Labyrinth of Ice

Labyrinth of Ice: The Triumphant and Tragic Greely Polar Expedition- Buddy Levy
St. Martin's Press/MacMillan
Release Date: December 3, 2019

Rating:
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Synopsis: In July 1881, Lt. A.W. Greely and his crew of 24 scientists and explorers were bound for the last region unmarked on global maps. Their goal: Farthest North. What would follow was one of the most extraordinary and terrible voyages ever made. 

Greely and his men confronted every possible challenge—vicious wolves, sub-zero temperatures, and months of total darkness—as they set about exploring one of the most remote, unrelenting environments on the planet. In May 1882, they broke the 300-year-old record, and returned to camp to eagerly await the resupply ship scheduled to return at the end of the year. Only nothing came. 

250 miles south, a wall of ice prevented any rescue from reaching them. Provisions thinned and a second winter descended. Back home, Greely’s wife worked tirelessly against government resistance to rally a rescue mission.

Months passed, and Greely made a drastic choice: he and his men loaded the remaining provisions and tools onto their five small boats, and pushed off into the treacherous waters. After just two weeks, dangerous floes surrounded them. Now new dangers awaited: insanity, threats of mutiny, and cannibalism. As food dwindled and the men weakened, Greely's expedition clung desperately to life.

Labyrinth of Ice tells the true story of the heroic lives and deaths of these voyagers hell-bent on fame and fortune—at any cost—and how their journey changed the world.

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In July 1881 Lt. Adolphus Greely and 24 men set off on the adventure of a lifetime: to explore the Arctic, collect two years worth of scientific recordings on the climate, and, if possible, break the English record for Farthest North that had lasted for 300 years.  None of the men had Arctic experience but Greely had read everything he possibly could on all previous expeditions.  They built a base, learned how to last through sunless winters, experienced -30 to -50 degree temperatures, and explored.  New areas were mapped, a new Farthest North and Farthest West were reached and they gathered incredibly detailed scientific observations and records for others to examine.  For two years they lived successfully in their Arctic fort, but scheduled annual resupply ships never came.  So they began to travel 250 miles south to meet the ship that was supposed to pick them up.   And then the real challenges began. . . 

For anyone (like me) who has never read a book on Arctic exploration, Labyrinth of Ice will be a real eye-opener.  The weather alone would be enough that most people would never even consider such a trip, yet here was a group of Army men, none with any experience in these kinds of conditions, who were so excited to participate that several of them literally begged to be allowed to join the expedition.  There was no giant monetary reward in it for them- they wanted to be known for doing something few had done and to possibly set new records.  None of them were scientists but they were meticulous in their records and got observations on time everyday despite occasionally gale-force winds and white-out blizzards.  The tons of supplies they packed, the planning that had to be done in advance, the hiking that had to be done, all seem unimaginable in today's world.  And those were considered the good conditions!  When things went bad (and don't they always in Arctic exploration?) unimaginable doesn't even begin to cover it.

Labyrinth of Ice is meticulously researched and Levy uses the words of the explorers themselves whenever possible to fully bring the journey to life. Detailed and wonderfully written, the reader is pulled straight into the men's experiences: the beauty of the aurora borealis, the difficulty of hiking in blizzards, the dangers of the watery voyage south, and finally the misery and terror of the final eight months in Camp Clay waiting for rescue or death. The creativity in what could be eaten and the strength and bravery of the men will astound you. Whether you are a newcomer or loyal follower of all things Arctic exploration, Labyrinth of Ice will thrill you from first to last.  A must-read!

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review