Madhouse at the End of the Earth: The Belgica's Journey into the Dark Antarctic Night
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- Create Date：2021-04-30 18:31:18
- Update Date：2025-09-07
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- Author：Julian Sancton
- ISBN：B08FH9BV7N
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Reviews
Janta
，
NB: I read an ARC of this， with a page count of 331 pages。What a well-told and engrossing tale！ I really enjoyed this one。 As it was an ARC， I think it may be missing a few things: photos， etc。 I did feel the lack of a photo section， as there are several photos described in the text and it would have been nice to see them （here's hoping they're in the hardcover edition！）。 I thought Sancton did a great job making these people and events come alive; I had to avoid reading the book before bed becau NB: I read an ARC of this， with a page count of 331 pages。What a well-told and engrossing tale！ I really enjoyed this one。 As it was an ARC， I think it may be missing a few things: photos， etc。 I did feel the lack of a photo section， as there are several photos described in the text and it would have been nice to see them （here's hoping they're in the hardcover edition！）。 I thought Sancton did a great job making these people and events come alive; I had to avoid reading the book before bed because the lengthy section in which the Belgica is stuck in the Antarctic ice was a little too much to take。 It's not gruesome， but the notion of being trapped like that is somewhat terrifying。Definitely recommended for fans of late 19th/early 20th century history， maritime history， and good ideas that go bad。 。。。more
GavStar
，
The author did a great job。 If you have some great stories like this one， you can publish it on Novel Star， just submit your story to hardy@novelstar。top or joye@novelstar。top
Rachel
，
Madhouse at the End of the Earth: The Belgica’s Journey into the Dark Antarctic Night by Julian Sancton is an excellent historical book that tells the true story and adventures of the larger then life men and travels of the polar expedition at the end of the 19th century。 It was fascinating， engaging， and read like a fictional novel。 I loved it！Sadly， I had never read anything about this particular ship and expedition， however I have heard of Dr。 Cook， so I wanted to know more。。。and boy did I ge Madhouse at the End of the Earth: The Belgica’s Journey into the Dark Antarctic Night by Julian Sancton is an excellent historical book that tells the true story and adventures of the larger then life men and travels of the polar expedition at the end of the 19th century。 It was fascinating， engaging， and read like a fictional novel。 I loved it！Sadly， I had never read anything about this particular ship and expedition， however I have heard of Dr。 Cook， so I wanted to know more。。。and boy did I get a real eye opener。 This group of men， their characters， the way the quest was founded， and how it went down read like a train wreck， you know bad things will be going down， you cringe， but man， you cannot look away。 You have to know how bad it gets。 One bumble after another， at times I laughed， others I gasped。 The author had a remarkable way of creating a narrative that gave us the facts， yet in a smooth， fictional flow that also added cheeky commentary and sarcasm。 It was right up my alley。 I flew through this book， and loved every minute of it。 I also enjoyed the before and after context as well as the chapter notes， and the author’s note about his inspiration and how he researched this gem。 5/5 stars Fabulous！！！！！Thank you NG and Crown Publishing for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion。I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon， Instagram， and B&N accounts upon publication。 。。。more
Jane Meredith
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Everywhere I look at the minute there seems to be accounts of polar explorations。 Whether it's the excellent but superstitious BBC drama The Terror or the equally enigmatic Palin account of the fateful Terror/Erebus voyages。 I love it all。 This book has everything I need when it comes to the intrepid world of narrating theses adventures。 First hand accounts from crew members， sailing traditions and initiations and I even enjoy hearing the bare facts of the supplies and scientific discoveries。 Th Everywhere I look at the minute there seems to be accounts of polar explorations。 Whether it's the excellent but superstitious BBC drama The Terror or the equally enigmatic Palin account of the fateful Terror/Erebus voyages。 I love it all。 This book has everything I need when it comes to the intrepid world of narrating theses adventures。 First hand accounts from crew members， sailing traditions and initiations and I even enjoy hearing the bare facts of the supplies and scientific discoveries。 This book opens a whole new world for an armchair explorer like myself。 The descent into physical and mental illness is well charted and handled compassionately but balanced with stark facts。 I particularly enjoyed reading about Amundsen and Cook's ongoing friendship。 I feel like I've travelled the globe with them， minus scurvy。 Thank you @netgalley for the ARC in return for an honest review。 Madhouse at the End of the Earth is released on May 27th 2021。 。。。more
