal for the men。 Bartlett kept their morale up and made sure they stayed active， but at some point， they had to leave their base camp and look for help。 Help was nowhere to be found。 Ultimately， Bartlett and one other person left the group and trekked over 700 miles to get help。 With Levy's descriptive passages， you could just about feel the freezing temps and the icy winds。 I thoroughly enjoyed this page-turner and it was one of the very best books I have read so far this year。 You couldn't help but be touched by the bravery these men showed--especially Captain Bartlett who was obsessed with saving his men。 If you are looking for a real adventure story that will keep you on the edge of your seat， then this is the book for you！ 。。。more
Chad
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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）
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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）
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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
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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
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After the disappointment of my last non-fiction book from NetGalley， I started reading this with a fair amount of concern。 Fortunately， that concern was unfounded， and I ended up enjoying the book。 I shook my head several times during the planning of the expedition， and wanted to knock some sense – and humility – into one of the men， all while being glad that *I wasn’t part of this planned journey into the Arctic。 The book could have read like a textbook， but it didn’t。 The reader gets a good se After the disappointment of my last non-fiction book from NetGalley， I started reading this with a fair amount of concern。 Fortunately， that concern was unfounded， and I ended up enjoying the book。 I shook my head several times during the planning of the expedition， and wanted to knock some sense – and humility – into one of the men， all while being glad that *I wasn’t part of this planned journey into the Arctic。 The book could have read like a textbook， but it didn’t。 The reader gets a good sense of who the men involved really were， and how strongly they believed in doing what’s right even when things are going terribly wrong。 The things they went through just to survive were amazing， and it made me more than a little angry that the so-called leader of the expedition just wrote them off and went on his merry way， while the captain of the ship endured so much just to get help。 If we ever get this far north in our travels， I don’t think I’ll be able to avoid thinking about Captain Bartlett and the rest who endured so much when it seemed like everything was working against them。Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book。 。。。more
Scott Nickels
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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
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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
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"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
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