Madhouse at the End of the Earth: The Belgica’s Journey into the Dark Antarctic Night
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- Create Date：2021-05-17 00:51:39
- Update Date：2025-09-07
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- Author：Julian Sancton
- ISBN：0753553449
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Summary
The harrowing true survival story of an early polar expedition that went terribly awry--with the ship frozen in ice and the crew trapped inside for the entire sunless， Antarctic winter--in the tradition of David Grann， Nathaniel Philbrick， and Hampton Sides
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。
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， Sancton recounts the myriad forces that drove these men right up to and over the brink of madness。
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。
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， Sancton recounts the myriad forces that drove these men right up to and over the brink of madness。
Reviews
Rachel
，
This was a gripping account of the Antarctic expected led in the late 19th century by Adrien de Gerlache。 As with many of the polar expeditions of this time period， the Belgica’s adventure was filled with poor decision making， arrogant men， sickness， death， starvation， and， of course， being trapped in ice for months。 This tale was well written and researched， but I personally didn’t care for the audiobook narrator。
Chelsea Bruning
，
This is my favorite type of book — a tragic expedition story that reads like one of the great adventure novels。 Also， boats and maps win me over every time。 Julian Sancton is a meticulous researcher and a top-notch storyteller。 He has brought history to life in a vivid and unforgettable way。
Anne Morgan
，
I've read several books about expeditions to the Arctic （Labyrinth of Ice）， as explorers search for the Northwest Passage and brave polar bears to reach the North Pole。 But this is the first book I've read on exploring Antarctica。 By the late 1890s Antartica was one of the last places on earth to be explored， a blank space on a map to fill in。 Adrien de Gerlache of Belgium wanted to fulfill a boyhood dream of being a polar explorer and saw Antarctica as a way to claim glory for himself and Belgi I've read several books about expeditions to the Arctic （Labyrinth of Ice）， as explorers search for the Northwest Passage and brave polar bears to reach the North Pole。 But this is the first book I've read on exploring Antarctica。 By the late 1890s Antartica was one of the last places on earth to be explored， a blank space on a map to fill in。 Adrien de Gerlache of Belgium wanted to fulfill a boyhood dream of being a polar explorer and saw Antarctica as a way to claim glory for himself and Belgium。 What followed was perhaps one of the first international exploration efforts， as the crew of the Belgica sailed to Antarctica to claim new records for Belgium's glory and scientific research。 As the book's title suggests （and anyone who has read anything on polar exploration already knows） this voyage cannot possibly go smoothly。 The Belgica becomes trapped in the ice and the crew is forced to winter in Antarctica。 Between inactivity， months of darkness， and scurvy， the men suffer to various degrees both physically and mentally。 Julian Sancton's tale of the Belgica and her crew is well-written， well researched， and utterly captivating。 From the beginning when the reader is questioning the sanity of men who want to explore Antarctica and suffer the inevitably harsh conditions， to the shock and awe of the crew on seeing icebergs for the first time; from the rank stench of penguin colonies that virtually leaps off the page in his descriptions to the horrors of the darkest and longest nights the crew are trapped on board the Belgica， Sancton brings the entire expedition to life for the reader。 Equally as interesting to me （as an archivist） was Sancton's Author's Note at the end of the book， describing his journey to the archives in Belgium to read the diaries of the crew themselves and his trip to Antarctica to discover the polar land for himself。 His comments on the damage current tourism and climate change is causing to the area， and its inevitable conclusions， comes as both a dark warning and a well timed reminder that there is still much we don't know about the world and how we as humans react in certain situations （expeditions like the Belgica's are apparently being studied by NASA for how space explorers might react） but that there are other situations we can understand， and can hopefully still work together to solve。An excellent book on an amazing expedition。 A must read for polar armchair explorers。 In addition to the fascinating story， the photographs taken by Belgica doctor Frederick Cook are absolutely gorgeous。I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review 。。。more
