The Ice Master

In 1913, the former whaling ship Karluk set out in search of an undiscovered continent, with the largest scientific staff ever sent into the Arctic. Soon after, as winter took hold, they were blown off course by polar storms. When the ship became imprisoned in ice, it was abandoned by the expedition leader, Vilhjalmur Stefansson.

Hundreds of miles from civilization, the castaways had no choice but to find solid ground as they struggled against starvation, snow blindness, disease, exposure—and each other. After almost a year, twelve survivors were rescued, thanks to the heroic efforts of their captain, Robert Bartlett, who traveled by foot across the ice and through Siberia to find help.

Drawing on the diaries of those who were rescued and those who perished, Jennifer Niven re-creates with astonishing accuracy the ill-fated journey and the crew's desperate attempts to find a way home.