PDF Icebound: The Jeannette Expedition's Quest for the North Pole by Leonard Guttridge in History

Review

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. Yet another Polar Exploration book with no maps...but pretty good otherwise.By Kelly Howardi'm rereading this book for the umpteenth time --it's part of my "Polar Exploration" library; which I periodically go thru whenever the world gets really tedious. This time around; I'm not even halfway through the Intro when i'm reminded about one of the things that seriously annoys me about this several other "PE" books: no maps. I do not understand how anyone could write a book about an exploration anywhere and not include a single map! It's maddening. Even though my knowledge of the geography of both Polar regions is probably better than most from reading so many books on the subject; I still want maps charts. I first wasn't going to knock off another star because of it; but the more I think about it ( considering how much time I've given over in the past to cursing this lack); I decided to whack off a star because of it. There are a few photos drawings from the expedition in the middle; which is always nice. With these is one maplike object; a very generic map of just the delta (basically a bunch of squiggly lines) where the Jeanette folks spent a lot of time wandering around; but it does not make up for lack of real maps). What's particularly absurd about the map thing is that the same author wrote another book on Polar Exploration which does have adequate map[s]...in fact I've used his map from my copy of "The Ghosts of Cape Sabine" while reading other books dealing with expeditions to the same area; so it's got notes on it about the Peary/Hensen expedition on it; the Polaris; etc.Based on my other notes on the book; it does take a while to really get going; but is pretty interesting after it does. I'll probably add other comments when I finish it this time.Finished. Writing is mostly engaging; but the author does have a rather annoying (to me) habit of putting in portentous sounding sentences that don't really go anywhere; or dropping a factoid or an allusion to something then just leaving it sit there; never filling in background or providing info about the thing just referenced. For example; on pg 261 he says Emma de Long "entered a privileged liaison with the Navy Department as a first move in a campaign to protect her husband's reputation." We see instances where the Navy Dept smooths things over for her; but we really don't see an explanation or background of the "liaison" --which phrasing could imply anything from political favor to sympathy for a widow to Emma shacking up with the entire department of the Navy (that'd be rather outre for the era!).All in all a pretty good Polar exploration book; but I prefer his "Ghosts of Cape Sabine."btw; anyone interested in polar ex just has to read Matthew Hensen's regrettably brief "A Negro Explorer at the North Pole." It's a contemporary account of his viewpoint of arctic exploration; and he's a great writer with wit about on par with Twain. It becomes even more interesting when you read the other books; more recent; of the Peary/Hensen relations and expeditions; of course; an African-American writing in the first 1/4 of the 20th century was unfortunately severely limited in what he could say. But Hensen is a remarkable person and witty writer; someone who ought to be as much of a household name as Peary and Franklin; Greely and Shackleton and Scott (oh my!).1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. "I pronounce a thermometric gateway to the North Pole a delusion and a snare."--diary entry of Captain De LongBy mwreviewThe story of the Jeanette came to my attention through reading Jennifer Niven's excellent "Ice Master." Some of the scientists on the Karluk (the ship in "Ice Master") recognized the path their ship was taking was similar to that of the ill-fated Jeanette. Reading the diary of Jeanette Captain George Washington De Long caused them to fear their own captain's decisions and they decided to; once the Karluk sank and they were stranded on the ice; search for safety on their own. This powerful story which helped influence a group of men to make; what turned out to be; a fatal decision; is also full of political intrigue that fills the pages of Leonard Guttridge's "Icebound.""New York Herald" publisher James Gordon Bennett Jr. had financially supported and followed in print Henry Morton Stanley's 1869 expedition in Africa to find David Livingstone. Ten years later; Bennett hoped to further boost his paper's popularity by backing Capt. De Long's quest for the North Pole. De Long; at that time; believed sailing through the Bering Strait led to a warm; ice-free route to the Pole. The mission was hampered by politics from the start. Cost-conscious Bennett and De Long contended with the naval collective board's insistence on re-hauling the Jeanette for such an endeavor. Bennett chose; for political reasons; a navigation officer with a history of mental breakdown. To build up excitement for the Jeanette's launch; Bennett pressured De Long with the added mission of finding an expedition believed to be lost which delayed the Jeanette's advancement towards the Pole. Moreover; the navy's decision not to provide an escort ship was deemed a personal affront to De Long and further impeded the Jeanette's progress.The Jeanette was trapped in an ice pack for two winters. During this time; De Long saw a lot of his theories sink in the icy waters. For example; Wrangel Land was not connected to Greenland forming a transpolar continent; the ice in higher latitudes still contained too much salt for drinking; and no ice-free current to the Pole existed. He also contended with an insubordinate meteorologist and a mentally unstable navigation officer who had an undisclosed condition flare up and cause him to be useless on the ship. Once the Jeanette sank and the crew were icebound; De Long held these grudges and wouldn't allow these men to help move the crew across the ice. Much disenchantment with De Long's command brewed within the crew. The crew eventually split into three boats to navigate the complex mazes in the delta of Lena. The one group which made it to civilization was led by the highly capable engineer George W. Melville; who would find himself in the center of controversy over the way he led the search party. The suffering and final days of some of the crew members are detailed in this book.The infightings of some of the participants; which includes Mrs. De Long and Mrs. Melville; make for a very intriguing story. Mrs. De Long had much more influence over her husband's career and the investigation than was usual for a woman during that time which explains why De Long and his wife-to-be's courtship is covered so thoroughly at the beginning of this book Guttridge's work definitely encourages me to look for more books on the Jeanette. One bit of information I would like to learn is what happened to sketches allegedly made of the bodies taken from their makeshift tomb at the Lena delta. "Icebound" is 357 pages including notes and index and several illustrations throughout including De Long's final diary entries. The first edition hardcover is surprisingly heavy for its size.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. a chilly nostalgiaBy David C. MontgomeryThe Delong 1879 seafaring expedition into the Arctic Ocean through the Bering Strait was an epic of endurance and tragedy. In some ways it was for the Arctic an earlier analogy to Scott's and Shackleton's trials of will in Antarctica a generation later. I became acquainted with Delong's voyage in the Jeannette almost six decades ago when a young teenager. One high school book which I read three times. The title and author were long forgotten by me; but the epic voyage not at all. Guttridge's well researched; comprehensively noted and eloquently phrased book met all of my expectations of a reunion with a lost "young love". Locked in the ice for over a year; the Jeannette drifted westward above Russia rather than the hoped-for eastward above Canada. Eventually abandoning their ship; Delong and his crew struck out southward over the ice to Siberia; where some survived. The book is a tale well told about an event too little known. This originally 1986 account; thankfully republished; about Delong's; the crew's and the Jeannette's travails would be a worthy addition to any nautical or exploration library. Highly recommended!