Turquoise Brennan
，
Fascinating story of being being relentless about exploring and some just pushing through。。these young men are from a generation that had such gumption 。。。loved this book
Edward Sullivan
，
An ill-fated turn-of-the-century Antarctic expedition that is not quite as harrowing a survival story as the Ernest Shackleton expedition， but still quite gripping。
H L W
，
A fascinating account of the Belgica’s attempt to claim the not-yet-reached South Pole and battle with the Antarctic conditions。This account is completely immersive， once I started reading it was hard to stop。 The narrative is detailed and exciting， and covers every thing from exploration details to the scientific finds。 I also appreciated the context and setting before the ship set sail， the why and the how， and the look at what happened to the crew and the ship herself after the harrowing jour A fascinating account of the Belgica’s attempt to claim the not-yet-reached South Pole and battle with the Antarctic conditions。This account is completely immersive， once I started reading it was hard to stop。 The narrative is detailed and exciting， and covers every thing from exploration details to the scientific finds。 I also appreciated the context and setting before the ship set sail， the why and the how， and the look at what happened to the crew and the ship herself after the harrowing journey。I would highly recommend this for anyone interested in exploration， survival， or thrilling reads！ 。。。more
Star Gater
，
Incredible adventure beautifully told through Mr。 Sancton。 The highs and lows so well-written I could feel the emotions of the men。 At one point， two-thirds of the way through I was so invested， I put the book aside。 I didn't want to know their personal fates。 I had read many years ago about explorer Shackleton。 However， I had no knowledge of the Belgica。The Beyond and Author notes are well-worth the read （more times than not I skip）。 And， there are two short YouTube vids where the author explai Incredible adventure beautifully told through Mr。 Sancton。 The highs and lows so well-written I could feel the emotions of the men。 At one point， two-thirds of the way through I was so invested， I put the book aside。 I didn't want to know their personal fates。 I had read many years ago about explorer Shackleton。 However， I had no knowledge of the Belgica。The Beyond and Author notes are well-worth the read （more times than not I skip）。 And， there are two short YouTube vids where the author explains a few things， recommend viewing as high as reading this book。This is a nonfiction book， the adventure was in the late 1800s， keep that in mind if you are concerned with spoilers on YouTube。"Light is essential to life as blood。" 。。。more
Nancy Oakes
，
much more soon。 for now: I liked this one。 The Belgica expedition seemed destined for failure even before the ship arrived in Antarctica， but somehow made it there and back。 on the personal side: I feel so stupid。 I bought this book because I couldn't remember reading anything about The Belgica expedition， then realized after the author brought it up that I've had Frederick Cook's Through the First Antarctic Night sitting on my shelves forever （still unread）。 I really need to stop buying new boo much more soon。 for now: I liked this one。 The Belgica expedition seemed destined for failure even before the ship arrived in Antarctica， but somehow made it there and back。 on the personal side: I feel so stupid。 I bought this book because I couldn't remember reading anything about The Belgica expedition， then realized after the author brought it up that I've had Frederick Cook's Through the First Antarctic Night sitting on my shelves forever （still unread）。 I really need to stop buying new books and start reading the old ones。 。。。more
Jennifer
，
Harrowing survival story of early Antarctic exploration。
David
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In the late 1800s， an ambitious sailor puts together a Belgian expedition to Antarctica。 He and his crew end up frozen in the ice for a year and live to tell the story （two crew members died）。 Among the surviving crew were Cook， who later claimed to have reached the North Pole but may not have， and Amundsen， who late reached the South Pole， traversed the Northwest Passage and died attempting an Arctic rescue。 Amazing how these men went into such a hostile environment without really knowing much In the late 1800s， an ambitious sailor puts together a Belgian expedition to Antarctica。 He and his crew end up frozen in the ice for a year and live to tell the story （two crew members died）。 Among the surviving crew were Cook， who later claimed to have reached the North Pole but may not have， and Amundsen， who late reached the South Pole， traversed the Northwest Passage and died attempting an Arctic rescue。 Amazing how these men went into such a hostile environment without really knowing much about it。 Like Shackleton’s voyage， this tale is one of challenge， tragedy and survival。 Sancton does a good job of describing the scene and making the story move。 。。。more
