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Farthest North: Being the Record of a Voyage of Exploration of the Ship Fram 1893-96 and of a Fifteen months' Sleigh Journey by Dr. Nansen and Lieutenant Johanse
Hardcover reprint of the original circa 1897 edition, Volume 2; hardbound in brown cloth with gold stamped lettering, 8vo - 6x9'. This item is printed on demand as a collector quality facsimile, crafted to hold its own in a library of first editions. Book Nansen, Fridtjof. Farthest North; Being A Record of A Voyage of Exploration of the Ship Fram 1893-96, and of A Fifteen Month's Sleigh Journey. Repressed Publishing LLC, 2012. Original Nansen, Fridtjof. Farthest North; Being A Record of A Voyage of Exploration of the Ship Fram 1893-96, and of A Fifteen Month's Sleigh Journey. New York, Harper & Brothers, circa 1897. Fram Ship
679 pages, Hardcover
Published January 1, 1904
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About the author
Fridtjof Nansen
207 books52 followersFridtjof Nansen (1861-1930) was a Norwegian explorer, scientist, diplomat, humanitarian and Nobel Peace Prize laureate.
Best known for the Fram expedition, an attempt to reach the North Pole by using the natural drift of the polar ice in the ship Fram, carrying fuel and provisions for twelve men for five years.
Best known for the Fram expedition, an attempt to reach the North Pole by using the natural drift of the polar ice in the ship Fram, carrying fuel and provisions for twelve men for five years.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 84 reviews
December 18, 2021
Were I shopping to join a polar exploration around 1900, I could have done no better than go with the intrepid Fridtjof Nansen, the Norwegian leader of what strikes me as the most competently led polar journey ever. His Farthest North is the description of his trip, which consisted of five parts.
First was the voyage along the north shore of Russia until his ship, the Fram was stuck in the ice. No problem, as the ship was custom designed to ride atop the ice rather than be crushed by the pressure.
Second, the Fram and its crew rode the ice to as high a northern latitude as the ice traveled, which turned out to be around 86 degrees.
Third, at that point, Nansen and one crew member left the ship to press farther north; and, when they could go no further, turn south to find land. They managed to get only some twenty miles farther north than the ship floating on the ice, before they decided to head either for Franz Joseph Land or Spitzbergen using kayaks they carried with them on their sledges.
Fourth, they landed on an island in the Franz Joseph archipelago and headed south. They lived by hunting bears, seals, and walruses.
Fifth, they ran into a British expedition, which provided them transport back to Norway. In the meantime, the Fram ran out of ice pack north of Spitzbergen and sailed back to Norway, arriving one week after Nansen.
This is supposedly an abridged edition on Nansen's original work, but I suspect that what was edited out were mostly scientific observations, which is no loss to me.The journey was a success because what it mainly studied was the movement of the polar ice cap in response to wind and currents. Arriving at the North Pole would only have been a lagniappe rather than the avowed purpose of the expedition.
First was the voyage along the north shore of Russia until his ship, the Fram was stuck in the ice. No problem, as the ship was custom designed to ride atop the ice rather than be crushed by the pressure.
Second, the Fram and its crew rode the ice to as high a northern latitude as the ice traveled, which turned out to be around 86 degrees.
Third, at that point, Nansen and one crew member left the ship to press farther north; and, when they could go no further, turn south to find land. They managed to get only some twenty miles farther north than the ship floating on the ice, before they decided to head either for Franz Joseph Land or Spitzbergen using kayaks they carried with them on their sledges.
Fourth, they landed on an island in the Franz Joseph archipelago and headed south. They lived by hunting bears, seals, and walruses.
Fifth, they ran into a British expedition, which provided them transport back to Norway. In the meantime, the Fram ran out of ice pack north of Spitzbergen and sailed back to Norway, arriving one week after Nansen.
This is supposedly an abridged edition on Nansen's original work, but I suspect that what was edited out were mostly scientific observations, which is no loss to me.The journey was a success because what it mainly studied was the movement of the polar ice cap in response to wind and currents. Arriving at the North Pole would only have been a lagniappe rather than the avowed purpose of the expedition.
December 19, 2022
"The spirit of mankind will never rest till every spot of these regions has been trodden by the foot of man, till every enigma has been solved."
