Madhouse at the End of the Earth
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- Create Date：2021-05-29 03:31:32
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：Julian Sancton
- ISBN：0593401409
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Reviews
Philip
，
Exceptional read filled with amazement， tragedy and human desire for the unknown。
Debbie
，
Unfortunately things went awry before they even set sail。 This book was very well written。 I am suprised how much I enjoyed it。 This is not what I typically read， It shows I need to step out of my comfort zone。
Lee Adams
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Fantastically written。 This is， more than anything， a coming of age book about Amundsen and Cook who shared this journey on the Belgica。
Karen
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I've read many nonfiction books about polar exploration， north and south。 I had high hopes for this one， as I didn't know much about the Belgica expedition at all before reading this。 I don't know why， but I just didn't think this book was all that good。 Oh well， on to the next thing。 I've read many nonfiction books about polar exploration， north and south。 I had high hopes for this one， as I didn't know much about the Belgica expedition at all before reading this。 I don't know why， but I just didn't think this book was all that good。 Oh well， on to the next thing。 。。。more
Morleymor
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Engrossing read。
Michael Mills
，
An interesting enough account of the Belgian Antarctic Expedition of 1897–99， albeit one that struggles to generate the claustrophobia， paranoia and dread its title promises。 It might be that the two things are working against each other， for while the level of detail meant I learnt a lot about the expedition， the challenges it faced， and its place in both the history of antarctic exploration and indeed the world， it works against any deeper emotional feelings。 A good history， but a less strikin An interesting enough account of the Belgian Antarctic Expedition of 1897–99， albeit one that struggles to generate the claustrophobia， paranoia and dread its title promises。 It might be that the two things are working against each other， for while the level of detail meant I learnt a lot about the expedition， the challenges it faced， and its place in both the history of antarctic exploration and indeed the world， it works against any deeper emotional feelings。 A good history， but a less striking story。 。。。more
Brandy
，
Interesting true story of a voyage to the South Pole and the inanity that ensues when you get stuck in ice。 It’s well done and the author keeps it interesting by trying to help you connect to the main players。
Nancyann
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Wow。 I didn't expect to be blown way by the story of the 1890s Belgium expedition to Antarctica。Expertly written with superb descriptions of the unforgiving pack ice during an Antarctic winter， this book does a brilliant job conveying the joys， sorrows， and madness aboard the Belgica。 The extensive research was evident， I just wish more photos had been included。 Make certain to read the Author's Notes which offer a fascinating explanation as to what prompted this book。 Wow。 I didn't expect to be blown way by the story of the 1890s Belgium expedition to Antarctica。Expertly written with superb descriptions of the unforgiving pack ice during an Antarctic winter， this book does a brilliant job conveying the joys， sorrows， and madness aboard the Belgica。 The extensive research was evident， I just wish more photos had been included。 Make certain to read the Author's Notes which offer a fascinating explanation as to what prompted this book。 。。。more
Kathy
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As for the story itself: remarkable and astonishing。As for the storyteller: remarkable and astonishing。To have pored through the voluminous material available， much of it orginally NOT in English， and arrived at a coherent， cogent telling of such a tale reveals an incredible writer。
Bookboy
，
Reading Notes: It snowed inside the tent as well: the condensation from the sleepers’ breath froze against the walls and floated back down in flakes。Julian Sancton。 Madhouse at the End of the Earth （Emplacements du Kindle 3533-3534）。 Random House UK， Ebury Publishing。 Édition du Kindle。
Jane Fowler
，
Madhouse at the End of the Earth - I am always drawn to the these stories of Arctic/Antarctic discoveries。。。This centered around the young， inexperienced Commander， de Gerlache; the explorer Roald Admundsen and Dr。 Frederick Cook - the American doctor who joins the team; and in essence， saves them after de Gerlache's deadly push into the ice pack at the start of the arctic winter。Julian Sancton takes us thru their childhoods; the events leading up to voyage， the events during， and the years afte Madhouse at the End of the Earth - I am always drawn to the these stories of Arctic/Antarctic discoveries。。。This centered around the young， inexperienced Commander， de Gerlache; the explorer Roald Admundsen and Dr。 Frederick Cook - the American doctor who joins the team; and in essence， saves them after de Gerlache's deadly push into the ice pack at the start of the arctic winter。Julian Sancton takes us thru their childhoods; the events leading up to voyage， the events during， and the years after。 I found interesting， the "polar madness;" which afflicted the explorers， during， and seemingly years after。 。。。more
