A little out of character to waste a whole day and not set my hand to work of some sort or another but this was truly a book I could not put down.

How "quaint" that we should call our canoe trips "adventures" when in reality they are little more than a holiday, a literal "walk in the park".

This is a good read and Hampton Sides is quite exhaustive in digging up details and weaving them together. You get a very real sense of the personalities and the events of the 33 men that make up the voyage of the Jeannette. You are also made privy to a love story that unfortunately ends quite tragically. But not all are lost and some extraordinary persons exemplifying the best traits that humanity has to offer also rise from its pages to provide inspiration.

I also found it rather fascinating that the accepted science of the day was that the north pole was free from ice and was only ringed about by a "band of ice" and that band was slushy and penetrable where the gulf stream abutted it. The author goes into great detail revealing the current scientific thought of the day which would cause such a fools errand as to be able to sail to the North Pole.

A good read.

MT   

I like reading about polar exploration and have quite a few books on the subject. This latest filled in a substantial gap in my knowledge. Most polar explorers were largely hailed as hero's upon their return regardless the type of travel they chose.

It did not take long, however, to adopt the indigenous populations customs as per mode of travel and clothing to be worn. Diet was a tougher matter with the Westerners having a rough time without bread and having to exist on a largely all meat type of diet. Some did not fare well eating Walrus blubber, aged bird eggs and seal eyes.

As per the ignorant savages it is far more complicated a scenario than one might first think. Certainly the public at large thought that. And in some cases they would be absolutely correct. What most people don't understand is the large variance found in different cultures and tribes. Look to Lewis and Clarks accounts. Some tribes they met were to be admired. Clean, organized and sophisticated people whom you could trust with your life. Other tribes were slovenly and filthy and you had to watch your personal effects very carefully indeed as thievery was commonplace.

If polar adventure might interest you the absolute best book I have read bar none (and amongst my favorite reads of all time) is Peter Freuchens book Arctic Adventure. It is simply an amazing read and chronicles his life living with the Eskimos. You will gain an incredible appreciation of these fine people as well as be hugely entertained by some extraordinary adventures told by a very readable author. Absolutely a superb read.