Paul Friend
，
If you liked The Martian or Hail Mary， you’ll love this！A great adventure story that actually happened！ I had never heard of the voyage described in this book， but now will never forget it。 Memorable characters and events in a compulsively readable narrative。 You will not be able to put this one down。 Highly recommended！
Heather Trevis
，
This is very well researched， fact-based fiction about the Belgian Antarctic Expedition in the late 1900s。 There's a lot of detail， such as the difficulties encountered financing the trip， Dr Cook's assessment of the impact of lack of sun and freezing conditions on human health， and the crew's various attempts at freeing their ship from sea ice。 The treacherous and nightmarish mission is skilfully described， as is the fate of some of the survivors in later chapters。 I don't normally read this ty This is very well researched， fact-based fiction about the Belgian Antarctic Expedition in the late 1900s。 There's a lot of detail， such as the difficulties encountered financing the trip， Dr Cook's assessment of the impact of lack of sun and freezing conditions on human health， and the crew's various attempts at freeing their ship from sea ice。 The treacherous and nightmarish mission is skilfully described， as is the fate of some of the survivors in later chapters。 I don't normally read this type of book but， if you are interested in polar exploration and the characters it attracts， it is a must read。 。。。more
Emily
，
Incredible book。 The characters come alive and I never thought I could be so interested in a winter on the Antarctic expanse。 Strongly recommend to anyone curious about the history of exploration！
Kristy Hurst
，
A history in vivid detail that is anything but boring！ You will learn and enjoy doing it。 I love history， but even those who don't enjoy historical nonfiction will enjoy this。 I won this advanced reader copy on a giveaway on Goodreads。 Get your copy when it comes out this month！ Julian Sanction did a magnificent job！！ Thank you Penguin Random House for the excellent book and opportunity to read it before it hit the shelves！ A history in vivid detail that is anything but boring！ You will learn and enjoy doing it。 I love history， but even those who don't enjoy historical nonfiction will enjoy this。 I won this advanced reader copy on a giveaway on Goodreads。 Get your copy when it comes out this month！ Julian Sanction did a magnificent job！！ Thank you Penguin Random House for the excellent book and opportunity to read it before it hit the shelves！ 。。。more
Sharyn
，
This book is a fantastic tale of the Belgica's expedition to Antarctica in the late 1890s。 Never before told in English， which is a criminal oversight， it's full of fascinating information， gory goings on and survivial against the worst odds on the planet。 Wonderfully researched with lots of Author's Notes to pad out the story and add to the overall fascination I felt when reading this。 With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review an e-ARC of this title。 This book is a fantastic tale of the Belgica's expedition to Antarctica in the late 1890s。 Never before told in English， which is a criminal oversight， it's full of fascinating information， gory goings on and survivial against the worst odds on the planet。 Wonderfully researched with lots of Author's Notes to pad out the story and add to the overall fascination I felt when reading this。 With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review an e-ARC of this title。 。。。more
Barbara Cervasio
，
The optimal blend of historical insight and narrative excitement--deftly interwoven by a talented author with a strong voice and an obvious passion for the subject matter。 Plowed through this one faster than the Polar Star cutting across McMurdo Sound。
John White
，
good book 10/10 will read again
Marie-Thérèse
，
Madhouse at the End of the earth has it all。 Excitement and surprises start before the departure of the Belgica。 Discoveries and mishaps along the way， dramas and joyful nights， disease and endurance， despair and sublime beauty。 Encounters with strange menus， and hilarious moments。 The soul of the book is made of the temperament of all the characters， from captain to sailors to scientists， new strong friendships are built。 Curiosity and imagination take this expedition to the end of the earth， a Madhouse at the End of the earth has it all。 Excitement and surprises start before the departure of the Belgica。 Discoveries and mishaps along the way， dramas and joyful nights， disease and endurance， despair and sublime beauty。 Encounters with strange menus， and hilarious moments。 The soul of the book is made of the temperament of all the characters， from captain to sailors to scientists， new strong friendships are built。 Curiosity and imagination take this expedition to the end of the earth， and all along the author supports his narration on solid science and documents。This book stands out in the mind of readers of many books as unforgettable。 。。。more