A。L。
，
A really interesting book。 In some ways it's more about Frederick Cook than it is about the Belgica in general， but it makes for fascinating reading。 Usually Cook is passed off as a showman and fraud （I'm not sure he was ever more of a fraud than Peary， who also almost certainly didn't make the North Pole） but this book looks at him in far more depth and in a much more rounded way。 Also an interesting insight into Amundsen's earlier life。 A really interesting book。 In some ways it's more about Frederick Cook than it is about the Belgica in general， but it makes for fascinating reading。 Usually Cook is passed off as a showman and fraud （I'm not sure he was ever more of a fraud than Peary， who also almost certainly didn't make the North Pole） but this book looks at him in far more depth and in a much more rounded way。 Also an interesting insight into Amundsen's earlier life。 。。。more
Lou
，
Madhouse at the End of the Earth revolves around an early polar expedition that went devastatingly awry trapping the ship’s crew on board and frozen solid for the entirety of the dark， frigid Antarctic winter。 In August 1897， thirty-one-year-old commandant Adrien de Gerlache set sail aboard the Belgica， fueled by a profound sense of adventure and dreams of claiming glory for his native Belgium。 His destination was the uncharted end of the earth: the icy continent of Antarctica。 But the commandan Madhouse at the End of the Earth revolves around an early polar expedition that went devastatingly awry trapping the ship’s crew on board and frozen solid for the entirety of the dark， frigid Antarctic winter。 In August 1897， thirty-one-year-old commandant Adrien de Gerlache set sail aboard the Belgica， fueled by a profound sense of adventure and dreams of claiming glory for his native Belgium。 His destination was the uncharted end of the earth: the icy continent of Antarctica。 But the commandant's plans for a three-year expedition to reach the magnetic South Pole would be thwarted at each turn。 Before the ship cleared South America， it had already broken down， run aground， and lost several key crew members， leaving behind a group with dubious experience for such an ambitious voyage。 As the ship progressed into the freezing waters， the captain had to make a choice: turn back and spare his men the potentially devastating consequences of getting stuck， or recklessly sail deeper into the ice pack to chase glory and fame。 He sailed on， and the Belgica soon found itself stuck fast in the icy hold of the Antarctic continent。 The ship would winter on the ice。 Plagued by a mysterious， debilitating illness and besieged by the monotony of their days， the crew deteriorated as their confinement in suffocating close quarters wore on and their hope of escape dwindled daily。 As winter approached the days grew shorter， until the sun set on the magnificent polar landscape one last time， condemning the ship's occupants to months of quarantine in an endless night。 Forged in fire and carved by ice， Antarctica proved a formidable opponent for the motley crew。 Among them was Frederick Cook， an American doctor--part scientist， part adventurer， part P。T。 Barnum--whose unorthodox methods delivered many of the crew from the gruesome symptoms of scurvy and whose relentless optimism buoyed their spirits through the long， dark polar night。 Then there was Roald Amundsen， a young Norwegian who went on to become a storied polar explorer in his own right， exceeding de Gerlache's wildest dreams by leading the first expeditions to traverse the Northwest Passage and reach the South Pole。 This is an enthralling， fascinating and chilling read and drawing on firsthand accounts of the Belgica's voyage and exclusive access to the ship's logbook， Sancton tells the tale of its long， isolated imprisonment on the ice--a story that NASA studies today in its research on isolation for missions to Mars。 In vivid， hair-raising prose， the author recounts the myriad forces that drove these men right up to and over the brink of madness。 Some of the most crisp， icy descriptions are woven into the gripping narrative so much so that you can almost feel the chill emanating from its pages。 An extensively researched， intricately detailed， captivating work of narrative nonfiction。 Highly recommended especially to those with a prior interest in the expedition field。 。。。more
Dkolacinski
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An incredibly gripping account of the Antarctic voyage of the Belgica made real by presenting each historical figure as a real person。 Reads like an incredible fiction， but it's real。 An incredibly gripping account of the Antarctic voyage of the Belgica made real by presenting each historical figure as a real person。 Reads like an incredible fiction， but it's real。 。。。more
Vera Hannaford
