Listen up, folks! Get ready to embark on a jaw-dropping adventure into the icy unknown during the Gilded Age. Bestselling author Hampton Sides is back with a gripping tale of polar exploration and survival that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
Imagine a world where the North Pole remained a mystery, an uncharted territory that stirred the imaginations of people everywhere. The yearning to conquer this icy fortress consumed minds, with countless theories swirling about what lay beyond the frozen ocean rim. One man, August Petermann, a renowned German cartographer, dared to believe in the existence of a lush island thriving amidst the frigid wilderness. Whoever could plant their flag on this elusive land would attain unmatched glory for their nation.
Enter James Gordon Bennett, the eccentric and fabulously wealthy owner of The New York Herald. Having captivated the world's attention by sending Stanley to find Dr. Livingstone in Africa, Bennett craved an even greater spectacle. His dream? Funding an official U.S. naval expedition to conquer the North Pole. Leading this audacious mission was none other than George Washington De Long, a young officer who had already achieved fame for a daring rescue off the coast of Greenland. De Long, accompanied by a team of 32 brave men, ventured into the uncharted depths of the Arctic, propelled by the burning desire of a young country yearning for world dominance.
On that fateful July day in 1879, the USS Jeannette set sail from San Francisco, greeted by enthusiastic crowds under the spell of "Arctic Fever." With audacity, they sailed into treacherous seas, hoping to etch their names in history. But fate had other plans. Trapped in a relentless grip of pack ice, their dreams of conquest quickly turned into a fight for survival. After two grueling years, disaster struck. The ship's hull was breached, unleashing a surge of water and the horrifying sound of splintering wooden boards. Abandoning their sinking vessel, the men found themselves stranded a thousand miles north of Siberia with meager supplies.
Thus began their harrowing journey across the never-ending expanse of ice. This wasteland, a frozen hell in a desolate corner of the world, pushed them to the brink of madness, relentlessly tormenting them with snow blindness, polar bears, and merciless storms. Battling starvation and untold hardships, the expedition fought tooth and nail to defy the odds.
Prepare yourself for a tale that twists and turns like a heart-stopping thriller. In The Kingdom of Ice is a spellbinding account of bravery and unyielding determination in the harshest wilderness on Earth. With every twist of the plot, you'll be gripped by the sheer audacity of their quest for survival. So plug in your headphones, settle into your favorite chair, and get ready for an epic journey that will leave you in awe.