In a time when a veil of mystery still shrouded the Arctic, when maps were left blank in the northern regions and theories about Arctic continents and warm polar seas ran rampant, Nansen and his men embarked on an expedition from which most people thought they would never return. Theirs is an incredible story of resilience, resourcefulness, and camaraderie, and Nansen tells it beautifully. His writing is poetic, insightful, and revealing-- he gives us access to all of his hopes and fears, his longing for home, his need to explore and understand. He brings us along at every step of his remarkable journey: his careful preparation and his anxious and hopeful departure, when he felt keenly the weight of the hopes of an entire nation; his life on the ice aboard the Fram, with all of the poetry of the polar nights and the Arctic silence; his incredible year-long journey across the ice to 86 degrees North, on a dog sled and a handmade kayak; his triumphant and emotional return to a nation that would forever cherish him.
This book is a gift. It is the chance to accompany one of the world's greatest explorers, on one of history's most daring expeditions, to one of Earth's final frontiers.
In a time when a veil of mystery still shrouded the Arctic, when maps were left blank in the northern regions and theories about Arctic continents and warm polar seas ran rampant, Nansen and his men embarked on an expedition from which most people thought they would never return. Theirs is an incredible story of resilience, resourcefulness, and camaraderie, and Nansen tells it beautifully. His writing is poetic, insightful, and revealing-- he gives us access to all of his hopes and fears, his longing for home, his need to explore and understand. He brings us along at every step of his remarkable journey: his careful preparation and his anxious and hopeful departure, when he felt keenly the weight of the hopes of an entire nation; his life on the ice aboard the Fram, with all of the poetry of the polar nights and the Arctic silence; his incredible year-long journey across the ice to 86 degrees North, on a dog sled and a handmade kayak; his triumphant and emotional return to a nation that would forever cherish him.
This book is a gift. It is the chance to accompany one of the world's greatest explorers, on one of history's most daring expeditions, to one of Earth's final frontiers.
March 7, 2021
Nansen led a Norwegian expedition in 1895 to try to get to the North Pole. His book is incredibly detailed in describing the ship they built, the provisions, life on board once the ship was iced in and slowly drifted north, the dash to the North by Nansen and one companion and the return to Norway of both Nansen and his ship.
Amazing stuff that read like a non-fictional tale (except for the technical detail). Probably not everyone’s cup of tea with a bunch of animals being killed for food but the inventiveness, resilience and strength of these men were impressive.
Nansen went on to be a world-famous humanitarian winning the Nobel Peace Prize. His polar exploits being just one of his amazing achievements.
Amazing stuff that read like a non-fictional tale (except for the technical detail). Probably not everyone’s cup of tea with a bunch of animals being killed for food but the inventiveness, resilience and strength of these men were impressive.
Nansen went on to be a world-famous humanitarian winning the Nobel Peace Prize. His polar exploits being just one of his amazing achievements.
February 3, 2014
This book is a gem. It provides a good level of detail for Nansen's expedition to get as close to the North Pole as possible in the late 19th century. The adventurers of the era were of a different class than what we would expect today. The plan was a bit ludicrous at the time, building a ship to intentionally get stuck in the ice and slowly over the course of a few years drift, stuck in the ice.
Nansen does a great job conveying his thoughts. They range from his meticulous planning, to concerns about the ship, to the scientific approach he took to most everything, and the incredibly real nature of danger in their trip. A different era, where they were exploring the world without communication with the outside world for years.
Nansen does a great job conveying his thoughts. They range from his meticulous planning, to concerns about the ship, to the scientific approach he took to most everything, and the incredibly real nature of danger in their trip. A different era, where they were exploring the world without communication with the outside world for years.
May 2, 2024
Be advised: there is a lot of animal abuse and gore in this book. The abuse is not on purpose, but a necessary evil that follows from three years of Arctic living. If this is not your thing, don't pick up this book.
This is a very interesting account of polar exploration. Nansen and his crew set out by boat to reach the farthest North they can get. Their ship is designed to be frozen in the ice, so it can drift on the ice in winter. After they feel they are at the most northern point they can get by ship, Nansen and a comrade continue by sledge, kayaks and a bunch of dogs.