Brianna
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Author’s way of storytelling is so good。 I suggest you publish your book in NovelStar， a lot of readers will love your work。
Rebecca
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PUBLISHER’S DESCRIPTION:The harrowing， survival story of an early polar expedition that went terribly wrong， with the ship frozen in ice and the crew trapped inside for the entire sunless， Antarctic winterThe Belgica set sail from Europe on a sunny day in August 1897， intent upon becoming the first scientific expedition ever to reach the South Pole。 But after setbacks slowed its progress， ice closed in and ensnared the ship。 Temperatures plummeted， winds howled， perpetual darkness fell。The crew PUBLISHER’S DESCRIPTION:The harrowing， survival story of an early polar expedition that went terribly wrong， with the ship frozen in ice and the crew trapped inside for the entire sunless， Antarctic winterThe Belgica set sail from Europe on a sunny day in August 1897， intent upon becoming the first scientific expedition ever to reach the South Pole。 But after setbacks slowed its progress， ice closed in and ensnared the ship。 Temperatures plummeted， winds howled， perpetual darkness fell。The crew were to make history for a different reason: they were to be the first adventurers to face the brutal Antarctic winter， completely cut off from the world。 What began as an audacious scientific mission morphed into an epic struggle for survival。As the men battled blizzards， hunger， depression， rats and scurvy， some became inconsolable， some mad， while others were consumed by infections that turned them into living corpses。 It was down to the strongest characters to step up: namely the wild surgeon Dr Frederik Cook and the first mate， a young Norwegian adventurer by the name of Roald Amundsen。Could they devise a plan to break free of the ice and guide the ship back to open sea， against all odds？NO SPOILERS – not really an issue with non-fiction。I have 30 plus books on polar exploration and expeditions so was very pleased to receive an advance copy of this for review。 I like to read the journals and letters of those who “were there” but have also read books which gather， collate and paraphrase information and accounts from many sources to produce one chronological account; this book is such。Alas， I was disappointed。 I am familiar with the history of The Belgica though not the personal accounts of the crew， and I knew I would be interested but this book is so dull。 It is neither detailed nor brief and reads like a long Sunday magazine article。 （If I’m not familiar with a writer， after reading， I look them up and sure enough， Sancton is a feature writer and editor。）Some will love this book but it is just not for me， although I did really enjoy the final chapter which gives brief accounts of how the crew fared after The Belgica and I am sure many people will enjoy the whole book。 Perhaps I am too familiar with the logistics and pitfalls of the Arctic and Antarctic for such a basic re-telling to hold my interest。I would prefer to read the original sources and as Sancton lists these， I shall probably do so; after all， Scott’s unedited journal of his last expedition is far more interesting than his Voyage of the Discovery。Thank you to NetGalley and Ebury/Random House UK for the complimentary copy of the book， which I have voluntarily reviewed。 。。。more
Larry Tressler
，
I am not a fan of exploration stories。 And this one took about 25% of the book to get me interested。 You know the ship is going to get stuck in the ice。 It's discussed on the covers of the book。 Not a spoiler there。 To me， there was a bit too much about the financing of the trip。 But when the plot finally got going， it was pretty interesting。 Wasn't one of my top 10， but pretty good。 It gave a lot of details about each crewmember， but I soon realized that I was actually getting to know them all。 I am not a fan of exploration stories。 And this one took about 25% of the book to get me interested。 You know the ship is going to get stuck in the ice。 It's discussed on the covers of the book。 Not a spoiler there。 To me， there was a bit too much about the financing of the trip。 But when the plot finally got going， it was pretty interesting。 Wasn't one of my top 10， but pretty good。 It gave a lot of details about each crewmember， but I soon realized that I was actually getting to know them all。 What they did， and how they handled being stuck what would seem like forever was cool。 I found that I could put this book down for a few days without missing it， but all in all， a pretty good story。 。。。more
Ericka Seidemann
