brontherun's review against another edition
2.0
I generally seek out exploration books, and have previously devoured polar expedition books with much enjoyment. Often the larger-than-life expedition members grab your attention even if their egos may not endear them to you for long.
Sadly, Wilkinson skips and hops from a variety of arctic trips, before finally landing on Andree's unique balloon attempt at the pole somewhere around the final third of the book. After a somewhat disjointed path, I still didn't get an in depth dive into the inner workings of the 3 ballonists: Andree, Fraenkel, and Strindberg.
More time is spent discussing the Greely expedition, which was interesting from a historical and psychological bent. "All that ignorance, stupidity, and an egotistical mind without judgment can do in the injury of our cause is being done." That was one quote about leadership from the journal of Sergeant Brainard from that doomed group. One has to wonder if this hints at Wilkinson's thoughts about Andree as well, although the journals from that expedition are much more scientific and less colorful.
Again from this other expedition account, we get, "Greely added, 'It drives me almost insane to face the future. It is not the end that frightens anyone, but the road to be traveled to reach that goal. To die is easy. What was difficult was to strive, to endure, to live. It was easier to think of death than to dare to live.' "
After reading multiple accounts of ships locked in ice, crushed by ice, and crews abandoning their vessels to live on the ice, I was hoping for something a little different from the Swedish balloonist. Alas, he was not only not good at enduring and survival, he was boring enough to apparently give in to death without the violent struggle of most polar explorers. While I suppose you could call the manner of his death a mystery, I am not curious enough to look for more. I think I'll head back to the south pole for my next arctic expedition read.
Sadly, Wilkinson skips and hops from a variety of arctic trips, before finally landing on Andree's unique balloon attempt at the pole somewhere around the final third of the book. After a somewhat disjointed path, I still didn't get an in depth dive into the inner workings of the 3 ballonists: Andree, Fraenkel, and Strindberg.
More time is spent discussing the Greely expedition, which was interesting from a historical and psychological bent. "All that ignorance, stupidity, and an egotistical mind without judgment can do in the injury of our cause is being done." That was one quote about leadership from the journal of Sergeant Brainard from that doomed group. One has to wonder if this hints at Wilkinson's thoughts about Andree as well, although the journals from that expedition are much more scientific and less colorful.
Again from this other expedition account, we get, "Greely added, 'It drives me almost insane to face the future. It is not the end that frightens anyone, but the road to be traveled to reach that goal. To die is easy. What was difficult was to strive, to endure, to live. It was easier to think of death than to dare to live.' "
After reading multiple accounts of ships locked in ice, crushed by ice, and crews abandoning their vessels to live on the ice, I was hoping for something a little different from the Swedish balloonist. Alas, he was not only not good at enduring and survival, he was boring enough to apparently give in to death without the violent struggle of most polar explorers. While I suppose you could call the manner of his death a mystery, I am not curious enough to look for more. I think I'll head back to the south pole for my next arctic expedition read.
dezzella's review against another edition
3.0
Fairly good writing, though sometimes confusing on who the main focus of the book was. Over-all, a great read for true stories on Arctic exploration.
thatbookishwriter's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
inspiring
slow-paced
3.25
boomcomplains's review
informative
fast-paced
4.0
If your familiar with the "canon" of Artic exploration, much of this book will feel like it's more about other explorers rather than S.A. Andrée and his doomed balloon trip across the north pole.
However, if the subject is new to you, you will appreciate the wide breath this book encompasses in order to establish how perilous the journey Andée attempted to make was.
