Ninety Degrees North: The Quest for the North Pole [Paperback]

Fergus Fleming (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 13, 2003

In the nineteenth century, theories about the North Pole ran rampant. Was it an open sea? Was it a portal to new worlds within the globe? Or was it just a wilderness of ice? When Sir John Franklin disappeared in the Arctic in 1845, explorers decided it was time to find out. In scintillating detail, Ninety Degrees North tells of the vying governments (including the United States, Britain, Germany, and Austria-Hungary) and fantastic eccentrics (from Swedish balloonists to Italian aristocrats) who, despite their heroic failures, often achieved massive celebrity as they battled shipwreck, starvation, and sickness to reach the top of the world. Drawing on unpublished archives and long-forgotten journals, Fleming tells this story with consummate craftsmanship and wit. Ninety Degrees North is a riveting saga of humankind's search for the ultimate goal.

Product Details

• Paperback: 496 pages
• Publisher: Grove Press (October 13, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 080214036X
• ISBN-13: 978-0802140364
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,727,611 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating Book, May 3, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Ninety Degrees North: The Quest for the North Pole (Paperback)

This book is not only a wonderful look at the fascinating men who were obsessed with reaching the North Pole, but with the fascination that unknown lands have on the human imagination. I was impressed with how foreign the concept of the North Pole was until it was reached. It was as mysterious to people back then as Mars is now, if not more so. Some theorists believed a whole other world was located in the center of Earth, accessible only by the Pole, and which housed a whole different race of people. The hardships that these men willingly endured just to be able to put their flag up and name a spot on the map and for the glory of it, simply amazed me. A terrific read without a slow spot in the whole thing. On top of it Fleming is a terrific wordsmith who has a really funny take on things at times. Get it.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Well Done Examination of Arctic Exploration, January 2, 2004

By 

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

This review is from: Ninety Degrees North: The Quest for the North Pole (Paperback)

Fergus Fleming's Ninety Degrees North is a wonderful synthesis of the many treks to be the first to the north pole during the latter half of the nineteenth century and the first quarter of the twentienth century. Many recent books are available covering each of these individual expeditions in more detail but this is the best one for combining all of them in a focused well-presented manner which will allow the novice Arctic reader a chance to glimpse all of these men in all their derring-do and will also allow the more experienced Arctic aficionado the chance to follow the myriad of themes throughout the many, often very sad, trips to the top of the world. All of major characters are here. Particularly well presented is the controversies surrounding Cook and the quite awful Peary. A highly entertaing and enriching book.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An Exciting Account of Crazy Men, December 24, 2010

By 

Lucky Leif - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Ninety Degrees North: The Quest for the North Pole (Paperback)

A great book. Reads like a thriller (and, yes, some of the stories resemble horror-tales); the author surfs through a century of Arctic travelling, leaving the reader with a lot of information on these crazy guys who set out to search for the North Pole.