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)

Powerful story

Fantastic listen. Every chapter contained both riveting adventure and historical events tied together seamlessly. I enjoyed the book from beginning to end.

Very good!

Excellent story, right amount of details. Keeps you in suspense! The way it is told, by citing the writings and journals of the various principals, keeps who dies and who survives a mystery until the end.

A Vivid History of Artic Exploration & Survival

If you could sum up In the Kingdom of Ice in three words, what would they be?

Mankind's need to explore the unknown, the ability to survive in conditions that stagger the imagination, the care of other human beings that are in worse physical condition, and when survival is not possible how to die with dignity

What did you like best about this story?

The book is engaging from start to ``afterword.''

What about Arthur Morey’s performance did you like?

Mr. Morey's narration vividly conveys the harrowing exploits of the explorers without using false dramatics. I'm sure that I felt the tragedy more through his performance than if I had relied solely on the written word.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The book is engrossing from start to finish. However, the descriptions and log entries contained in the final chapter have to be the most poignant that I have read in a history book.

Any additional comments?

I read the book when I have time. But in main part I listen through Audible. I find hearing the narrative adds to my understanding. And, if I miss a passage or want a permanent addition to my library I always have the hardbound addition.

Real Adventure

My God what men these were! The well documented tale of men venturing into the unknown and then, when the circumstances turn against them, struggling for survival when lesser men would have rolled over and quit, is an inspiring story of courage and grit.

Great historical work.

This is a very good historical piece. I found it very interesting and riveting to the end. These are some amazing sailors that pave the way for Arctic expedition.

The History of the Artic

I love history in all forms. I is always a befuddlement to me as to why anyone would want to go there. Great listen

Brilliant

A great telling of
polar expedition. One of the better ones. Exciting, tale of the De Long expedition.

Amazing story

Unbelievable true story. I couldn't stop listening to this truly wonderful book. These were really tough men.

Fire and Ice; the USS Jeanette and the Arctic.

Hampton Sides thoroughly reviews the epic voyage of the Jeanette into the icy kingdom of the Arctic.
A must read for the adventurous among us. A tribute to those who challenged the seemingly unapproachable.

Brilliantly researched, thoughtfully narrated

Amazing, in depth account of an incredible and ironic tragedy. Hampton Sides really took his time to exhume every sinew of the story, from its quixotic inception, through its excruciating rigors and on to its tragic ends. If you are into survival tales, this one is a historic epic.