In the Kingdom of Ice by Hampton Sides

In the Kingdom of Ice tells the true story of the 1879 polar voyage of the USS Jeannette, during which Lieutenant George De Long and his crew attempted to reach the North Pole.  Speculation about what exactly was at the top of the world ran high throughout the nineteenth century, and the prevailing opinion at that time was that the North Pole rested in the middle of a warm, open polar sea (an idea that turned out to be dangerously, tragically incorrect).  De Long, entranced with the idea of being the first to explore this area, organized and led the expedition into this dangerous and uncharted Arctic region.  Through the use of letters, newspaper articles, journals, and other documents from those involved, Hampton Sides tells the story of what happened on the voyage.

I read this novel as part of my month of reading adventure stories, and I could not be happier with my pick.  As far as narrative nonfiction goes, this In the Kingdom of Ice is certainly one of the best I've ever read.  Sides conveys the story in a style that reads like fiction.  He not only presents a thoroughly detailed and informational history of this event, but he also makes the figures in the story come to life.  I was completely sucked into this story and I didn't want to stop reading until I found out what happened to each and every crew member on this voyage.  It's absolutely incredible to me that this all really happened.

The story of the Jeannette is undoubtedly a real-life adventure.  The overwhelming cold, terrible sailing conditions, and treacherous ice floes tested De Long and his men beyond what any average human being could bear.  The subtitle of this novel foreshadows that the mission is full of hardships, but despite the dire circumstances that the crew were routinely facing, this wasn't a story of mutiny or fighting.  Instead, this was a story of courage and perseverance.  While reading, I felt deep admiration for the men on this voyage, and admired the strength of character they showed as one disaster after another befell them. They wouldn't give up on each other, and the loyalty they demonstrated to their mission, their captain, and their friends was inspiring.

In the Kingdom of Ice is a very unique novel.  Reading it was not only educational, but uplifting as well.  Some of the best qualities of humanity spring out from its pages. It's reassuring to know that people this brave used to exist - it gives me hope that they still exist today.  I didn't expect to enjoy this book as much as I did; it's always nice when a novel takes you by surprise! I highly recommend this true adventure.