The day to day life of the men on the ice is described in detail, and because there is not so much changing, it is repetitive. For casual readers it can be considered quite boring. But one can respect how intense these years can be, which makes it interesting to realise the monotony of this life. I love all things Arctic exploration, so to me this book was an entertaining read. I could have done with a little less animal gore, but that was part of life in those days.
This is a very interesting account of polar exploration. Nansen and his crew set out by boat to reach the farthest North they can get. Their ship is designed to be frozen in the ice, so it can drift on the ice in winter. After they feel they are at the most northern point they can get by ship, Nansen and a comrade continue by sledge, kayaks and a bunch of dogs.
The day to day life of the men on the ice is described in detail, and because there is not so much changing, it is repetitive. For casual readers it can be considered quite boring. But one can respect how intense these years can be, which makes it interesting to realise the monotony of this life. I love all things Arctic exploration, so to me this book was an entertaining read. I could have done with a little less animal gore, but that was part of life in those days.
March 24, 2021
This gem of a book is the firsthand account of the author’s attempt to reach the north pole by drifting with the ice from the coast of Siberia.
Nansen first began to consider the possibility of reaching the North Pole after reading meteorologist Henrik Mohn's theory on polar drift in 1884. According to Mohn’s theory, there is a drift of ice pushed by Arctic Ocean currents from east to west across the polar sea and possibly over the north pole itself. The plan was to build a ship that will not be crushed by the ice but will withstand years of ice seizure while drifting, frozen in the ice, from east to west over the polar sea. The book describes the account of this expedition.
In June 1893, the ship, Fram, left Norway with 12 explorers on board, dogs, sleds and provisions for comfortable living for at least 5 years. The Fram, was frozen in the arctic ice for 3 years until August 1896, drifting from Laptev Sea off the coast of Siberia to the Spitsbergen Islands North of Norway. During this drift, the ship came close to the north pole and at this stage, Nansen and a crew member called Johansen left the ship and using Dogs and sleds attempted to reach the north pole over the ice. During this attempt, they managed to get close to the North pole but had to turn around before the pole itself and ended up at Franz Josef Land, a group of islands in the Barenta Sea where they spend the winter and eventually found a group of English scientist who could offer them a ride home.
Personally I like these type of books and find myself identifying with the adventurous descriptions. While the book did have some details that I found repetitive and boring, it was fascinating from beginning to end. The book is a first hand account of one of the pioneers and pillars of the North pole explorers and I would recommend the book to anyone who likes this type of adventures.
In his later years Fridtjof Nansen became a diplomat and In 1922 he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his work on behalf of the displaced victims of the First World War and related conflicts.
Nansen first began to consider the possibility of reaching the North Pole after reading meteorologist Henrik Mohn's theory on polar drift in 1884. According to Mohn’s theory, there is a drift of ice pushed by Arctic Ocean currents from east to west across the polar sea and possibly over the north pole itself. The plan was to build a ship that will not be crushed by the ice but will withstand years of ice seizure while drifting, frozen in the ice, from east to west over the polar sea. The book describes the account of this expedition.
In June 1893, the ship, Fram, left Norway with 12 explorers on board, dogs, sleds and provisions for comfortable living for at least 5 years. The Fram, was frozen in the arctic ice for 3 years until August 1896, drifting from Laptev Sea off the coast of Siberia to the Spitsbergen Islands North of Norway. During this drift, the ship came close to the north pole and at this stage, Nansen and a crew member called Johansen left the ship and using Dogs and sleds attempted to reach the north pole over the ice. During this attempt, they managed to get close to the North pole but had to turn around before the pole itself and ended up at Franz Josef Land, a group of islands in the Barenta Sea where they spend the winter and eventually found a group of English scientist who could offer them a ride home.
Personally I like these type of books and find myself identifying with the adventurous descriptions. While the book did have some details that I found repetitive and boring, it was fascinating from beginning to end. The book is a first hand account of one of the pioneers and pillars of the North pole explorers and I would recommend the book to anyone who likes this type of adventures.
In his later years Fridtjof Nansen became a diplomat and In 1922 he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his work on behalf of the displaced victims of the First World War and related conflicts.
November 2, 2017
im dead
June 21, 2015
Fridtjof Nansen takes you there. 1893. The Polar Sea. The arctic ice was just a blank on the map, and where others have failed, Nansen will push on.
