Labyrinth of Ice

“Did what I came to do.”Polar expeditions are my nonfiction guilty pleasure. [b:In the Kingdom of Ice: The Grand and Terrible Polar Voyage of the USS Jeannette 20897517 In the Kingdom of Ice The Grand and Terrible Polar Voyage of the USS Jeannette Hampton Sides https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1395935993l/20897517.SY75.jpg 28027377] was my first, and I've consumed a few others since then. They never get old, and I never tire of reading about these brave people who want to go where nobody else dared.What I liked about this book specifically is how well it dovetails with [b:In the Kingdom of Ice: The Grand and Terrible Polar Voyage of the USS Jeannette 20897517 In the Kingdom of Ice The Grand and Terrible Polar Voyage of the USS Jeannette Hampton Sides https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1395935993l/20897517.SY75.jpg 28027377]. This book follows the Greely expedition, which departs after De Long and the Jeanette have gone missing but before word of their eventual fate reaches back home. One of Greely's goals, actually, was to uncover any information about the Jeannette, while also attempting to reach furthest north and discover a viable northern sea route. He does not actually discover anything, but I liked the way this book fits nicely with the other story of another doomed polar expedition.I also liked how this book starts immediately at the beginning of the voyage. There's something to be said for cutting out all the “how did we get here” backstory that the other polar expedition books I've read had in spades, and getting right into the thick of things. It was refreshing getting to know the players of the voyage, while also almost immediately reading about their polar and personnel problems. If someone were to ask me for the one book about a polar expedition book I've read that I'd recommend to someone who had never read one before, I think this would be it. Action, drama, near misses, bears, attempted mutiny, food store pilfering, frostbite, insubordination, implied cannibalism, the eating of shoes, this book has all that and more. It's really entertaining!

Oh my, this book... it was one of those that you know the tragic ending, but you cannot stop reading. Buddy Levy breaks down the entire Greeley Expedition, and gives us a picture into the lives and travels of the ill-fated crew. They were beset with trial after trial, and with the many different issues they faced, they did their best to survive in the rugged terrain.

While this is nothing new, the way this book lays out the expedition, taking you step by step through the frigid winters, you felt as though you were there. I could not put this down, and I hate that it took me so long to pick it up! I look forward to reading more by this author.