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The story of the Belgica is extraordinary。 In 1897， Belgian commandant Adrien de Gerlache led a government-sponsored expedition to conquer Antarctica and find the south magnetic pole。 He is naïve and idealistic， but I couldn’t help admiring his persistence。 The voyage of the Belgica is doomed from the start with an inexperienced and unreliable crew。 De Gerlache’s quixotic pursuit of glory results in an unplanned， unprecedented overwintering in the pack ice， and his recklessness leads to mental i The story of the Belgica is extraordinary。 In 1897， Belgian commandant Adrien de Gerlache led a government-sponsored expedition to conquer Antarctica and find the south magnetic pole。 He is naïve and idealistic， but I couldn’t help admiring his persistence。 The voyage of the Belgica is doomed from the start with an inexperienced and unreliable crew。 De Gerlache’s quixotic pursuit of glory results in an unplanned， unprecedented overwintering in the pack ice， and his recklessness leads to mental instability， physical deterioration， and near mutiny from the remaining crew。 Unlike many polar accounts I have read， each person on the Belgica is distinguishable as an individual， with deft consideration of the various personalities， ambitions， and relationships， both the good and the not-so-good。 Sancton includes background information on science， history， medicine， humorous anecdotes， diary accounts （and explanations of how and why they often differed from the truth）， and explorations into the psyche of these men。 I appreciated， too， the insights of how the men got along with one another， or failed to， due to the differing nationalities on board。 The lack of fresh food and the gruesome symptoms of scurvy in addition to the unexpected quarantine in months-long freezing darkness became a crucible for simmering hostilities。 The tale vacillates from nightmarish to inspiring and back again。 The burial at sea of one of the men into the icy water is an image that will stay with me for a long time。 Meticulously researched from primary source material， the book is never tedious and reads like a thriller。 Fascinating photos are included that are directly discussed in the text。 I highlighted a total of 20 pages of excerpts from this book。 I found so much of the information compelling that I didn’t want to forget a thing。 I also appreciated the epilogue in which Sancton provides a succinct account of the lives of the men after the Belgica， focusing on the friendship of Cook and Amundsen。 Sancton honors the men of the Belgica in admirably telling their story， with all of their shortcomings as well as their triumphs。 This work deserves a high rank among the echelon of polar literature。 I normally would recommend a book such as this to those interested in polar exploration， but honestly， I highly recommend this book to everyone。 Many thanks to Netgalley for the advance copy in exchange for my review。 。。。more
Amelia
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A gripping account of the de Gerlache Antarctic expedition of 1897-1899， in which the ship became frozen in the ice for the entire winter。 It’s also the story of the friendship between the ship's doctor， Dr Frederick Albert Cook， and Roald Amundsen， who was at the beginning of his career as an explorer。I loved this book。 It has all the makings of a disaster story， and I spent the majority of it waiting for calamity to strike。 Somehow， despite numerous crises， there would always be some breakthro A gripping account of the de Gerlache Antarctic expedition of 1897-1899， in which the ship became frozen in the ice for the entire winter。 It’s also the story of the friendship between the ship's doctor， Dr Frederick Albert Cook， and Roald Amundsen， who was at the beginning of his career as an explorer。I loved this book。 It has all the makings of a disaster story， and I spent the majority of it waiting for calamity to strike。 Somehow， despite numerous crises， there would always be some breakthrough， only for something else to happen almost instantly。 I never saw a more ill-assorted group of people: everyone seemed to have their own agenda， and some of the officers， including de Gerlache， made some very questionable decisions in order to achieve their aims。 The author uses a lot of primary sources such as diaries， something I really liked because it let me get a bit into the minds of the men。 Their characters were fascinating， especially Amundsen's， and it was great reading about his early adventures and his approach to polar exploration。 Cook sounds like a very complex man， and I enjoyed reading about him too。Ever since I read Buddy Levy’s Labyrinth of Ice last year I’ve been wanting to read something about Antarctic exploration， so I was especially excited to find this book。 It delivered exactly what I was hoping for: an exciting， informative account that was almost impossible to put down。 I really enjoyed it and definitely recommend it。I’d like to thank the publisher and Netgalley for kindly providing me with an advance review copy。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more
Dave Wheeler
