In the kingdom of ice : the grand and terrible polar voyage of the U.S.S. Jeannette / Hampton Sides.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Sides, Hampton, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Bennett, James Gordon, 1841-1918.

Bennett, James Gordon.

De Long, George W. (George Washington), 1844-1881.

De Long, George W.

Jeannette (Ship)--History.

Jeannette (Ship).

Shipwrecks--Arctic Ocean--19th century--Case studies.

Shipwrecks.

Shipwreck survival--Arctic Ocean--19th century--Case studies.

Shipwreck survival.

Shipwreck survival--Russia (Federation)--Siberia--19th century--Case studies.

History.

Russia (Federation)--Siberia.

Arctic Ocean.

Genre:

Case studies.

Physical Description:

xiii, 454 pages, 8 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations ; 25 cm

Edition:

First edition.

Place of Publication:

New York : Doubleday, 2014.

Summary:

In the late nineteenth century, people were obsessed by one of the last unmapped areas of the globe: the North Pole. No one knew what existed beyond the fortress of ice rimming the northern oceans, although theories abounded. The foremost cartographer in the world, a German named August Petermann, believed that warm currents sustained a verdant island at the top of the world. National glory would fall to whoever could plant his flag upon its shores. James Gordon Bennett, the eccentric and stupendously wealthy owner of The New York Herald, had recently captured the world's attention by dispatching Stanley to Africa to find Dr. Livingstone. Now he was keen to re-create that sensation on an even more epic scale. So he funded an official U.S. naval expedition to reach the Pole, choosing as its captain a young officer named George Washington De Long, who had gained fame for a rescue operation off the coast of Greenland. De Long led a team of 32 men deep into uncharted Arctic waters, carrying the aspirations of a young country burning to become a world power. On July 8, 1879, the USS Jeannette set sail from San Francisco to cheering crowds in the grip of "Arctic Fever." The ship sailed into uncharted seas, but soon was trapped in pack ice. Two years into the harrowing voyage, the hull was breached. Amid the rush of water and the shrieks of breaking wooden boards, the crew abandoned the ship. Less than an hour later, the Jeannette sank to the bottom,and the men found themselves marooned a thousand miles north of Siberia with only the barest supplies. Thus began their long march across the endless ice -- a frozen hell in the most lonesome corner of the world. Facing everything from snow blindness and polar bears to ferocious storms and frosty labyrinths, the expedition battled madness and starvation as they desperately strove for survival.

Contents:

The company of the USS Jeannette

Baptism by ice

A great blank space. A shocking Sabbath carnival of death ; Ne plus ultra ; The Lord of Creation ; For you I will dare anything ; Gateways to the Pole

The national genius. The engine of the world ; Satisfaction ; The Sage of Gotha ; Pandora ; Three years, or eternity ; A benediction ; Second chances ; The U.S. Arctic Expedition ; All that man can do ; The new invader

A glorious country to learn patience in. A cul-de-sac ; Nipped ; Among the swells ; If by any mischance ; A delusion and a snare ; Forever, almost ; Invisible hands

We are not yet daunted. On the lone icebound sea ; The discovered country ; Tidings ; Death strokes

The end of creation. All Mucky ; Nil desperandum ; The phantom continent ; A second promised land ; Eight precious days ; The known world ; Seas high and spiteful

The whisper of the stars. Lucky fourteen ; Remember me in New York ; If it takes my last dollar ; Frantic pantomimes ; Incubus of horrors ; White gloom ; The Russian nation at your back ; They that watch for the morning ; A wild dirge through time

As long as I have ice to stand on.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references.

ISBN:

9780385535373

0385535376

OCLC:

866615142