Thomas
，
This is a truly great read: a gripping tale of survival， ingenuity and courage during one of the early Antarctic expeditions。 In addition to being a page-turning adventure story， it skillfully depicts the different characters and the interplay between them in a novelistic way， though the book is factual and meticulously researched。 To be honest， I had never heard of the Belgica before， but I was attracted by the title and the striking cover image。 Once I started reading， I was hooked。 One of my This is a truly great read: a gripping tale of survival， ingenuity and courage during one of the early Antarctic expeditions。 In addition to being a page-turning adventure story， it skillfully depicts the different characters and the interplay between them in a novelistic way， though the book is factual and meticulously researched。 To be honest， I had never heard of the Belgica before， but I was attracted by the title and the striking cover image。 Once I started reading， I was hooked。 One of my best reads all year。 I am already looking forward to this author's next book！ 。。。more
Austin Merrill
，
I tend to have several books going at once， so it can take a while to finish one。 Not so for Madhouse！ A riveting story — something particularly enthralling about reading this as we struggle to emerge from a pandemic。 And it’s not just for polar enthusiasts — if you appreciate history， travel， adventure， deep reporting， and great writing， you will not be disappointed。
Marci Brennan
，
This fascinating account of the 1877 Antarctic expedition has enough twists， surprises， and drama and to make it an instant classic in the genre。 This book is a new fave， right next to my beloved copy of Nathaniel Philbrick's "In the Heart of the Sea"。 I don't want to give too much away- just read it！ Looking forward to more books from this talented young author。 This fascinating account of the 1877 Antarctic expedition has enough twists， surprises， and drama and to make it an instant classic in the genre。 This book is a new fave， right next to my beloved copy of Nathaniel Philbrick's "In the Heart of the Sea"。 I don't want to give too much away- just read it！ Looking forward to more books from this talented young author。 。。。more
Chris George
，
A beautifully written， captivating story that pulled me in from the opening sentence and didn’t let up until the last word。 A real page turner that should jump to the top of your summer reads list！
Tal McThenia
，
Such a psychologically rich and compelling Arctic adventure tale！ It brings the strange and murky emotional side of the story and characters alive in a way that reads like fiction。 But it's all grounded in an incredible amount of historical research。 Beautifully written and tightly paced， start to finish！ Such a psychologically rich and compelling Arctic adventure tale！ It brings the strange and murky emotional side of the story and characters alive in a way that reads like fiction。 But it's all grounded in an incredible amount of historical research。 Beautifully written and tightly paced， start to finish！ 。。。more
Brett
，
This book is an amazing accomplishment。 I am generally not a fan of adventure non-fiction， and I feel trapped as soon as I step aboard a boat。 But the book is so well written， the story so compellingly told， and the characters made so real and multi-dimensional， that I completely fell in， and read it， breathlessly， in a weekend。 Sancton not only does an excellent job explaining the technical， interpersonal， and psychological issues facing the crew of the Belgica， he makes the reader feel the int This book is an amazing accomplishment。 I am generally not a fan of adventure non-fiction， and I feel trapped as soon as I step aboard a boat。 But the book is so well written， the story so compellingly told， and the characters made so real and multi-dimensional， that I completely fell in， and read it， breathlessly， in a weekend。 Sancton not only does an excellent job explaining the technical， interpersonal， and psychological issues facing the crew of the Belgica， he makes the reader feel the intense sense of peril。 I've never written a Goodreads review before， but I felt compelled to let people know about this book。 Well done， Mr。 Sancton！ I can't wait to read your next book。 。。。more
Alvaro Bedoya
，
A gripping view into a part of history I had previously been entirely unfamiliar with。
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
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
，
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
Rebecca
，
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
，