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A historical event brought to life again。Towards the end of 1800's the polar regions still had much to discover specially the Antarctic， Belgium was still in its infancy as a country hence Aidrien De Gerlache struggled to get a full Belgium crew for his ship and exploration trip to the Antarctic。 Hence they eventually left Antwerp with a crew of only 50% Belgiums and the rest from other countries mainly Norwegians including Admundsen as well as one American who was called Cook the crews doctor。 A historical event brought to life again。Towards the end of 1800's the polar regions still had much to discover specially the Antarctic， Belgium was still in its infancy as a country hence Aidrien De Gerlache struggled to get a full Belgium crew for his ship and exploration trip to the Antarctic。 Hence they eventually left Antwerp with a crew of only 50% Belgiums and the rest from other countries mainly Norwegians including Admundsen as well as one American who was called Cook the crews doctor。 It took a while to get a full team and the whole experience was full of trials and first experiences but new discoveries always come at a cost。 This is an account of the expedition written with a feel of the time but in modern English which I'm sure takes something doing a credit to Julian Sancton。 I really enjoyed this book， felt the tensions and loved the honesty which must of took some research as peoples faults were often hidden or covered up part of the sailors code as I'm told。 A whaler was transformed into a polar ready ship called the Belgica and the fun and despair begin。 It's a five star read for me and hope you feel the same its also a historical account of true events which is well researched as said before。 If you are a lover of history or have a interest in the Polar regions this is a must 📚 read and I hope you but only enjoy but learn a I did。 。。。more
Jess
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Absolute page turner！ I found this book to be exciting and riveting。 The story unfolds in such a way that it’s almost as if it were written as a novel even though it falls under the non-fiction category。 I loved the literary references throughout and found that the descriptions put the reader right in the thick of it。 I highly recommend this book。
Julie Friar
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August 1897 and the Belgica sets sail to try and reach the South Pole。 Brilliant book that reflects the people and their strengths to undergo such a voyage。Trapped in the ice they struggle to survive。 So well written I could not put it down。 We get a glimpse into the lives of many now famous explorers， enjoy。
Amanda
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A sensational account of the fated Belgian Antarctic Expedition。Early chapters establish the socio-political context and the leading actors: the cool-headed， charismatic daredevil， Dr Frederick Cook; Roald Amundsen （prior to conquering the South Pole）; and Commandant Adrien de Gerlache， a resourceful， glory-seeking seafarer， but no leader of men。 The story really gets going once the Belgica sets sail from Antwerp in 1897。 From the off， everything that could go wrong does go wrong。 Ultimately， wh A sensational account of the fated Belgian Antarctic Expedition。Early chapters establish the socio-political context and the leading actors: the cool-headed， charismatic daredevil， Dr Frederick Cook; Roald Amundsen （prior to conquering the South Pole）; and Commandant Adrien de Gerlache， a resourceful， glory-seeking seafarer， but no leader of men。 The story really gets going once the Belgica sets sail from Antwerp in 1897。 From the off， everything that could go wrong does go wrong。 Ultimately， when the feisty barque is imprisoned in ice， her scurvy-ridden crew unravels into madness。Sancton has a journalist’s eye for a good story。 His meticulously researched， compelling writing engages with a combination of the human angle plus fascinating details of the inhospitable Antarctic。 We hear the moans， cracks and grating of the ice， we see the dynamics of icebergs， and we meet the southernmost flowering plant in the world， Deschampsia antarctica。A truly gripping， hair-raising adventure。My thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK for the ARC。 。。。more
Ericka Jade
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I received this book for free from the publisher for my review。I’ve always been interested in exploration stories of Antarctica and was pleased to see that I won the book。 The book starts off in Leavenworth prison where explorer Roald Amundsen visits prisoner Dr。 Frederick Cook。 The two commiserate about their lives together on the ship Belgica。 The book the proceeds to tell the chronological story of how Adrienne de Gerlache， a Belgian navy officer， decided to gather a crew and set sail to Anta I received this book for free from the publisher for my review。I’ve always been interested in exploration stories of Antarctica and was pleased to see that I won the book。 The book starts off in Leavenworth prison where explorer Roald Amundsen visits prisoner Dr。 Frederick Cook。 The two commiserate about their lives together on the ship Belgica。 The book the proceeds to tell the chronological story of how Adrienne de Gerlache， a Belgian navy officer， decided to gather a crew and set sail to Antarctica in search of the magnetic South Pole。 The book was a little slow in the first two chapters but picked up speed fairly quickly。 The backstory， although dry， was important for the foundation of the exploration。 There were many referrals to photographs that Dr Cook room on the adventure yet none were included in the book。 I hope that is remedied for the final published copies because they would add so much to the context of the book。All in all a fast paced， interesting and enjoyable adventure book that I would recommend to those who like this type of book。 。。。more
Maggie
