Madhouse at the End of the Earth: The Belgica's Journey into the Dark Antarctic

Description: Madhouse at the End of the Earth by Julian Sancton Includes discussion questions and an interview with the author. FORMAT Paperback LANGUAGE English CONDITION Brand New Publisher Description NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The "exquisitely researched and deeply engrossing" (The New York Times) true survival story of an early polar expedition that went terribly awry—with the ship frozen in ice and the crew trapped inside for the entire sunless, Antarctic winter"The energy of the narrative never flags. . . . Sancton has produced a thriller."—The Wall Street Journal In August 1897, the young Belgian commandant Adrien de Gerlache set sail for a three-year expedition aboard the good ship Belgica with dreams of glory. His destination was the uncharted end of the earth: the icy continent of Antarctica. But de Gerlaches plans to be first to the magnetic South Pole would swiftly go awry. After a series of costly setbacks, the commandant faced two bad options: turn back in defeat and spare his men the devastating Antarctic winter, or recklessly chase fame by sailing deeper into the freezing waters. De Gerlache sailed on, and soon the Belgica was stuck fast in the icy hold of the Bellingshausen Sea. When the sun set on the magnificent polar landscape one last time, the ships occupants were condemned to months of endless night. In the darkness, plagued by a mysterious illness and besieged by monotony, they descended into madness.In Madhouse at the End of the Earth, Julian Sancton unfolds an epic story of adventure and horror for the ages. As the Belgicas men teetered on the brink, de Gerlache relied increasingly on two young officers whose friendship had blossomed in captivity: the expeditions lone American, Dr. Frederick Cook—half genius, half con man—whose later infamy would overshadow his brilliance on the Belgica; and the ships first mate, soon-to-be legendary Roald Amundsen, even in his youth the storybook picture of a sailor. Together, they would plan a last-ditch, nearly certain-to-fail escape from the ice—one that would either etch their names in history or doom them to a terrible fate at the oceans bottom.Drawing on the diaries and journals of the Belgicas crew and with exclusive access to the ships logbook, Sancton brings novelistic flair to a story of human extremes, one so remarkable that even today NASA studies it for research on isolation for future missions to Mars. Equal parts maritime thriller and gothic horror, Madhouse at the End of the Earth is an unforgettable journey into the deep. Author Biography Julian Sancton is a writer and editor whose work has appeared in Vanity Fair, Esquire, GQ, The New Yorker, Departures, and Playboy, among other publications. He has reported from every continent, including Antarctica, which he first visited while researching this book. He lives in Larchmont, New York, with his partner, Jessica, and their two daughters. Review "A grade-A classic."—The Sunday Times"A vivid horror story . . . thrillingly recounted."—The New York Review of Books"As soon as you finish, you want to read it again."—Daily Mail"Madhouse at the End of the Earth [is an] exquisitely researched and deeply engrossing account of the Belgicas disastrous Antarctic expedition. Sancton uses . . . an extraordinary treasure trove . . . to tease out the personalities and fears and rivalries of his subjects [in] his increasingly harrowing descriptions of life on the Belgica."—The New York Times"An extraordinary tale of ambition, folly, heroism and survival, superbly told by Julian Sancton, who has rescued the Belgicas story from relative obscurity and brought it to magnificent life . . . [a] splendid, beautifully written book."—The Spectator"I started reading Madhouse at the End of the Earth . . . and I couldnt stop. [It] reads like an adventure novel [and] is so detailed you can almost smell and taste it."—Bon Appétit"Locked down, I craved perilous adventure. Julian Sanctons Madhouse at the End of the Earth delivered. The Belgicas 1897 South Pole expedition is pure horror. Clueless captain, rat-infested ship frozen into the ice, scurvy, darkness, hunger, insanity . . . terrific stuff."—The New Statesman, "Books of the Year""At once a riveting survival tale and a terrifying psychological thriller, Madhouse at the End of the Earth is a mesmerizing, unputdownable read. It deserves a place beside Alfred Lansings immortal classic Endurance."—Nathaniel Philbrick, New York Times bestselling author of In the Heart of the Sea and Valiant Ambition "Madhouse is that rare nonfiction gem—an obscure but important history transformed by deep research and note-perfect storytelling into a classic thriller. Reading this book is as much an adventure as the very story it tells."