This is a first-person account, based on handwritten journals, day in, day out. Nansen must turn a deaf ear to those critical colleagues who say it can't be done. He sees what others have done wrong, and learns from it. He figures out a key to the arctic puzzle: the ice is not a fixed, frozen waste one can simply walk across. The ice that covers the north, moves. It drifts. From east to west, and what would happen if someone were to deliberately get their ship frozen in the ice? Would the ice carry you across the polar sea? Will it take you right across the North Pole itself?
My advice: study the map at the beginning. Get a feel for the geography, what's what and where's where. Then follow along as Nansen points his ship, the Fram, north, and heads straight for the ice.
This book was originally published in 1897. Reading it is connecting firsthand with history in the making.
This is a first-person account, based on handwritten journals, day in, day out. Nansen must turn a deaf ear to those critical colleagues who say it can't be done. He sees what others have done wrong, and learns from it. He figures out a key to the arctic puzzle: the ice is not a fixed, frozen waste one can simply walk across. The ice that covers the north, moves. It drifts. From east to west, and what would happen if someone were to deliberately get their ship frozen in the ice? Would the ice carry you across the polar sea? Will it take you right across the North Pole itself?
My advice: study the map at the beginning. Get a feel for the geography, what's what and where's where. Then follow along as Nansen points his ship, the Fram, north, and heads straight for the ice.
This book was originally published in 1897. Reading it is connecting firsthand with history in the making.
February 21, 2015
I have read, several times, the original edition of this story (translated from Swedish, I believe) and published in two volumes. My favorite part is the early section of the book, which describes the massive preparation for this voyage before they even left the port. The planning is fascinating. Nasen was an amazing strategist and leader, but he also understood the human experience. He made sure there was a huge library aboard the Fram and that there were plenty of other outletsfor the men to explore, including new hobbies, during the long and cold voyage. I love this kind of mind. This type of thinker who mixes the science with the psychology and shows that thatcombination is more likely to be a winner in the end then a solution which does not consider both.
October 9, 2008
Hard to believe that a book devoted to this much time spent in essentially one spot in the polar ice cap can move along as well as it did. Interesting in the context of the science of the time, and typical 19th-century rah-rah trivialization of the EXTREME risks these guys took in the name of adventure. Inspirational from a standpoint of innovation and self-reliance in a land with limited resources. Very good.
June 1, 2018
A fascinating and brilliantly-written report on a truly astounding expedition. Nansen’s crew was able to complete all of their scientific objectives with their ship deliberately frozen into the Arctic ice for over 1000 days, and return safe, healthy, and well-fed. An important and informative example of detailed and flexible planning, scientific curiosity, persistence, patience, and grit.
March 1, 2015
"Sono qui seduto da solo nella mia cuccetta e i pensieri scivolano indietro ai due anni trascorsi. Qual è il demone che tesse i fili delle nostre esistenze e che fa ingannare noi stessi, quello che ci spinge sempre avanti su sentieri che non abbiamo tracciato noi - sentieri sui quali non abbiamo desiderio di incamminarci? È stato il puro senso del dovere a spingermi? No di certo! lo ero semplicemente un bimbo che anelava la grande avventura nell'ignoto, così a lungo sognata che alla fine ho creduto che fosse lei ad attendere me. E certamente mi è stata data la grande avventura del ghiaccio profondo e puro come l'infinito; la notte polare illuminata di stelle e silente, la natura nella sua profondità, il mistero della vita, l'incessante circumnavigare dell'universo, il banchetto della morte eterna in se stessa - senza sofferenza, senza rimpianto. Eccoti qui nella grande notte in tutta la tua nuda meschinità, faccia a faccia con la natura; te ne stai seduto con devozioni ai piedi dell'eternità in riverente ascolto e conosci Dio [...]. Tutti gli enigmi dell'universo a te paiono chiari e ridi di te stesso per esserti consumato a meditare, poiché è tutto così piccolo, così indicibilmente piccolo..."
