In the Kingdom of Ice

The Grand and Terrible Polar Voyage of the USS Jeannette

By: Hampton Sides

Narrated by: Arthur Morey

Length: 17 hrs and 30 mins

Publisher's summary

New York Times bestselling author Hampton Sides returns with a white-knuckle tale of polar exploration and survival in the Gilded Age

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.

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.

With twists and turns worthy of a thriller, In the Kingdom of Ice is a spellbinding tale of heroism and determination in the most unforgiving territory on Earth.

©2014 Hampton Sides (P)2014 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"Compelling....Sides spins a propulsive narrative from obscure documents, journals and his own firsthand visits to the Arctic regions visited by the Jeannette and its crew. In the Kingdom of Ice makes for harrowing reading as it recounts the grim aspects of the explorers' battle for survival: illness, crippling frostbite, snow-blindness and the prospect of starvation. As grisly as the details are, you keep turning pages to find out how DeLong and his men pull themselves past each setback - even though there's always another one looming ahead." (USA Today)

"First-rate polar history and adventure narrative...wonderfully evocative.... Sides vividly recounts the horrors [of the voyage]. In the Kingdom of Ice is a harrowing story, well told." (The New York Times Book Review)

“[A] stunningly vivid account....” (Mark Bowden, New York Times best-selling author of Black Hawk Down)

Stick With It

I found this book so boring at first that I was using it as a bedtime read only. Somewhere along the way, however, perhaps an hour or two into the tale, it got better and then it got fantastic. I couldn’t put it down and kept listening for hours until I had finished the entire book. So stick with it, the story is so compelling that it’s worth slogging through the slow start.

Extraordinary.

A gripping tale of polar exploration as well as human leadership and compassion. A look at a world that is disappearing. Engaging!

Remarkable story

This voyage was amazing, and the story was very well paced, leaving me wanting to know more when I had to stop every night. I have great admiration for these men, true explorers and hearty survivors for so many years. I highly recommend this audiobook for those wishing to be taken back in time to an era of people truly going out into the unknown, with no backup plan, just the will to live.

Wonderful but sad

I loved this book. It was heartbreaking, beautiful, tense, and poignant. What the crew sacrificed should never be forgotten.

One of the best

I'll keep it short.
It started a bit slow (yet it was interesting).
When the journey do starts you will get sucked it. It's deeply enthralling and engrossing.

The story and the narrator are top class. One of the best.

Reads like a fiction adventure, great re-telling

Would you consider the audio edition of In the Kingdom of Ice to be better than the print version?

I have not read the print version.

What was one of the most memorable moments of In the Kingdom of Ice?

When they eat the last dog.

What about Arthur Morey’s performance did you like?

His voice added some gravitas to the characters book, especially when trying to imagine a grim weathered sea captain. He does pronounce every single "h" explicitly, even in words like "why" and "what", which is slightly annoying.

Any additional comments?

It's a great exploration story, with many twists and turns. The planning for and the aftermath of the trip are almost as interesting as the trip itself due to several colorful character that made it all happen.

Wow! What a story!

This was an amazing story. I knew little about the USS Jeanette but love books about global exploration. This true story reads like a great fictional novel. Great background information and I felt like a knew many of the individuals involved. The journey is covered in great detail. The narration was fantastic. Highly recommended.

Wonderful Historic Account

Well written and researched story of survival. A good story of courage, compassion and survival. Yet another chapter in the quests to discover the North Pole

A gripping tale, masterfully read.

This is a saga that you just don’t want to end. The story is fascinating, the heroes are truly heroic, and the writing is beautiful. My strongest recommendation.

Incredible.

What an amazing story. A must read for all. Filled with amazing facts and harrowing narration. Narrator does a fantastic job as well.