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Madhouse at the end of the World is the story of the 1897-1899 Belgian expedition to the Antarctic region， featuring De Gerlach the Belgian responsible for conceiving the idea and obtaining funding for his voyage。 We also have Fredrick Cook as ships doctor and Roald Amundson when a very young man， these two explorers would later be responsible for the conquests of the North Pole。Although a history book this book reads like a thriller and as one reviewer has written a’ripping yarn’ which it certa Madhouse at the end of the World is the story of the 1897-1899 Belgian expedition to the Antarctic region， featuring De Gerlach the Belgian responsible for conceiving the idea and obtaining funding for his voyage。 We also have Fredrick Cook as ships doctor and Roald Amundson when a very young man， these two explorers would later be responsible for the conquests of the North Pole。Although a history book this book reads like a thriller and as one reviewer has written a’ripping yarn’ which it certainly is。As the trip begins all manner of things occur not least an almost mutiny and then when they eventually arrive in Antarctica they become trapped in the winter ice。 For 24hours over the solar winter day turns to night， leading to deprivation and suffering not only physical with the effects of scurvy but also psychological where behaviour changes for the worse with the continuing darkness。A fascinating and exciting story of endurance， with a flowing narrative and characters well described and full of depth。 If history could be taught like this in schools it would excite and engage like none other。A brilliant read， throughly enjoyable， a complete page turner。My thanks to net galley and publishers for the opportunity to review this book honestly。 。。。more
Lianne
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This was an amazing adventure of one the first expeditions to Antarctica in 1898 from Belgium。 I never lost interest and couldn't wait to keep reading。 This was an amazing adventure of one the first expeditions to Antarctica in 1898 from Belgium。 I never lost interest and couldn't wait to keep reading。 。。。more
John Davis
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Madhouse at the End of the Earth， by Julian Sancton; Crown Press: New York; $30。00 hardback Scientific exploration defined the latter 19th Century。 It was an age when 'first discoveries' epitomized pushing forward the bounds of the known earth。 Not to be excluded from the great naval nations' claims to glory， little Belgium joined in the quests to map and scientifically analyze the unexplored lands。 This is the story of 'The Belgica's Jouney into the Dark Antarctic Night。' And such a tale of adv Madhouse at the End of the Earth， by Julian Sancton; Crown Press: New York; $30。00 hardback Scientific exploration defined the latter 19th Century。 It was an age when 'first discoveries' epitomized pushing forward the bounds of the known earth。 Not to be excluded from the great naval nations' claims to glory， little Belgium joined in the quests to map and scientifically analyze the unexplored lands。 This is the story of 'The Belgica's Jouney into the Dark Antarctic Night。' And such a tale of adventure， madness， thrilling discovery， and suffering it is！ The steam-powered windjammer Belgica was fated to a doomed journey indeed。 Moreover， we have a study of human nature under dreadful conditions。 Julian Sancton， editor at Departures magazine， and contributor to other quality journals such as the New Yorker， Vanity Fair， and Wired， tells a gripping story。 With first rate primary sources， he holds the reader spellbound。 He recounts a near mutiny against the driven Commandant， Adrien de Gerlache。 The reader can imagine the horrific monster waves and tempests which took the first victim， despite superhuman efforts to save him。 The daily concerns， joys， and fears are conveyed using extracts from the actual journals， diaries， and books of the survivors。 What began as a scientific investigation to the Magnetic South Pole， and all natural phenomena in between， turned into a slow motion horror when the Belgica stuck fast in the enclosing Antarctic ice pack。 Excellent character studies of the loyal officers， intrepid， sometimes treacherous， often noble crew， and three Eastern European scientists who accompanied the voyage are utterly memorable。 The charming， competent， if rascally Doctor Cook， the sole American， and Roald Amundsen， the Norwegian who later gained world fame for his polar adventures and discoveries， appear as real， thoughtful people。 We learn that most of the literate crew were versed on the adventurous writings of Poe， Coleridge， and indeed Jules Verne。 Adventure drew them like magnets， and yet that enthusiasm alone could not battle the diseases and hunger that beset them in their ice prison。 How leadership， professionalism， and empathetic concern battled madness， scurvy， and fatigue is a tale you won’t forget。 Sancton is the master of the telling anecdote， the concise and clarifying summary， and sensational nature writing which evokes the imagination of the reader。 Anyone who values a human story in trying conditions， under desperate circumstances， will completely enjoy this book 。。。more
Alyssa