—Walter Isaacson, New York Times bestselling author of Leonardo da Vinci and Steve Jobs "Madhouse at the End of the Earth has it all: idealism, ingenuity, ambition, explosives, flimflammery, a colorful cast, a blank map, a three-month-long night, penguins (and medicinal penguin meat). . . . A riveting tale, splendidly told."—Stacy Schiff, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Witches and Cleopatra "A generation before Shackletons Endurance, an adventure every bit as bold and dreadful took place at the bottom of the world, led by a band of unimaginably colorful and resolute explorers. A wild tale, so well told and immersively researched."—Hampton Sides, nationally bestselling author of In the Kingdom of Ice "With meticulous research and a novelists keen eye, Sancton has penned one of the most enthralling—and harrowing—adventure stories in years."—Scott Anderson, New York Times bestselling author of Lawrence in Arabia and The Quiet Americans Review Quote "A grade-A classic." -- The Sunday Times "A vivid horror story . . . thrillingly recounted." -- The New York Review of Books "As soon as you finish, you want to read it again." -- Daily Mail " Madhouse at the End of the Earth [is an] exquisitely researched and deeply engrossing account of the Belgica s disastrous Antarctic expedition. Sancton uses . . . an extraordinary treasure trove . . . to tease out the personalities and fears and rivalries of his subjects [in] his increasingly harrowing descriptions of life on the Belgica ." --The New York Times "An extraordinary tale of ambition, folly, heroism and survival, superbly told by Julian Sancton, who has rescued the Belgica s story from relative obscurity and brought it to magnificent life . . . [a] splendid, beautifully written book." -- The Spectator "I started reading Madhouse at the End of the Earth . . . and I couldnt stop. I skipped all my weekend chores. I carved a groove into the couch, huddling under a big blanket because, reading this book makes you feel cold. And scared. And hungry . . . [It] reads like an adventure novel [and] is so detailed you can almost smell and taste it." -- Bon App Excerpt from Book Chapter 1 Why Not Belgium? August 16, 1897 ANTWERP The river Scheldt wound languidly from northern France through Belgium, taking a sharp westward turn at the port of Antwerp, where it became deep and wide enough to accommodate oceangoing ships. On this cloudless summer morning, more than twenty thousand people flocked along the citys riverfront to salute the departure of the Belgica and exult in its glory. Freshly painted steel gray, the 113-foot-long, three-masted steam whaler, fitted with a coal-powered engine, was headed to Antarctica to chart its unknown coasts and collect data on its flora, fauna, and geology. But what drew the crowds today was not the promise of scientific discovery so much as national pride: Belgium, little Belgium, a country that had declared its independence from Holland sixty-seven years earlier and was thus younger than many of its citizens, was staking a claim to the next frontier of human exploration. At ten oclock, the vessel weighed anchor and sailed at a regal pace in the direction of the North Sea, so freighted with coal, provisions, and equipment that her deck floated just a foot and a half above the water. Escorted by a flotilla of yachts that carried government officials, well-wishers, and press, the Belgica paraded before the city. She glided past the flag-bedecked townhouses lining the waterfront, past the flamboyant Gothic cathedral that dominated the skyline, past Het Steen, the fortress that had loomed over the river since the Middle Ages. From a pontoon, a military band played "La Braban Details ISBN1984824341 Author Julian Sancton Short Title Madhouse at the End of the Earth Pages 384 Language English Year 2022 ISBN-10 1984824341 ISBN-13 9781984824349 Format Paperback Publication Date 2022-02-22 Subtitle The Belgicas Journey into the Dark Antarctic Night DEWEY 919.8904 Illustrations 1 16-PG. B/W INSERT; MAP; UK Release Date 1900-01-01 Audience General Publisher Random House USA Inc Imprint Crown Publishing Group, Division of Random House Inc Place of Publication New York Country of Publication United States US Release Date 2022-02-22 We've got this At The Nile, if you're looking for it, we've got it. With fast shipping, low prices, friendly service and well over a million items - you're bound to find what you want, at a price you'll love! TheNile_Item_ID:134579669;

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