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katiescho741's review against another edition
5.0
This is an excellent book and an amazing story. It's a bit different from other "arctic misadventure" books I've read because the Greely expedition had a scientific base in the far north rather than them sailing/journeying somewhere like many of the other arctic adventure books.
The story is thrilling, exciting, tragic, but ultimately triumphant, and so the title is very appropriate! I liked the photos used at the end of most of the chapters, as well as in the photo section of the book. It's so impressive that Greely and his men were determined to save all their records, photos, and stats even when things started to go wrong. And this book shows how the trials of the arctic never seem to stop - the men had so much to contend with and things were never simple or easy. The failed supply and rescue missions would have been funny if they weren't life or death.
The final chapters of the book are "edge if your seat" stuff. And I really enjoyed the epilogue about how far the work of the Greely expedition has influenced all sorts of things in the modern scientific world.
A great book, about a fascinating man and his team. Heartbreaking yet uplifting, and full of adventure.
The story is thrilling, exciting, tragic, but ultimately triumphant, and so the title is very appropriate! I liked the photos used at the end of most of the chapters, as well as in the photo section of the book. It's so impressive that Greely and his men were determined to save all their records, photos, and stats even when things started to go wrong. And this book shows how the trials of the arctic never seem to stop - the men had so much to contend with and things were never simple or easy. The failed supply and rescue missions would have been funny if they weren't life or death.
The final chapters of the book are "edge if your seat" stuff. And I really enjoyed the epilogue about how far the work of the Greely expedition has influenced all sorts of things in the modern scientific world.
A great book, about a fascinating man and his team. Heartbreaking yet uplifting, and full of adventure.
alicebeastcat's review against another edition
3.0
A truly amazing story that gets a little bogged down by the very detailed day-by-day descriptions of the three year expedition. The writing is clear and effective, but some of the detail could have been edited out without losing impact. Still worth reading, though. Amazing that the data collected is still being used today by climate scientists!
eswatson's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0
I loved this book. It gets going right from the first page and doesn’t seem to let up. You truly feel the triumph and the tragedy. I couldn’t get enough of it.
cody240fc's review against another edition
4.0
As in many of these polar exploration tales, the most powerful element of the story of the Lady Franklin Bay expedition is the resolve of the men and their dedication to each other. The first two years consist of scientific work, the attempts to obtain farthest North and farthest West, and wolves. And then the food starts to run out. Levy does a fantastic job of displaying the character of the men, the challenges they faced, and their loyalty to the success of their expedition. I love a good arctic tale, and this is up there with some of the very best. Greely, Lockwood, Brainard; all make for moving characters. Levy’s summary of the expedition and it’s lasting impact in the world of science is heartwarming for the memory of those who didn’t make it back. An excellent book; high four stars.
sevenlefts's review against another edition
5.0
Long ago, my friend Donna told me that she liked to read books about cold places during our hot Texas summers. I thought this was an excellent idea and adopted the practice as my own. I love tales of arctic exploration, and what better time to read them than during a sweltering summer? And this one is one of the best I've ever read.
I was familiar with the Greely Expedition from previous reading, but this detailed account is unique in its detail and in the way the story gathers momentum. The first part of the book describes Greely's background and the first year the expedition spent at Fort Conger in the northern reaches of Ellesmere Island. But as a few years pass without any relief ships arriving, following orders, the entire group of 25 men head south to what they hope are well-stocked caches of supplies and safety. What they face is a year of hardship, exposure and starvation.
In the meantime, Levy recounts the intense efforts of Greely's wife Henrietta and allies in the military to convince Congress and the executive branch to mount rescue expeditions, the first two of which fail miserably. Politics and bureaucratic inertia placing people's lives in jeopardy isn't just a 21st century problem. And salvation does arrive for the Greely Expedition -- for some of them, at least.
Levy is quite skilled at taking the documentary evidence from this journey and crafting it into a compelling narrative. The descriptions of the cold and it's effects on the men's bodies, the sense of despair, and the intense hunger they faced -- it's enough to make one weep. But he is equally adept at championing their loyalty to their mission, their courage in the face of uncertainty, and the compassion that they (mostly) showed each other. Greely showed excellent leadership skills and like a good leader adapted when he needed to. The number of life-challenging decisions he had to make during this expedition is staggering.
This is a great piece of American history writing, and one that made me shiver more than once during this long, hot summer.
I was familiar with the Greely Expedition from previous reading, but this detailed account is unique in its detail and in the way the story gathers momentum. The first part of the book describes Greely's background and the first year the expedition spent at Fort Conger in the northern reaches of Ellesmere Island. But as a few years pass without any relief ships arriving, following orders, the entire group of 25 men head south to what they hope are well-stocked caches of supplies and safety. What they face is a year of hardship, exposure and starvation.
In the meantime, Levy recounts the intense efforts of Greely's wife Henrietta and allies in the military to convince Congress and the executive branch to mount rescue expeditions, the first two of which fail miserably. Politics and bureaucratic inertia placing people's lives in jeopardy isn't just a 21st century problem. And salvation does arrive for the Greely Expedition -- for some of them, at least.
Levy is quite skilled at taking the documentary evidence from this journey and crafting it into a compelling narrative. The descriptions of the cold and it's effects on the men's bodies, the sense of despair, and the intense hunger they faced -- it's enough to make one weep. But he is equally adept at championing their loyalty to their mission, their courage in the face of uncertainty, and the compassion that they (mostly) showed each other. Greely showed excellent leadership skills and like a good leader adapted when he needed to. The number of life-challenging decisions he had to make during this expedition is staggering.
This is a great piece of American history writing, and one that made me shiver more than once during this long, hot summer.
jenniingold's review against another edition
5.0
Labyrinth of Ice: The Triumphant and Tragic Greely Polar Expedition
Buddy Levy
I have never RIPPED through a piece of non-fiction so quickly!
I picked up this book because it won the “Adventure Travel” category of the BANFF MOUNTAIN BOOK COMPETITION AWARDS. I did some quick research and the author (Buddy Levy) has written quite a few incredible works of non-fiction about daring adventure in American history.
THIS
BOOK
DOES
NOT
DISAPPOINT
Clearly researched and thoughtfully told, this story is captivating from beginning to end. Arctic exploration is something I know very little about, and the American, Lt. Greely, has quite the adventure in seeking “Farthest North” along the coast of the little-known Greenland shores. Not only an expedition scientific in nature, the crew seeks adventure, honor and claim to fame for themselves and the nation. The expedition soon becomes one of peril and danger with the execution of UNIMAGINABLE achievements to sustain life at the edge of the world.
https://www.instagram.com/bookedandgrammed/
kelsbishop's review against another edition
4.0
If you enjoyed The Wager by David Grann, then I would recommend this book.
Hard to imagine the journey for far north, in an unforgiving climate, with no sunlight for three months. I couldn’t anticipate what was going to happen next while the expedition waited for rescue. Greely had everything meticulously thought out, and then his decision to stick to the plan causes the expedition to unravel manically.
Hard to imagine the journey for far north, in an unforgiving climate, with no sunlight for three months. I couldn’t anticipate what was going to happen next while the expedition waited for rescue. Greely had everything meticulously thought out, and then his decision to stick to the plan causes the expedition to unravel manically.