In the Kingdom of Ice; The Grand and Terrible Polar Voyage of the USS Jeannette by Sides, Hampton - 2014

New York: Doubleday, 2014. First Edition, 1st Printing. Fine/Fine. SIGNED BY AUTHOR, [9.5x6.5in]; xiii, 454 pp. [1], title page illustration of ship in ice field, 4 plates of 27 images and illustrations, 7 maps, extensive notes and bibliography; Light gray paper boards with white linen backstrip, silver lettering on spine, color illustrative end papers of icebergs, all edges trimmed; Dark blue illustrative dust jacket with silver and white lettering on front and spine, reviews of book on back; Negligible shelf wear to book or dust jacket, not priced clipped, signed by author on front end paper. In Fine condition. The Jeannette expedition (1879-81) was led by Lieutenant-Commander George Washington De Long (1844-81). The purpose was to find a route through the Bering Strait, that was warmed by the Pacific Kiro Shio current to an open polar sea. The 'Jeannette' became icebound, northwest 350 Km and sunk in May 1881 some 400 Km from the Siberian coast. The 33 men provisioned three life boats to drag over the ice to open water for the nearest settlements in Lena Delta. On the water, they became separated in a gale and one boat vanished. George Melville's boat, with 11 men, landed in a an eastern bay of the Delta and were able to reach a village to find help. De Long's boat, with 14 men, landed 100 km away on the northern part of the Delta and, with winter coming, they were not able to find shelter or game and all perished by the end of October 1881. They were found by Melville's rescue party in March 1882, and the bodies, journals and artifacts returned to the United States.

This is a very well written and extensively researched book on De Long's Jeannette expedition and fate of the crew. The Jeannette expedition was a significant in its scope, tragedy and sucesses in saving part of the crew. The search for the Jeannette's fate and survivors was also extensive over several years and resulted in other discoveries.