La poesia con cui Nansen descrive il paesaggio artico si scontra inevitabilmente con la brutalità del trattamento riservato ai cani da slitta e al resto della fauna locale. Nansen sembra rincarare la dose raccontandoci le scene strazianti delle madri di trichechi e orsi polari che non si capacitano della morte dei loro cuccioli. Ho trovato la descrizione di questi ripetuti episodi decisamente evitabile dopo il primo o il secondo caso. Un appunto sarebbe stato sufficiente. Tuttavia l'importanza scientifica della spedizione di Nansen è innegabile, il coraggio che gli ci è voluto per metterla in atto è fuori dagli schemi, per noi abitanti del mediterraneo è semplicemente inconcepibile.
La poesia con cui Nansen descrive il paesaggio artico si scontra inevitabilmente con la brutalità del trattamento riservato ai cani da slitta e al resto della fauna locale. Nansen sembra rincarare la dose raccontandoci le scene strazianti delle madri di trichechi e orsi polari che non si capacitano della morte dei loro cuccioli. Ho trovato la descrizione di questi ripetuti episodi decisamente evitabile dopo il primo o il secondo caso. Un appunto sarebbe stato sufficiente. Tuttavia l'importanza scientifica della spedizione di Nansen è innegabile, il coraggio che gli ci è voluto per metterla in atto è fuori dagli schemi, per noi abitanti del mediterraneo è semplicemente inconcepibile.
August 27, 2014
I thought this was a very cool story. The first half of the book was great!! Nansen had a plan that worked pretty much exactly as he anticipated. And his writing of the expedition on the Fram was candid and a fun read. Once he left the ship to attempt to reach the North Pole, the story felt a little repetitive. But was still interesting. The trek across the ice flows, though not a super riveting read(to me) was still an amazing feat. And to have himself and the ship arrive back in Norway almost exactly like he predicted was proof as to how well his theory actually was. An amazing accomplishment to say the least. I have always wished I could have lived back in the early days of exploration. But I woulda gone to Africa or South America or Australia. But the Arctic? Not in a million years! I would break down in that environment. So I am always impressed by these guys. That's toughness....or insanity. Either way, my hats off to you Mr. Nansen. Great journey and pretty darn good book.
April 21, 2020
The Fram Expedition 1893-96
The North Pole was his next goal. He developed a bold plan, to sail a ship to Siberia, get the ship frozen in the polar ice, to be carried over the pole by the ice drift, and come out near Spitzbergen and Greenland.
This plan was based on several key observations. There was abundant driftwood in Greenland, despite the fact there are no trees there. Nansen believed the driftwood came across the polar icecap from forests and rivers in Siberia.
An American ship, the Jeanette, had been crushed in the ice north of Siberia in 1881, in attempting to reach the North Pole by sailing thru the Bering Strait. Wreckage from the Jeanette was found three years later in sea ice flows in southwest Greenland, have been carried there by ocean currents from Siberia.
See my blog on Fritdjof Nansen and Visiting the Fram Museum
https://www.northernmists.photography...
The North Pole was his next goal. He developed a bold plan, to sail a ship to Siberia, get the ship frozen in the polar ice, to be carried over the pole by the ice drift, and come out near Spitzbergen and Greenland.
This plan was based on several key observations. There was abundant driftwood in Greenland, despite the fact there are no trees there. Nansen believed the driftwood came across the polar icecap from forests and rivers in Siberia.
An American ship, the Jeanette, had been crushed in the ice north of Siberia in 1881, in attempting to reach the North Pole by sailing thru the Bering Strait. Wreckage from the Jeanette was found three years later in sea ice flows in southwest Greenland, have been carried there by ocean currents from Siberia.
See my blog on Fritdjof Nansen and Visiting the Fram Museum
https://www.northernmists.photography...
June 2, 2024
I've heard the name Fridtjof Nansen before, but I never really knew what he's famous for. This book introduced me to him and to a brief period of his life - his Fram expedition to the North Pole. It was fascinating to read about all the preparations, the plans, the obstacles they had to overtake. Even more curious was the part, where Nansen and Hjalmar Johansen depart on their own, leave the ship behind and attempt to reach the pole on dog sled.
What somehow decreased my enjoyment of the book was the constant animal killings. I admit, these types of expeditions require resources, which includes hunting for the food. Apparently, the crew rarely hunted for fun, and they were really using the meat and the furs. Still, the explanations were sometimes too vivid for my taste.
