Marvelous | The Ice Master: The Doomed 1913 Voyage of the Karluk

A Great Winter Read | The Ice Master: The Doomed 1913 Voyage of the Karluk | Jennifer Niven

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	• The Ice Master: The Doomed 1913 Voyage of the Karluk Jennifer Niven Hyperion, 2001 - 432 pages average customer review:based on 59 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

The story of a deserter and a hero

The Karluk's story really is one of a deserter and a hero. The expedition leader Stefansson, realizing his old and run-down vessel will not carry him to the promise land (being trapped in ice), desert ship and left Robert Bartlett holding the faith of the crew in his hand.

Barlett, a couragous, ressourful man takes it upon himself to save those under him, by leading a desesperate walk over the ice-flow to Wrangel Island. What makes this desesparate struggle stand apart from other Artic or Antarctic adventure is that 3 of the men under Bartlett (James Murray, Dr Allister Mackay and Henri Beauchat) thought they knew better and slipt rank. Murray (Endurance) and Mackay (Nimrod) had served under Shackelton and coudn't bear being ordered by a "lesser" man like Bartlett (who himself served under Peary).

Result? Bartlett saved most of the men under him and the trio of deserters was never heard of again...
Bartlett ultimatly had to leave most of his charges on Wrangel Island, while he and an Eskimo ally made an extraordinary, unbelievable journey through Siberia, Bering Strait and Alaska to get help.

Bottom line, The Ice Master is a Master of a book.

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Marvelous

Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage

The author does a fine job of portraying the personalities/eccentricities of the explorers and not merely the physical hardships endured. A good read.

A Great Winter Read

I thought this was one of the most amazing adventure books I have ever read. It is a tragic story, but also one of amazing courage and resolve and the human tanacity to live despite all odds against it. It also makes you really appreciate the winters in a place like Minnesota a lot more. Even if your snuggled in your house in a pool of warm sunshine you can almost feel the Arctic chill creeping into your bones.

Niven writes a riveting tale about survival and death on the ice. It is amusing, terrifying, tragic and hopeful.

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Exceptional reading even if Polar Exploration is not your thing

This book was my first exposure to the topic of polar exploration and it completely hooked me. It was a challenge just to put the book down. Niven does an exceptional job of developing characters throughout the course of the book. Her strong character development makes the challenges & obstacles that the party members face realistic, personal and extremely interesting. It's fascinating to see the true character that gets exposed in people when they are forced into extreme conditions. Your bed will never feel so warm and food will never taste so good as when you're reading this page-turner.

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A great and compelling story

I've read many true adventure books and this one ranks along with the best of them. I highly recommend it. Pair it with Dan Simmons' fictional "The Terror" (also five stars). You'll want to keep a fire going while you read....

The Karluk set out in 1913 in search of an undiscovered continent, with the largest scientific staff ever sent into the Arctic. Soon after, winter had begun, they were blown off course by polar storms, the ship became imprisoned in ice, and the expedition was abandoned by its leader. Hundreds of miles from civilization, the castaways had no choice but to find solid ground as they struggled against starvation, snow blindness, disease, exposureand each other. After almost twelve months battling the elements, twelve survivors were rescued, thanks to the heroic efforts of their captain, Bartlett, the Ice Master, who traveled by foot across the ice and through Siberia to find help. Drawing on the diaries of those who were rescued and those who perished, Jennifer Niven re-creates with astonishing accuracy the ill-fated journey and the crews desperate attempts to find a way home.

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