9/25/2011

Icebound: The Jeannette Expedition's Quest for the North Pole Review

Icebound: The Jeannette Expedition's Quest for the North Pole
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Leonard Guttridge has managed to recreate with astonishing accuracy truly one of the most incredible stories of human endurance that I have ever known. I can only wonder why this story has not found its way onto the silver screen. Presenting real-life facts that need no embellishment, Mr. Guttridge paints an enthralling picture of the enormous hardships endured by thirty-three men trapped in the artic in the late 19th century. These men had set sail from San Francisco in the "Jeanette," a small ship by today's standards, in search of the North Pole, where they hoped to find an warm, ice-free polar sea. However, several set-backs caused them to leave later in the year than intially planned, causing the Jeanette and her crew to become caught in the pack ice of the arctic ocean. After spending two winters trapped aboard their tiny prison, suffering through many shipboard ordeals, the Jeanette sank in the treacherous, frigid waters. The crew then for months made their way over ice and open water in horrendous weather. Some perished in the journey and some made it to land in northern Siberia. More died of exposure and starvation, lost in the maze-like delta of the Lena River, while miraculously some made it to civilation and safety. (This knowledge does not spoil the ending of the book, as these facts are made known to the reader early in the tome). The story of these men would be incredible if it happened today, with all of our modern equipment, but is even more so given the relatively primitive means at hand in the 1880s. Not only is this work a great story about some very courageous and determined men, but it is a reflection of the determination and heroism under extreme circumstances embodied in many persons of that era - characteristics that many feel lacking today. Furthermore, this is a poinant reminder of just how strong is man's will to survive.

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