And yet, my biggest issue came from the dog killings as Nansen and Johansen were going alone towards the pole. Granted, it seems like none of them enjoyed this, but it was so cruel.
What somehow decreased my enjoyment of the book was the constant animal killings. I admit, these types of expeditions require resources, which includes hunting for the food. Apparently, the crew rarely hunted for fun, and they were really using the meat and the furs. Still, the explanations were sometimes too vivid for my taste.
And yet, my biggest issue came from the dog killings as Nansen and Johansen were going alone towards the pole. Granted, it seems like none of them enjoyed this, but it was so cruel.
December 29, 2019
This book took more than a year to read! It was worth it – it’s an adventure on par with Shackleton’s story. From June 1893 until Sept. 1896, they drifted in the Arctic ice on Fram with the full crew (held in the ice for 3 years), and then Nansen set out with just one man for the final 15 months of the saga, to see how far north they could get (86 degrees, 14 minutes) , and everyone came home – on the same day! All went pretty well until the last few weeks when the kayaks went adrift and he had to swim after them, and then a walrus punched a hole in a kayak, and then Johansen almost got eaten by a bear. Otherwise, they were intrepid and sensible, and came back with a proven theory and loads of Arctic data. Although methodically reported in the style of the time (making early reading a bit tedious) it is truly an amazing story.
September 8, 2007
It's not that Nansen is a spectacular writer, but this book is engaging. What's probably most amazing about it is that most of the story is about people -- well, sitting there, getting moved by ice. The author writes vividly of the experiences of his crew as they attempt to reach the North Pole by intentionally trapping their boat in sea ice and waiting for the current to carry them across. Written by the expedition's scientifically-driven leader, "Farthest North" is occasionally plodding, but the duller sections are quickly wiped out by the final push to make the pole.
While Amundsen gets the credit for reaching the pole first, it was Nansen who made the first genuine exploration of the region, and his calculated risk results in an interesting tale.
While Amundsen gets the credit for reaching the pole first, it was Nansen who made the first genuine exploration of the region, and his calculated risk results in an interesting tale.
January 5, 2020
What an epic adventure! Nansen mixes fact and philosophy, stamina and longing. He comes across as a deeply feeling man, willing, for example, to kill animals in order to stay alive, but never happy about it. The premise of his journey - freeze ship in ice, drift in ice to North Pole, leave ship for final attempt on Pole, get back to civilisation by sledge and kayak - seems utterly insane, but he gets through it alive. He should be much more well known than he is. I've read that the book lacks literary polish. Who cares? This is a raw account of a man trying to accomplish a dream. It doesn't need polishing.
March 6, 2015
This book had potential but really dragged at multiple points. I guess there isn't too much to variance in your daily life to write about when you're frozen in an ice floe for a year at a time. If you're interested in the subject, I'd say skim around until you find some interesting parts, which there are many. I was also disappointed in the fact that this was the illustrated version and there were maybe 1-2 drawings and 0 photographs, which they always mentioned that they were taking during their adventure.
December 12, 2021
Parim raamat kuumalaines ja krõbeda külmaga lugemiseks. Nanseni seisundlik olustikukirjeldus ja huvitavad kirjanduslikud loojutustusvalikud köidavad vaheldumisi. Karge ja elav raamat.
October 1, 2025
Nansen is undoubtedly an extraordinary figure but he is of an age where a humble and stoic attitude was as valued as one’s accomplishments (a trait which we may be smart to try and copy ourselves...). But because of that demeanor there is very little added ‘excitement’ in his recounting of his incredible journey.
The journey alone is exciting, and the encounters with bears, walrus', the polar night, the elements, etc. are enough to make for a stirring read, but he does not write in a style that makes this a page-turner. And I doubt he would have wanted it any other way. It is really interesting, just not one that the reader will be drawn into from first to last page.
Lastly, given the lack of knowledge that most readers will have of the polar region and/or the (modern day) Russian islands of the Arctic, the publisher really failed by not including better maps. The journey would have been much easier to follow without needing to check online for more detailed illustrations of the Fram’s path.
