Walking on Thin Ice: In Pursuit of the North Pole [Hardcover]

David Hempleman-Adams (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 1999

For adventurers, climbing the Seven Summits—including Everest—and reaching all four Poles is the Holy Grail of world exploration. In 1998, David Hempleman-Adams became the first man on the planet to do it. In Walking on Thin Ice, the world's most accomplished explorer recounts the final leg of his extraordinary15-year odyssey.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Hempleman-Adams's chronicle of his trek to the geographic North Pole?the one conquest standing between him and the Adventurers' Grand Slam?strays little from the nuts and bolts of the genre but is chock full of details crucial to surviving arctic conditions. Once again it is proven that even with meticulous planning and years of experience, anything can happen. Writing with the assistance of journalist Uhlig, Hempleman-Adams (Toughing It Out) recounts in daily diary entries the treacherous 600-mile haul across the polar terrain. Battling frostbite, weather and nearly insurmountable snow rubble during an eight-week journey, Hempleman-Adams and his partner, Rune Gjeldnes, forge a strong bond. The high-strung 41-year-old British explorer is yin to the taciturn, 26-year-old, chainsmoking Norwegian Gjeldnes's yang: plodding leader to optimistic sprite. By reaching his goal, Hempleman-Adams became the first man to climb the highest summit in each continent and attain the North and South magnetic and geographical poles. While not the hair-raising ride that Jon Krakauer treated us to, Hempleman-Adams's memoir of this feat offers a vital moment-by-moment primer on teamwork and the limits of physical endurance. 60 color photos; maps.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

David Hempleman-Adams was born in 1956 in Swindon. A business man by profession, he has become Britain's most successful polar explorer and mountaineer. He is married with three daughters and lives in Wiltshire. Co-author Robert Uhlig has been a top reporter on the Daily Telegraph since 1995. In 1996 - 1996, he covered the story of the ThrustSSC's team assault on the sound barrier f

Product Details

• Hardcover: 271 pages
• Publisher: Orion Publishing (February 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0752817973
• ISBN-13: 978-0752817972
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.6 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,401,381 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent travel account, October 31, 2000

By 

Sharad Yadav "shayad" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Walking on Thin Ice: In Pursuit of the North Pole (Hardcover)

David Adams is an amazing explorer. His feat of conquering all the seven summits and both the poles is extra ordinary. It ranks amongst the best travel books ever written. His narration is lucid, but strking. He travels with a Norwegian and their struggle in conversing with each other provides a dash of humor. If you liked 'Into Thin Air', you will fall for this one as well.