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3。5 Stars。 Even though I've rarely been in sub-zero weather， I love a thrilling Arctic tale， and surprisingly enough， I had never heard of the Belgica。 This was no exception， though it does take a while to get started， and there is a bit of padding at the end。 Still， the tale of survival against almost all odds is mesmerizing， and in a couple places， had me in tears or sick to my stomach。 While the author clearly has an affinity with Dr。 Cook， my guy is Amundsen。 His dedication and loyalty were 3。5 Stars。 Even though I've rarely been in sub-zero weather， I love a thrilling Arctic tale， and surprisingly enough， I had never heard of the Belgica。 This was no exception， though it does take a while to get started， and there is a bit of padding at the end。 Still， the tale of survival against almost all odds is mesmerizing， and in a couple places， had me in tears or sick to my stomach。 While the author clearly has an affinity with Dr。 Cook， my guy is Amundsen。 His dedication and loyalty were moving， and although he was harsh， he had his own sense of honor most of the time。 Well worth checking out。 。。。more
Mary Lins
，
I don’t read a lot of non-fiction， but when I heard about “Madhouse at the End of the Earth: The Belgica’s Journey Into the Dark Antarctic Night” by Julian Sancton， it reminded me of some thrilling non-fiction I’ve loved in the past （e。g。， “Into Thin Air” by Jon Krakauer， “The Perfect Storm” by Sebastian Junger， and “Shadow Divers” by Robert Kurson）。What a thriller！ It is indeed a “Polar Horror Story” and as gripping as any adventure story – fact or fiction！ I intentionally didn’t read up on the I don’t read a lot of non-fiction， but when I heard about “Madhouse at the End of the Earth: The Belgica’s Journey Into the Dark Antarctic Night” by Julian Sancton， it reminded me of some thrilling non-fiction I’ve loved in the past （e。g。， “Into Thin Air” by Jon Krakauer， “The Perfect Storm” by Sebastian Junger， and “Shadow Divers” by Robert Kurson）。What a thriller！ It is indeed a “Polar Horror Story” and as gripping as any adventure story – fact or fiction！ I intentionally didn’t read up on the Belgica so that I could fully experience the suspense of this amazing expedition。 I’m sure I was drawn to the story because of the three-plus decades that I have been part of the International Space Station Program at the Johnson Space Center in Houston。 So much reminded me of the challenges of our own international engineering and scientific cooperation on the ISS！ Clearly NASA has learned many lessons about survival （physical and mental） from expeditions like the Belgica， and as Sancton points out， are still learning and applying to future Mars expeditions。“Madhouse at the End of the Earth” would make a fantastic film！ I want to see the Gerlache Strait in color！ 。。。more
Carole Tyrrell
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Madhouse at the end of the earthThe book begins with the meeting of 2 men in Leavenworth Prison， Kansas in January 1926。 One is Roald Amundsen， renowned and controversial Polar explorer and the other is Dr Frederick Cook， a disgraced fraudster and dubbed ‘the greatest imposter the world has ever known’。 There is a bond between them which had been forged as they sailed on the Belgian ship， the Belgica， on its mission to reach the South Pole。 It was a bond that would only be broken when Amundsen m Madhouse at the end of the earthThe book begins with the meeting of 2 men in Leavenworth Prison， Kansas in January 1926。 One is Roald Amundsen， renowned and controversial Polar explorer and the other is Dr Frederick Cook， a disgraced fraudster and dubbed ‘the greatest imposter the world has ever known’。 There is a bond between them which had been forged as they sailed on the Belgian ship， the Belgica， on its mission to reach the South Pole。 It was a bond that would only be broken when Amundsen mysteriously vanished and was presumed dead。The Antarctic and its two Poles captured the imaginations of 19th century explorers。 Jules Verne and Edgar Allan Poe had both written books with it as a dramatic backdrop and there was also Coleridge’s ‘The Rime of the Ancient Mariner。 But who would be first to chart its vast， uncharted swathes？ Adrien de Gerlache de Gomery was determined to lead the first Belgian expedition there。 He lobbied for funds and presented it as a scientific expedition as well as being a source of national pride。 The ship， Belgica， set sail on 16 August 1897 with an assorted crew of 13 Belgians and 10 foreigners。 Among them was the Norwegian， Road Amundsen， who had volunteered himself and an American， Dr Frederick Cook， who joined later。 Dr Cook had been on the Peary Polar expedition and his experience and knowledge from it would be invaluable on the Belgica。 The ship was so loaded with equipment that it was a mere foot and half off the water which may have accounted for some of the delays that the ship encountered。De Gerlache was not a natural leader and there were tensions amongst the crew。 After 4 Belgians were kicked off the boat at one stop there were then more foreigners than Belgians on board。 Amundsen resigned as first mate at one point。 But it was de Gerlache who made the fateful decision to sail south at all costs which led to the Belgica and its crew sailing into pack ice and being forced to winter there during an Arctic winter。 It’s this that forms the bulk of the book as the men have to survive a punishing Arctic winter where it would be night for 3 months。 Until then， no man had ever lived through winter so far south。 Would they survive？This was one of the most fascinating books about exploration that I’ve ever read。 