In the Kingdom of Ice: The Grand and Terrible Polar Voyage of the USS Jeannette
"In a masterful retelling, Sides (Hellhound on His Trail) chronicles American naval officer George Washington De Long’s harrowing 1879 expedition to the North Pole, an account as frightening as it is fascinating. Each page envelops readers in the bravery of De Long and the crew of the Jeannette, their indefatigable quest for the “Polar Grail,” and their dogged will to survive ... writing, a vivid re-creation of the expedition and the Victorian era, and a taut conclusion make this an exciting gem."-   Publishers Weekly(Starred Review)"The true story of the USS Jeannette, which set out for the North Pole in 1879. The voyage descended into disaster, but the crew fought on with a heroic determination that recalls Laura Hillenbrand'sUnbroken."-        Lev Grossman forTimeMagazine"Drawing on lost letters and diaries, first-hand experience of the polar landscape, and his own masterful storytelling skills, Hampton Sides conjures the doomed USS Jeannette and her courageous crew with haunting power. As the drama escalates—on ice, sea, and land—the characters of these men and their extraordinary, gallant leader loom larger and larger. The reader is drawn into the ice from the first page and will not want to leave until the fate of every man is known." -      Caroline Alexander,New York Timesbestselling author ofThe EnduranceandThe Bounty “Hampton Sides has written a dazzling page-turner.  Full of unforgettable characters and vividly described scenes,In the Kingdom of Icebreathes fresh, exuberant, and very personal life into the polar adventure story that once riveted the world.” -        Nathaniel Philbrick,New York Timesbestselling author ofIn the Heart of the Sea, Bunker HillandSea of Glory“This is an astonishingly good story, told by one of the best storytellers of our age. Alone, the tale of the USSJeannetteis darkly gripping. In the hands of Hampton Sides, it is impossible to put down, packed with irresistible characters and incredible moments of horror and heroism. As soon as I finished it, I flipped to the first page and began reading it again.” -        Candice Millard,New York Timesbestselling author ofThe Destiny of the Republic andThe River of Doubt “Hampton Sides masterfully recounts one of the greatest and most harrowing adventures of all time.In the Kingdom of Iceis a spellbinding tale not only of a journey into the Arctic but also into the very nature of man.” -        David Grann,New York Timesbestselling author ofThe Lost City of Z"Hampton Sides is a master storyteller, and here he has delivered a stunningly vivid account of perhaps the most dramatic polar mission you never heard of. Once you start, you won't stop.”-       Mark Bowden, New York Times Bestselling author of Black Hawk Down  “Read this book in two ways-- fast, for the hair-raising excitement of what happens to the brave men of theJeannette,and then slowly, to take in the clarity of the writing and the unshowy elegance of the structure. The grand disaster that befell this expedition, and the heroic, truly Siberian sufferings of Captain De Long and his comrades, have found a brilliant chronicler in Hampton Sides.”-        Ian Frazier, National Bestselling author ofTravels in SiberiaandOn the Rez "With colorful characters and rich research distilled into gripping suspense, In the Kingdom of Ice gives us a fascinating but little-known slice of American history that resonates strongly amid our contemporary discussions of climate change. Here is a vivid tale of exploration set in a howling, deadly wilderness." -        T.J. Stiles, Pulitzer Prize winning author of The First Tycoon: The Epic Life of Cornelius Vanderbilt  "Hampton Sides is one of America’s most expansive and engaging storytellers, and he proves it again with the incredible saga of the USS Jeannette. In The Kingdom of Ice is far more than the tale of a polar expedition gone awry.  Sides has brought together an absolutely marvelous cast of characters – daring and dangerous and more than a little preposterous  – to tell not just a classic adventure story, but to shine a fine light on that bizarre American era known as the Gilded Age. All works of history should be half this much fun."   -        Scott Anderson,New York Timesbestselling author ofLawrence in Arabia "Hampton Sides has written an arctic thriller, an authentic narrative masterpiece that I put down only reluctantly and willingly gave up sleep in order to finish. Ihadto find out what happened to these remarkable men in that wide and desolate sea of ice. -        S.C. Gwynne,New York Timesbestselling author ofEmpire of the Summer Moon   andRebel Yell"Hampton Sides' many gifts include his ability to make readers feel the bracing cold of Arctic winds and the smoldering heat of separated lovers. This extraordinary book overflows with heroic characters and bursts with insight into a young nation flexing its ambitions on a global scale. The result is narrative nonfiction history at its very best. In the Kingdom of Icehas earned a place among the great sea adventure stories." -        Mitchell Zuckoff,New York Timesbestselling author ofFrozen in TimeandLost in  Shangri-La. “Another crackling tale of adventure from journalist/explorer Sides...this one focusing on a frigid disaster nearly 150 years ago… A grand and grim narrative of thrilling exploration for fans of Into Thin Air, Mountains of the Moon and the like.”-        Kirkus(Starred Review)"With its western frontiers explored and the idea of Manifest Destiny still beckoning, the U.S. in the Gilded Age looked to the North Pole for adventure and conquest... In July 1879, the USSJeannetteset sail with a crew of 32 men for uncharted waters. It was an extraordinary expedition... Sides (Hellhound on His Trail)tapped amazing archival material, including diaries, letters, and the ship logs, to render a completely thrilling saga of survival in unbelievably harsh conditions."-     Booklist(Starred Review)"Complusively readable,In the Kingdom of Icebrilliantly recreates a world, invites us to enter it and to experience the isolation, fear and hope of the people in it, and leads us back to our world with a clearer understanding of what motivates those who undertake daunting but heroic challenges."-    Bookpage