Icebound [Mass Market Paperback]

Leonard F. Guttridge (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1, 2001

"On all levels, not least as a psychological tale of polar exploration, Icebound is a book well worth reading." (The New York Times Book Review)

On July 8, 1879, thirty-three men set off from San Francisco on the small sailing ship Jeannette planning to reach the North Pole and return. Their ship became trapped in the pack ice for two years and the survivors were forced to trek on foot across the ice to Siberia. This is their remarkable true story.

"Leonard Guttridge has performed a valuable service in setting the record straight. More to the point, however, he has told a gripping tale uncommonly well." (The Washington Post)

"This is a dramatic story and Guttridge tells it well. He has uncovered some intriguing new information, including the reason the expedition's full story was never revealed." (Cleveland Plain Dealer)

"A beautifully executed narrative of sacrifice for science's sake. Guttridge has researched the story well and spices it up with the gossipy details that made life on the ship the stuff of Victorian soap opera." (Kirkus Reviews)

"Guttridge unfolds a gripping story of suspense and adventure. He has ferreted out the facts about the Jeannette and the ship's company, and the colorful characters abound." (Publishers Weekly)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The 1879 expedition began with high hopes of Arctic discoveries; it came to disaster on Siberian shores, and the official investigation that followed was an adroitly managed cover-up. Guttridge, coauthor (with J. D. Smith) of The Commodores, has ferreted out the facts about the Jeannette and the ship's company. Playboy/publisher James Gordon Bennett underwrote the expedition, led by Lt. George W. De Long, USN. The Jeannette was trapped in ice for two years before it broke up; the crew escaped in three boats. One disappeared without a trace, two landed separately on the vast delta of the Lena River, and the men in one boat perished of starvation. Colorful characters abound: the navigation officer incapacitated by syphilis, the marvelously inventive engineer, a famous criminal lawyer hamstrung by collusion among the survivors, a widow determined to protect her late husband's reputation. Guttridge unfolds a gripping story of suspense and adventure. Illustrations not seen by PW.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Guttridge recounts the history of the Jeannette expedition (1879-81), which cost the lives of its commander, George DeLong, and 19 others. This American expedition sailed with the hope of reaching the North Pole, but came to grief through a combination of faulty geographical assumptions, poor judgment, and bad luck. The ensuing controversy led to an official cover up, the details of which have been unearthed after a century by the author. Guttridge, co-author of the Commodores , has written a well-organized, detailed, readable account that will appeal to readers of polar and naval history. Jonathan F. Husband, Framingham State Coll. Lib., Mass.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Berkley Trade (December 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0425181782
• ISBN-13: 978-0425181782
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,079,033 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Well-Written Account of Enthralling, IncredibleTrue Story, July 26, 2000

By 

Kirk (Flint Hill, VA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Icebound: The Jeannette Expedition's Quest for the North Pole (Hardcover)

Leonard Guttridge has managed to recreate with astonishing accuracy truly one of the most incredible stories of human endurance that I have ever known. I can only wonder why this story has not found its way onto the silver screen. Presenting real-life facts that need no embellishment, Mr. Guttridge paints an enthralling picture of the enormous hardships endured by thirty-three men trapped in the artic in the late 19th century. These men had set sail from San Francisco in the "Jeanette," a small ship by today's standards, in search of the North Pole, where they hoped to find an warm, ice-free polar sea. However, several set-backs caused them to leave later in the year than intially planned, causing the Jeanette and her crew to become caught in the pack ice of the arctic ocean. After spending two winters trapped aboard their tiny prison, suffering through many shipboard ordeals, the Jeanette sank in the treacherous, frigid waters. The crew then for months made their way over ice and open water in horrendous weather. Some perished in the journey and some made it to land in northern Siberia. More died of exposure and starvation, lost in the maze-like delta of the Lena River, while miraculously some made it to civilation and safety. (This knowledge does not spoil the ending of the book, as these facts are made known to the reader early in the tome). The story of these men would be incredible if it happened today, with all of our modern equipment, but is even more so given the relatively primitive means at hand in the 1880s. Not only is this work a great story about some very courageous and determined men, but it is a reflection of the determination and heroism under extreme circumstances embodied in many persons of that era - characteristics that many feel lacking today. Furthermore, this is a poinant reminder of just how strong is man's will to survive.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Plodding narrative diminishes the amazing story, March 26, 2003

By 

J. C Clark "eanna" (Overland Park, KS United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Icebound (Mass Market Paperback)

Pedestrian prose abounds in this tale of an astonishing adventure that has messages for everyone. How vanity and position will cover the truth. How armchair theoreticians do not imagine their speculative webs will claim human lives. How foolish rivalries within the military will cost lives. How the dead are easily blamed whenever convenient. How reputations can be preserved or enhanced by judicious truth telling and equally judicious truth avoiding. How politics affects everything that happens in Washington, and pious politicians can mouth words that they know are a lie, all the while claiming to be "for the children" or some such [slop.]

No, this isn't today's news, but the unknown story of a very early, very poorly planned, polar expedition. No need for a summary, it is already here. But this book tells a tale of amazing endurance and staggering bravery that shames those of us sitting in warm houses with tennis elbow or a sore throat. What man can accomplish is truly astounding.

I wish the author had included a few maps of the locations; these are not easy places to locate in an atlas. And the spare writing wrings some of the joy from it; I had to remind myself of just what an amazing tale this was. I don't want shrieking, but the laconic style diminishes a tale of heroism rarely seen. A worthy read.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Another Fine Arctic Adventure Tinged with Politica Intrigue, January 4, 2002

By 

Ricky Hunter (New York City, NY United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Icebound (Mass Market Paperback)

Icebound (The Jeannette Expedition's Quest for the North Pole) is not quite as exciting as the same author's, Leonard F. Guttridge, book The Ghosts of Cape Sabine. But this should still satisfy those seeking another chance to spend some time in an arctic adventure (even on this chilly winter days) and will only dissappoint those who seek a hint of cannibalism with their tale. This book has all the other usual elements of these stores, though, including betrayal, heroism, scientic stupidity, and, most of all, sheer perseverance in the face of insurmountable obstacles. This book also has a little political subterfuge to add to the mix. Another exciting re-addition to the polar canon.