I’d never previously heard of the Belgica expedition or how important it was。 It was the ‘the first expedition to the polar region’ and according to the author， ‘the first truly international expedition of the modern era。’ Although there are photos from the Belgica， I had to go online to find pictures of the crew including a very luxuriantly fur coated Dr Cook。It still seems incredible that these men would set sail in uncharted regions， not knowing what they might find or if they would ever return。 The book is at its best when describing the men’s sojourn in the pack ice; surrounded by it as far as the eye could see while being completely in its power。 The ice was almost as a character in itself as it shifts and moves beneath their feet as they learn to anticipate its moods。 Isolated， with monotonous food supplies and with scurvy rife， they still went out and collected specimens。 Dr Cook took what are believed to be the first photos of Antarctica in his capacity as anthropologist。 The author has really recreated the Arctic landscapes in their treachery， their stark beauty and with mysterious screams in the night。 The Belgica’s discoveries were groundbreaking and they brought back unique specimens。 Many of these were named after them or the boat and there are several areas in the Artic named after the crew and de Gerlache。 They were fortunate to have Dr Cook’s previous experience of the Arctic as he pioneered light therapy for the men and persuaded them to eat raw meat to ward off scurvy。 They managed to break free of the ice and avoid another Arctic winter and sailed home to a hero’s welcome and the author devotes a section to this。 The Belgica has been studied by NASA on isolation on its missions to Mars。 I was intrigued by what drove these men: the desire for recognition， a restless urge to explore the unexplored or to record the vast wilderness。 The complex nature， for example， or Dr Cook， a vital crew member who ended up reviled and in prison。 The author had really done his research and had access to the men’s diaries and journals and there is a fulsome bibliography at the end of the book。 Recommended。My thanks to Ebury Publishing/Penguin Random House and Net galley for an ARC 。。。more
sweaty
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A superbly written， approachable， exhaustive account of the Belgica’s expedition。 I can imagine that a reader who was well versed in polar exploration could find this book a little elementary （though thoroughly engaging）， but as a synthesis and retelling of primary sources you would be hard-pressed to find more a comprehensive and engaging example。 My one gripe with this book has less to do with any of its content than with the framing of that content。 The idea of the mental strain experienced b A superbly written， approachable， exhaustive account of the Belgica’s expedition。 I can imagine that a reader who was well versed in polar exploration could find this book a little elementary （though thoroughly engaging）， but as a synthesis and retelling of primary sources you would be hard-pressed to find more a comprehensive and engaging example。 My one gripe with this book has less to do with any of its content than with the framing of that content。 The idea of the mental strain experienced by the crew forms a strong thematic undercurrent， foreshadowed in the title， the chapter names， and in the text itself。 I was left a little surprised， then， when I reached the final chapters and realised that despite the continuous mentions of ‘madness’， it had really amounted to very little。 Tensions flare， of course， and two crew members in particular do experience personally significant personality changes， but even these have minimal impact on the outcome of the expedition。 I am left in a bit of an odd position。 I certainly do not wish that the crew had undergone more hardship for the sake of narrative， but I do feel that I was drawn in by something of a marketing tactic that never quite followed through on what it suggested。 It is a real shame， too， because without that framing there is still an excellent book here， but with it， despite my enjoyment， I am left with the sour aftertaste of an unmet expectation。 This issue is by no means significant enough to counter the value of the rest of the book， but I would suggest that prospective readers perhaps temper their assumptions。 。。。more
Dawn
，
"Madhouse at the End of the Earth" tells the story of the Belgica and its crew。 I knew a little about the story before I picked up this book， but Julian Sancton brings it to life and solidifies the people and events。 It's a harrowing story， but a thoroughly mesmerising one and I was hooked from the very first page。 A superb piece of history。 My thanks to the author， publisher， and NetGalley。 This review was written voluntarily and is entirely my own， unbiased， opinion。 "Madhouse at the End of the Earth" tells the story of the Belgica and its crew。 I knew a little about the story before I picked up this book， but Julian Sancton brings it to life and solidifies the people and events。 It's a harrowing story， but a thoroughly mesmerising one and I was hooked from the very first page。 A superb piece of history。 My thanks to the author， publisher， and NetGalley。 This review was written voluntarily and is entirely my own， unbiased， opinion。 。。。more