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Not something I would've gone out of my way to read， but I won a giveaway so here we are and I liked it way more than I expected。 Very interesting story， does not go the direction it looks like it's going at a few different points。（Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book through a Goodreads Giveaway。） Not something I would've gone out of my way to read， but I won a giveaway so here we are and I liked it way more than I expected。 Very interesting story， does not go the direction it looks like it's going at a few different points。（Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book through a Goodreads Giveaway。） 。。。more
David V。
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Received as an ARC via my employer Barnes & Noble。 Started 3-23-21。 Finished 3-29-21。 Well-researched and fascinating true story of one of the first explorations of Antarctica in 189 and a search for the South Pole。。 This is a perfect example of why such voyages fail---the leaders underestimate the environment and the dangers in these unexplored areas。 Add to this their motives: glory or greed or treasures or prestige for themselves or the country they represent or personal conflicts among the c Received as an ARC via my employer Barnes & Noble。 Started 3-23-21。 Finished 3-29-21。 Well-researched and fascinating true story of one of the first explorations of Antarctica in 189 and a search for the South Pole。。 This is a perfect example of why such voyages fail---the leaders underestimate the environment and the dangers in these unexplored areas。 Add to this their motives: glory or greed or treasures or prestige for themselves or the country they represent or personal conflicts among the crew， isolation， emotional baggage， poor food， inadequate equipment， and a host of other unforeseen difficulties and not even a good leader can be expected to be prepared for all of this。 All of these confronted this leader and his crew， and almost led to the deaths of everyone forcing them and their ship to be frozen in to the icepack in the winter and floating with the ice without control。 This would make a good movie--the book is very visual， the reader can even smell the ice！！ 。。。more
Carole
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Madhouse at the End of the Earth is the true story of exploration， hardship and survival of the ship "Belgica" and her crew in the exploration Antarctica。 The ship and crew were trapped in the Antarctic ice for more than a year。 Though many men died， that any survived to return to Belgium is a herculean feat beyond imaginings。 If you enjoy true adventure， you will not want to miss this extraordinary tale of the "Belgica 's journey into the dark Antarctic night"。 Madhouse at the End of the Earth is the true story of exploration， hardship and survival of the ship "Belgica" and her crew in the exploration Antarctica。 The ship and crew were trapped in the Antarctic ice for more than a year。 Though many men died， that any survived to return to Belgium is a herculean feat beyond imaginings。 If you enjoy true adventure， you will not want to miss this extraordinary tale of the "Belgica 's journey into the dark Antarctic night"。 。。。more
Stephanie Crowe
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What an adventure！ In the late 19th century， adventurers were obsessed with exploration of the known world。 The last places that had not been fully explored and captured everyones imagination were the North and South Poles。 In 1897， the Belgica， a Belgian ship， captained by Adrien de Gerlache， began a journey to Antarctica fueled by dreams of discovery and glory。Additional persons of note on board was: an American physician， Frederick Cook， who was credited with saving the crew due to his knowle What an adventure！ In the late 19th century， adventurers were obsessed with exploration of the known world。 The last places that had not been fully explored and captured everyones imagination were the North and South Poles。 In 1897， the Belgica， a Belgian ship， captained by Adrien de Gerlache， began a journey to Antarctica fueled by dreams of discovery and glory。Additional persons of note on board was: an American physician， Frederick Cook， who was credited with saving the crew due to his knowledge and skill of survival gained on his previous journeys to the North Pole and， Roald Amundsen， a Scandinavian，who gained fame with this a later explorations。 This trip was brutal and lasted two years one of those being frozen in the ice at the end of the world。 Sancton paints a vivid picture of the daily experience of these sailors， the suffering and madness that ensues and the consequences in the lives of the crew。 Engrossing story！ I couldn’t put it down！ 。。。more
Alisa