The journey alone is exciting, and the encounters with bears, walrus', the polar night, the elements, etc. are enough to make for a stirring read, but he does not write in a style that makes this a page-turner. And I doubt he would have wanted it any other way. It is really interesting, just not one that the reader will be drawn into from first to last page.
Lastly, given the lack of knowledge that most readers will have of the polar region and/or the (modern day) Russian islands of the Arctic, the publisher really failed by not including better maps. The journey would have been much easier to follow without needing to check online for more detailed illustrations of the Fram’s path.
January 27, 2025
Ah, yes, another exciting polar exploration story around the turn of the twentieth century! However, this one features a unique twist as much of the journey was spent onboard a ship and intentionally drifting amid frozen ice across the North Pole for a period of three years. Thankfully, further drama and adventure was half-unexpectedly inserted halfway through in the form of a two-man fifteen-month long sledge journey across the Arctic icecap. Dr. Nansen tells his gripping tale filled with bitter cold, uncertain traveling conditions and run-in's with polar bears and walruses with an easygoing narrative. It's not always about whether you accomplish everything you set out to do on an adventure such as this; the real success comes simply by doing it, testing the very limits of your abilities, and going where no man has gone before
August 27, 2025
A first hand account of an almost unbelievably daring adventure. What a story! By the time I finished, I wanted to visit Norway just to get a feel for some of the places the ship and crew visited and to better understand the culture that produced so many great explorer/adventurers.
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October 16, 2024Ch 81 P3
when souls are reunited, when the buried girl is asked for what offence she has been killed, when scriptures are unrolled ...
when souls are reunited, when the buried girl is asked for what offence she has been killed, when scriptures are unrolled ...
January 14, 2025
This book was really interesting, but it was a little boring at some parts. This book is really informative.
April 7, 2025
Bit of a slog. My man had a detailed ahh journal
April 26, 2015
Humanity is destined to explore the unknown across fleeting moments. An amazing account of survival in the pursuit of an idea, all to be first and to push further the boundaries of humanity. Not always the most dignified encounters with other creatures, particularly dogs and bears - yet in each violent act there is an awareness of our own cruelty. A vivid account of survival and determination with a great level of introspection. Astounding that one can isolate themselves for three years to validate a theory, such is humanity and our pursuit for a true adventure.
"But why always worry about the future? Why distress yourself as to whether you are drifting forward or backwards? Why not carelessly let the days glide by like a peacefully flowing river? Every now and then there will come a rapid that will quicken the lazy flow. Ah! what a wondrous contrivance is life - one eternal hurrying forwards, ever forwards - to what end? And then comes death and cuts all short before the goal is reached."
"The world that shall be!...Again and again this thought comes back to my mind. I gaze far on through the ages...Slowly and imperceptibly the heat of the sun declines, and the temperature of the earth sinks by equally slow degrees. Thousands, hundreds of thousands, millions of years pass away, glacial epochs come and go, but the heat still grows ever less; little by little these drifting masses of ice extend far and wide, ever toward more southern shores, and no one notices it; but at last all the seas of the earth become one unbroken mass of ice. Life has vanished from its surface, and is to be found in the ocean depths alone. But the temperature continues to fall, the ice grows thicker and ever thicker; life's domain vanishes. Millions of years roll on, and the ice reaches the bottom. The last trace of life has disappeared; the earth is covered with snow. All that we lived for is no longer; the fruit of all our toil and sufferings has been blotted out millions and millions of years ago, buried beneath a pall of snow. A stiffened, lifeless mass of ice, this earth rolls on in her path through eternity. Like a faintly growing disk the sun crosses the sky; the moon shines no more, and is scarcely visible. Yet, still, perhaps, the northern lights flicker over the desert, icy plain, and still the stars twinkle in silence, peacefully as of yore. Some have burnt out, but new ones usurp their place; and round them revolve new spheres, teeming with new life, new sufferings, without any aim. Such is the infinite cycle of eternity; such are nature's everlasting rhythms."
"Everything in this life depends on what one has made up one's mind to. One person sets forth to sail in open water, perhaps to the very Pole, but gets stuck int he ice and laments, another is prepared to get stuck in the ice, but will not grumble even should he find open water. It is ever the safest plan to expect the least of life, for then one often gets the most."