However, if the subject is new to you, you will appreciate the wide breath this book encompasses in order to establish how perilous the journey Andée attempted to make was.
aditurbo's review against another edition
2.0
DNF - I agree with other commenters who wrote that there isn't enough material in this story, and therefore the author chose to pad it with all kinds of related information. This makes what could have been a wonderful short piece a dragged-down one. Even though I was quite interested in the story and the general subject, my mind kept wandering away for all the details and irrelevancies. Stopping at 22%.
nelsonminar's review
2.0
Fascinating story, but not well told in this book. Half the book is confusingly about other Arctic explorers. Which is great for the context and they are interesting stories as well, but the author doesn't do a good job weaving it into a narrative. Then the Andree sections are kind of stilted too. Again, the story itself is fascinating and this is a solid enough English treatment of it, but it's just not great. There's a new book in Swedish that is being translated now to English (October 2014 release?) that may be more interesting.
readingpanda's review against another edition
3.0
This is the story of S.A. Andree and his attempt to reach the North Pole by balloon in 1897. It's the kind of tale that makes you wonder what exactly drives certain people. Knowing that many previous expeditions to the Arctic ended tragically, I don't know that a lot of people's reaction would be to want to try it with an experimental mode of transportation. One would think that fewer unknowns would be a better bet instead of more. But Andree obviously didn't think like that. Undaunted by the fact that it would require keeping the balloon aloft for longer than had ever been done before, that navigating a balloon against the wind was not an entirely proven concept, and that no one knew exactly how a balloon would perform in Arctic conditions, Andree found two other knuckleheads willing to hop into the basket with him and took off. The last thing he was heard to say was "What was that?" as the lines he was planning to use for control tore off from the balloon and were left behind.
As with many other explorers of the farthest reaches of the globe, Andree disappeared from view and truly disappeared until remains of his expedition were found 30 years later. Even then, it's a mystery exactly how the three men died. Their diaries don't provide clues, and their bodies aren't much help either. That aspect of the story is a little unsatisfying, although hardly unusual with polar exploration. Probably as a result of the relatively scarce data on what happened on the actual expedition, the book is padded out with tales of other Arctic endeavors by ship and sledge. I could have done without those parts, but I guess it provides some insight into what still remained to be explored, and what was at stake. Andree is a pretty well-developed presence, but his two companions remain mostly mysteries because they were younger and not as well-known before setting off (and hadn't caused as much controversy as Andree). With all stories like this, a reader has to resign him or herself to just not knowing everything or getting all the answers.
As with many other explorers of the farthest reaches of the globe, Andree disappeared from view and truly disappeared until remains of his expedition were found 30 years later. Even then, it's a mystery exactly how the three men died. Their diaries don't provide clues, and their bodies aren't much help either. That aspect of the story is a little unsatisfying, although hardly unusual with polar exploration. Probably as a result of the relatively scarce data on what happened on the actual expedition, the book is padded out with tales of other Arctic endeavors by ship and sledge. I could have done without those parts, but I guess it provides some insight into what still remained to be explored, and what was at stake. Andree is a pretty well-developed presence, but his two companions remain mostly mysteries because they were younger and not as well-known before setting off (and hadn't caused as much controversy as Andree). With all stories like this, a reader has to resign him or herself to just not knowing everything or getting all the answers.
tashabye's review against another edition
3.0
An interesting adventure tale but told in a more researched style rather than a gripping adventure story.
matttrevithick's review
3.0
3.5 stars really. I did enjoy this book, which chronicles the tales of simply amazing men who ventured into the Arctic (by the author's count, more than 1,000, of which 800+ never were seen again) during the late 1800s and early 1900s. I particularly liked his explanations of why different explorers ended up in different parts of the world - ie the psyche of people drawn to the tropics vs the frigid ends of the earth.
I also thoroughly enjoy reading the diaries of these men, which this book relied heavily on - such a sense of purpose, of scientific exploration, and how any hardship was worth it as long as it was in the name of the advancement of reason and science. The author of the book I just read before this one could learn a lot - hundreds of men marching to their deaths over the cold ice...
I also thoroughly enjoy reading the diaries of these men, which this book relied heavily on - such a sense of purpose, of scientific exploration, and how any hardship was worth it as long as it was in the name of the advancement of reason and science. The author of the book I just read before this one could learn a lot - hundreds of men marching to their deaths over the cold ice...