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[Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC]“Could there be a more melancholy， a more maddening， or a more hopeless region than this？”Am I fascinated by the Antarctic？ YES。 Do I love books about harrowing Antarctic voyages？ Of course。 Would I ever venture to the South Pole？ According to this book （and the others I’ve read on the subject）， it wouldn’t be the best idea without rigorous training and careful preparation。 The Belgica’s crew unfortunately lacked these crucial factors。It also seemed to lack luck。 [Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC]“Could there be a more melancholy， a more maddening， or a more hopeless region than this？”Am I fascinated by the Antarctic？ YES。 Do I love books about harrowing Antarctic voyages？ Of course。 Would I ever venture to the South Pole？ According to this book （and the others I’ve read on the subject）， it wouldn’t be the best idea without rigorous training and careful preparation。 The Belgica’s crew unfortunately lacked these crucial factors。It also seemed to lack luck。 The constant setbacks， obstacles， confrontations， bad weather， and ill timing – all before the ship even reached Antarctica – seemed to pile one on top of the other and created an atmosphere of anxiety。 I was practically biting my nails from the tension， asking myself: will they even make it to the Antarctic？ More importantly， will they make it back？This book features three main adventurers – Adrien de Garleche， Dr。 Cook， and Roald Amundsen。 Out of the three， Cook was my favorite due to his indomitable spirit （and the fact that he hailed from Brooklyn， of course）。 I also gained grudging respect for Amundsen， whom I strongly disliked in Captain Scott due to his arrogance and manipulative ways。 The younger Amundsen seems more humble， more willing to be a team player。 I think de Garleche’s failings as a leader came down to his caring too much about what the press might say about him， instead of putting all of his focus on the expedition and his men’s wellbeing。 In all， this is a riveting story of adventure， survival， and endurance in one of the most treacherous environments on earth。 。。。more
Martin Paul
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I was expecting Dan Simmons “The Terror”。 What I got was something a little bit different。That was fact-based fiction。 So is this， but there’s much more detail， no supernatural horror， and a lot of human spirit， trial and tribulation。 “Madhouse at the End of the Earth” is a fictionalised account of an actual Belgian expedition to the Antarctic， in the final years of the 19th century， and is based on a multitude of journals and reports。I’m not a huge fan of non-fiction， but in this case， the NetG I was expecting Dan Simmons “The Terror”。 What I got was something a little bit different。That was fact-based fiction。 So is this， but there’s much more detail， no supernatural horror， and a lot of human spirit， trial and tribulation。 “Madhouse at the End of the Earth” is a fictionalised account of an actual Belgian expedition to the Antarctic， in the final years of the 19th century， and is based on a multitude of journals and reports。I’m not a huge fan of non-fiction， but in this case， the NetGalley blurb caught my attention， as I really had enjoyed “The Terror” and I realised this was a fact-based novel。 It seems the story of the Belgica has been poorly served by history， as most of it has never been translated into English， even though it’s one of the best documented， with many journals， reports and essays in existence。 And it’s these that author Julian Sancton has meticulously taken apart and re-told in this thrilling tale。 The Belgica set sail from Europe in August 1897， the aim being to become the first scientific expedition ever to reach the South Pole。 But as might be expected， numerous setbacks slowed its progress， the ice closed in and trapped the ship。 Temperatures plummeted， and the south polar night fell。So far， readers of “The Terror” will be up-to-speed。 The crew face severe weather， hunger， depression， disease， and struggle to over-winter， trapped in the cruel cold。 Several characters appear， to save the day - surgeon Dr Frederik Cook， first mate Roald Amundsen and the leader of the expedition Adrian De Gerlache。 Flawed humans， every one， but incredibly well fleshed out by the author。 The story fascinates， annoys， astounds and shocks all at the same time。In the final Authors Note （fascinating in its own right） Sancton talks of Dr Cook’s hypotheses about the effects of isolation （the original magazine article that drew the authors attention to the expedition was about isolation likely to affect astronauts to Mars） and the lack of sunlight on the crew。 Cook saved the crew from scurvy by using knowledge he gained from Inuits in the Northern Polar regions。 Thanks to the rich source material， this is a deeply detailed and complex story。 It will obviously appeal to fans of polar exploration and early voyages of discovery， but also will grab thriller fans too。 Thoroughly recommended。 I enjoyed the ARC so much， I’ll probably rush out and buy the print copy。 。。。more
O Prism