Harris
，
I love a good Artic or Antarctic book because I would never travel to either place （way too cold）。 This books chronicles the misfortunes of the Belgica due to Adrien de Gerlache's hubris， the quick thinking of Dr。 Frederick Cook to save their lives， and a young Roald Amundsen as they try to survive scurvy， depression， and the elements of Antarctica。 This book references the previous Arctic journey of the "Jeannette" which I was familiar with from reading "In the Kingdom of Ice" by Hampton Sides。 I love a good Artic or Antarctic book because I would never travel to either place （way too cold）。 This books chronicles the misfortunes of the Belgica due to Adrien de Gerlache's hubris， the quick thinking of Dr。 Frederick Cook to save their lives， and a young Roald Amundsen as they try to survive scurvy， depression， and the elements of Antarctica。 This book references the previous Arctic journey of the "Jeannette" which I was familiar with from reading "In the Kingdom of Ice" by Hampton Sides。 It also references an Artic voyage by John Franklin that serves as the backdrop for "The Artic Fury" by Greer Macallister （fiction）。 It is astonishing that more lives were not lost during this ill-conceived voyage。 As the reader gets deeper into the book， it is clear that de Gerlache's crew lacked the necessary clothing to keep themselves warm in subzero climates for months。 That de Gerlache's obstinacy about the proper diet to fend off scurvy had others defying Dr。 Cook's suggestions。 The beginning of the book （first 75 pages or so） starts off slow with a lot of individual background information。 However， to his credit， Mr。 Sancton tells an interesting story that is derived from diaries and memoirs published by those aboard。 I was really impressed with the pictures taken by Dr。 Cook and how well they turned out given that this occurred in 1898。 。。。more
Sarah Hudson
，
This was such a fascinating “truth can be stranger than fiction” read！ This is the true story of the Belgian Adrien de Gerlache， who in 1897 set sail aboard the “Belgica” on an expedition to Antarctica in an attempt to be the first to reach the magnetic South Pole。 We first see de Gerlache’s attempts to put the expedition together back in Belgium and the hiring of the crew， including the much more experienced （in terms of polar exploration） Roald Admundsen and the American ship’s surgeon， Freder This was such a fascinating “truth can be stranger than fiction” read！ This is the true story of the Belgian Adrien de Gerlache， who in 1897 set sail aboard the “Belgica” on an expedition to Antarctica in an attempt to be the first to reach the magnetic South Pole。 We first see de Gerlache’s attempts to put the expedition together back in Belgium and the hiring of the crew， including the much more experienced （in terms of polar exploration） Roald Admundsen and the American ship’s surgeon， Frederick Cook。 The journey gets off to a bad start， with de Gerlache unable to maintain discipline amongst his crew。 However， things go from bad to worse once they enter the Antarctic circle， with the “Belgica” ultimately becoming trapped in ice for the Antarctic winter。 As the title of the book suggests， this has profound consequences on the physical and mental health of the crew， and we are left with a thrilling account of just how the men reacted to their situation。 Every description， from the danger of the ice flows to the stench of the penguins， is incredibly vivid， and the author is incredibly skilled in really bringing the trials of these incredible men to life。 The back story is great if， like me， you have little knowledge of polar exploration in the late 19th century， and the research undertaken by the author is clearly meticulous。 I also loved finding out “what happened next” to a lot of the characters involved。 I would absolutely read more by this author。My thanks to the author， NetGalley， and the publisher for the arc to review。 。。。more
Kelly A。N
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This was such a fascinating book。 Especially since it was based on true events！。 So well written and narrated。 Loved it！
Jenny
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In this book， we are discovering the true story of the Belgica， an early polar expedition that became trapped in the ice for the entire Antarctic winter。 For me， this was a book of two halves。 I was absolutely fascinated by the stories of the crew during the time that they spent trapped in the ice。 From how it affected their health and sanity， to the expeditions away from the ship， and all that they did to survive。 The way that Julian Sancton used the records and diary entries to capture this st In this book， we are discovering the true story of the Belgica， an early polar expedition that became trapped in the ice for the entire Antarctic winter。 For me， this was a book of two halves。 I was absolutely fascinated by the stories of the crew during the time that they spent trapped in the ice。 From how it affected their health and sanity， to the expeditions away from the ship， and all that they did to survive。 The way that Julian Sancton used the records and diary entries to capture this story was excellent and helped you to understand how the different people were dealing with this situation。However， I found the rest of the book， both leading up to this and much of what happened afterwards， to be much harder to read。 Perhaps if I had greater understanding of scientific expeditions I would have been more interested， but I found it quite slow and difficult to keep track of。 Thank you to NetGalley & Penguin Random House UK Audio for letting me read this book。 。。。more
