The Ice Master: The Doomed 1913 Voyage of the Karluk and the Miraculous Rescue of her Survivors

Rating:
Summary: Incredible Endurance
Review: The above editorial review and product description give a completely adequate synopsis of this book. I thoroughly enjoyed this spellbinding true story, engagingly written by Jennifer Niven. The incredible situations this diverse group of personalities attempted to endure is phenomenal. It is a grim, gritty, heroic tale where courage and daring are equally on display with cowardice and treachery. I could not put it down. There are no places where Jennifer allows the story to drag.

Rating:
Summary: Suspenseful and well told arctic history
Review: This is a well told story of an ill-fated Canadian exploration effort in the Arctic regions just before World War I. Vilhjalmar Stefansson (a polar explorer, anthropologist and author) leads an ill fated attempt to survey the Arctic (1913-1918) in hopes of claiming an Arctic continent under the polar ice cap for the Dominion of Canada. In his rush to be first, Stefansson poorly organizes, proceeds with an ill fated plan (or no plan at all) and eventually abandons one of his three ships locked in the polar ice. This is the true story of the heroic efforts of Capt. Robert Bartlett of the doomed ship Karluk and his struggle to walk across seven hundred miles of polar ice from Wrangell Island to Siberia and his return by ship to rescue the abandoned survivors and crew. There is madness, murder malingering...starvation, frostbite and death. Although, in his time Stefansson somehow managed to receive praise and avoid criticism for the realities of his abandonment of the Karluk, the true story of heroism and leadership is exemplified by Capt Bartlett. This author has done an excellent job in presenting a very suspenseful and thorough factual account of an amazing true tale. Readers of the histories of Shackleton, Amundsen, Scott and other polar explorers will not be disappointed. Readers without any previous readings on Arctic exploration will also be pleased with this amazing history that is capably researched and well presented. Read it near an open hearth fireplace or wrapped in a blanket as you're likely to freeze to death once you become immersed in the book!