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)

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.

Great!

Detailed amazing account of such determination and bravery. I hung on every word. Love it!

Mesmerizing

This is a book that will stay with me for the rest of my days. The courage and perseverance of George DeLong and the other members of the crew of the USS Jeanette cannot be described in any words that I know of. I am very grateful for all the work that the author put into the writing of this astonishing story.

Slow start but it catches your attention

The book has a slow start and was hard to keep my attention; however, it started to become interesting about half way. Mr. Sides’s research is very thorough, his storytelling is good and the subject matter was intriguing.

Vivid description

I feel like was transported on this heroic yet terrible journey. I couldn’t stop listening to it

Powerful story for those who love and admire the endurance of men

Great vocabulary used to create a encompassing mental illustration. The descriptions of the ups and downs of the adventure, as well as the torturous journey is narrated to perfection.

One of the Amazing Ones

I have always felt my two favorite audiobooks were "The Man That Ate His Boots" and "The Worst Journey in The World." This is right up there with the best. Like those, it is one I have already listened to multiple times.