Madhouse at the end of the Earth : the Belgica's journey into the dark Antarctic night / Julian Sancton.
Drawing on the Belgica's crew's diaries and journals and exclusive access to the ship's logbook, this epic tale of a polar expedition that went terribly awry follows the crew as they were condemned to months of endless night, plagued by a mysterious illness, and descended into madness.
In August 1897 young Belgian commandant Adrien de Gerlache set sail for a three-year expedition aboard the good ship Belgica with dreams of glory. His destination was the uncharted end of the earth: the icy continent of Antarctica. After a series of costly setbacks the commandant faced two bad options: turn back in defeat and spare his men the devastating Antarctic winter, or recklessly chase fame by sailing deeper into the freezing waters. Sanction tells the harrowing true survival story of an expedition that went terribly awry, of the ship stuck fast in the icy hold of the Bellingshausen Sea, the crew trapped inside for the entire sunless, Antarctic winter. -- adapted from back cover.
Record details
- ISBN: 9780593401408
- ISBN: 0593401409
- Physical Description: x, 532 pages (large print) : illustrations, maps ; 24 cm
- Edition: First large print edition.
- Publisher: New York : Random House Large Print, [2021]
Content descriptions
Bibliography, etc. Note: | Includes bibliographical references (pages 489-496) and index. |
Formatted Contents Note: | Prologue -- Why not Belgium? -- "Gold and diamonds" -- Tribute to Neptune -- Showdown -- "Defeat before the fight" -- "A body on our path" -- Uncharted -- "To the south!" -- Icebound -- The last sunset -- The southernmost funeral -- Madhouse promenade -- The Order of the Penguin -- Insanity -- Darkness under the sun -- Men against ice -- Last ditch -- Strangers in the mirror -- Beyond the Belgica. |
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Genre: | Novels. Large type books. Biographies. |
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Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Status | Due Date | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Burlington Public Library | LP 919.8904 SANCTON 2021 | 39851001617704 | Large Print Non-fiction | Copy hold | Available | - |
Julian Sancton is a writer and editor whose work has appeared in Vanity Fair, Esquire, GQ, The New Yorker, Departures, and Playboy, among other publications. He has reported from every continent, including Antarctica, which he first visited while researching this book. He lives in Larchmont, New York, with his partner, Jessica, and their two daughters.