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I enjoy learning history， and this book does not disappoint。 This was a well-written and thoroughly researched story of the Belgica expedition to Antarctica from Belgium in 1897， and how the men fared while stuck in the ice in total darkness for 70 days， and their slow and painful descent into madness。 The three leaders - De Gerlache， Cook and Admundsen - had very different life philosophies and approaches to the journey， which increased the tension on an already harrowing journey。 I thought the I enjoy learning history， and this book does not disappoint。 This was a well-written and thoroughly researched story of the Belgica expedition to Antarctica from Belgium in 1897， and how the men fared while stuck in the ice in total darkness for 70 days， and their slow and painful descent into madness。 The three leaders - De Gerlache， Cook and Admundsen - had very different life philosophies and approaches to the journey， which increased the tension on an already harrowing journey。 I thought the beginning was more slow; the action picked up once the boat was on its way。 Reading of discoveries of new flora and fauna and naming previously undiscovered islands was fascinating， as were the dynamics in play after the sun set for months， and everyone began to deteriorate。 The book was very descriptive， which upped the interest factor。 Dr。 Cook’s insistance on the mean eating seal meat saved them from both scurvy and death。 Admunsen treated it all as a grand adventure; he and Cook’s attitudes were different yet both are to be admired for setting an example for the frightened men。 Gerlache appeared to be more concerned for his reputation than using common sense。 It is a miracle the boat returned intact。 Anyone interested in Antarctic journeys and all things nautical and frozen would enjoy this book; and I highly recommend this read。 It was a long book， and not the kind I couldn’t put down。 I’m glad I finished it。 While not necessarily my cup of tea book wise， it is a grand story told in exquisite detail。Thank you to the author and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion。 。。。more
Elizabeth
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I enjoyed this book！ Probably not as much as Kingdom of Ice， but still fascinating and educational。
Justin Sarginson
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An oddly enthralling account of a Belgium exploration of the Antarctic in early part of the 20th century。 Told like a novel， the adventure， planning， setbacks and outcomes grasp you from the onset。 Thanks to NetGallery， I was able to read an early copy and I enjoyed it throughly。 A subject matter which wouldn’t necessarily appeal to me， this cleverly written account is a highly recommended read。
KELLY SILVEIRA
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I guess I need to mention that I won an ARC of this book in a goodreads giveaway。 I enjoyed Endurance， by Alfred Lansing， so I thought I'd give a similar book a try。 While this reads much like the former， I did like the more contemporary writing style more。 The author does a fine job of detailing an event that I'd never even heard of before。。。a harrowing south polar expediton that helped to form the leaders of more well-known future explorations。 Well written and very well researched。 I recommen I guess I need to mention that I won an ARC of this book in a goodreads giveaway。 I enjoyed Endurance， by Alfred Lansing， so I thought I'd give a similar book a try。 While this reads much like the former， I did like the more contemporary writing style more。 The author does a fine job of detailing an event that I'd never even heard of before。。。a harrowing south polar expediton that helped to form the leaders of more well-known future explorations。 Well written and very well researched。 I recommend for anyone who likes true life adventure stories。 。。。more
Kate Southey
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This book was incredible！ Julian Sancton manages to include meticulous research and authentic scientific and maritime details while making the book read like a ‘ripping yarn’。 I am so glad that this story has finally been told in English as it wasn’t an expedition I was familiar with。 Having read fairly widely about John Franklin and Erabus and Shackleton it was breathtaking to read of a ship that survived a polar winter。 Despite knowing the outcome of the expedition I was still on the edge of m This book was incredible！ Julian Sancton manages to include meticulous research and authentic scientific and maritime details while making the book read like a ‘ripping yarn’。 I am so glad that this story has finally been told in English as it wasn’t an expedition I was familiar with。 Having read fairly widely about John Franklin and Erabus and Shackleton it was breathtaking to read of a ship that survived a polar winter。 Despite knowing the outcome of the expedition I was still on the edge of my seat， reading feverishly to find out if they would manage to free Belgica from the ice。 De Gerlache was a tricky ‘hero’ for me， clearly an incredible seaman but so driven by pride that almost every decision he made was the wrong one。 Amundsen and Cook were my heroes but it was sad to see that neither lived up to their early promise。 That said， both were leagues ahead of De Gerlache and the rest of the crew in terms of their ability to innovate and adapt to the conditions they encountered。 I will forever wonder what would have happened had they gone ahead with their plan to find the pole before returning to Belgium in 1900。 It was fascinating to read Cook’s hypotheses about the affects of lack of sunlight on the crew and how he single handedly saved the crew from scurvy by using knowledge gained from Inuits in the Northern Polar regions。 A must read book for anyone interested in polar exploration and geographic discovery。 。。。more
Kerry
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tier 4 lockdown but with scurvy
Brenda
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