Gayle Noble
，
When commandant Adrien de Gerlache sets sail with a ragtag crew， including Roald Amundsen， and assorted scientists onboard the Belgica， he hopes to claim the South Pole for his homeland of Belgium。 They eventually make it to the area but the ship becomes trapped in thick ice which freezes them within a large ice floe。 A month of endless darkness draws in and the men start to suffer with physical and mental health issues， even the ship's cat becomes melancholy and dies of an unnamed illness。 Alth When commandant Adrien de Gerlache sets sail with a ragtag crew， including Roald Amundsen， and assorted scientists onboard the Belgica， he hopes to claim the South Pole for his homeland of Belgium。 They eventually make it to the area but the ship becomes trapped in thick ice which freezes them within a large ice floe。 A month of endless darkness draws in and the men start to suffer with physical and mental health issues， even the ship's cat becomes melancholy and dies of an unnamed illness。 Although they have plenty of food onboard， it is not fresh and so the men begin to feel the effects of scurvy。 Can they survive long enough for the ice to release the ship and sail home？I read a book based on the true events of The Terror a couple of years ago， so I was very interested in reading this one about the Belgica。 After a slow start， things pick up when they arrive in Antarctica， and there is a lot of information about the main individuals involved and the horrors they endured。 I thought it was very well researched and written in an accessible way for people who don't know the history of the expedition - there are also several maps to help。 It did drag a little in places though。 Overall I rated this one 3。5 stars （rounded up to 4）。Thanks to NetGalley and publishers， Random House UK/Ebury Publishing/W H Allen， for the opportunity to read an ARC。 。。。more
Louise
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A classic of the genre
Richard Wagner
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harrowing tale of human endurance。 also a cautionary tale of human folly， arrogance， and vainglory。might i also suggest The Worst Journey in the World by Apsley Cherry-Garrard as an even better account of polar exploration。
Guy Guarino
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It makes me ask the question， "Would I have survived？ No。"Great read。 In-depth study of the men who lead this expedition， and how and why they lived through it。 It makes me ask the question， "Would I have survived？ No。"Great read。 In-depth study of the men who lead this expedition， and how and why they lived through it。 。。。more
Ann
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I was able to read this title early through netgalley。 I'm not the biggest fan of books about history， I tend to find them dry and dull， but Madhouse at the End of the Earth kept my interest and had me wanting to come back to it。 It an amazing tale of adventurers who want to seek fame by sailing to Antarctica。 Their journey is long and full of mishaps and even death。 Sancton's writing creates vivid scenes and unique voices to each of the sailors。 Overall it was a very entertaining， as well as， e I was able to read this title early through netgalley。 I'm not the biggest fan of books about history， I tend to find them dry and dull， but Madhouse at the End of the Earth kept my interest and had me wanting to come back to it。 It an amazing tale of adventurers who want to seek fame by sailing to Antarctica。 Their journey is long and full of mishaps and even death。 Sancton's writing creates vivid scenes and unique voices to each of the sailors。 Overall it was a very entertaining， as well as， educational tale。 。。。more
Anne Meyer
，
So good！ I felt in the ship with these men as they battled through just unbelievable conditions because of the vivid immediacy the author creates in the text。 The descriptions in this book left me absolutely breathless at times waiting to see what fresh horror was around the next ice floe for these men。 This book also speaks to the absolute endurance and resiliency of the human spirit， and what people will do to learn， to explore， to hope， and to live。 The first thing I looked at when I was done So good！ I felt in the ship with these men as they battled through just unbelievable conditions because of the vivid immediacy the author creates in the text。 The descriptions in this book left me absolutely breathless at times waiting to see what fresh horror was around the next ice floe for these men。 This book also speaks to the absolute endurance and resiliency of the human spirit， and what people will do to learn， to explore， to hope， and to live。 The first thing I looked at when I was done reading this book was how soon and how much it would be to book a cruise to Antarctica so I could see first-hand what the men on the Belgica saw。 （The answer -- too much for this reader， but maybe someday！） 。。。more
Steve
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