"We are oddly constructed machines. At one moment all resolution, at the next all doubt...Today our intellect, our science, all our 'Leben und Treiben' seem but a pitiful Philistinism, not worth a pipe of tobacco; tomorrow we throw ourselves heart and soul into these very researches, consumed with a burning thirst to absorb everything into ourselves, longing to spy out fresh paths, and fretting impatiently at our inability to solve the problem fully and completely. Then down we sink again in disgust at the worthlessness of it all."
"But why always worry about the future? Why distress yourself as to whether you are drifting forward or backwards? Why not carelessly let the days glide by like a peacefully flowing river? Every now and then there will come a rapid that will quicken the lazy flow. Ah! what a wondrous contrivance is life - one eternal hurrying forwards, ever forwards - to what end? And then comes death and cuts all short before the goal is reached."
"The world that shall be!...Again and again this thought comes back to my mind. I gaze far on through the ages...Slowly and imperceptibly the heat of the sun declines, and the temperature of the earth sinks by equally slow degrees. Thousands, hundreds of thousands, millions of years pass away, glacial epochs come and go, but the heat still grows ever less; little by little these drifting masses of ice extend far and wide, ever toward more southern shores, and no one notices it; but at last all the seas of the earth become one unbroken mass of ice. Life has vanished from its surface, and is to be found in the ocean depths alone. But the temperature continues to fall, the ice grows thicker and ever thicker; life's domain vanishes. Millions of years roll on, and the ice reaches the bottom. The last trace of life has disappeared; the earth is covered with snow. All that we lived for is no longer; the fruit of all our toil and sufferings has been blotted out millions and millions of years ago, buried beneath a pall of snow. A stiffened, lifeless mass of ice, this earth rolls on in her path through eternity. Like a faintly growing disk the sun crosses the sky; the moon shines no more, and is scarcely visible. Yet, still, perhaps, the northern lights flicker over the desert, icy plain, and still the stars twinkle in silence, peacefully as of yore. Some have burnt out, but new ones usurp their place; and round them revolve new spheres, teeming with new life, new sufferings, without any aim. Such is the infinite cycle of eternity; such are nature's everlasting rhythms."
"Everything in this life depends on what one has made up one's mind to. One person sets forth to sail in open water, perhaps to the very Pole, but gets stuck int he ice and laments, another is prepared to get stuck in the ice, but will not grumble even should he find open water. It is ever the safest plan to expect the least of life, for then one often gets the most."
"We are oddly constructed machines. At one moment all resolution, at the next all doubt...Today our intellect, our science, all our 'Leben und Treiben' seem but a pitiful Philistinism, not worth a pipe of tobacco; tomorrow we throw ourselves heart and soul into these very researches, consumed with a burning thirst to absorb everything into ourselves, longing to spy out fresh paths, and fretting impatiently at our inability to solve the problem fully and completely. Then down we sink again in disgust at the worthlessness of it all."
May 7, 2018
This is the story of Nansen's attempt to reach the north pole, an expedition that occurred over the period of 1893-1896. Nansen theorized that the northern ice pack drifted across the north pole over time. His plan was to sail as far north as possible, allow his ship to freeze into the ice in the fall and then allow the ice to take him to the north pole. It transpired that the ice drift got him no further north than 84 degrees. Nansen and Johansen built sledges and kayaks, and tried to reach the north pole over the ice. After getting to about 86 degrees, their progress was slow enough that they felt the pole was not attainable, so they headed south to return to land.
Nansen's ship, the Fram, was constructed with a rounded bottom and extra strengthening so that ice pressure would push the ship up rather than crushing it. The concept largely worked, although they had one incident where merging ice piled high against one side of the boat. Concerned that it might collapse on to the ship, they cut much of it away. The ship was built for use as a winter refuge, having much insulation around the living quarters.
Possibly the most interesting part of the book is the skill with which they dealt with the cold arctic conditions. While frozen in during the winter, they had planned exercise for it's own sake, but found that daily maintenance provided sufficient work. Wherever possible, they killed game for food. Polar bears visited regularly, and they killed them for food whenever possible.
Skis were used for travel over the icepack, but they were called snowshoes. At one point in the narrative, he referred to them as skis but in general he differentiated between his snowshoes and "Canadian snowshoes'. "As I consider Canadian snowshoes superior to Norwegian snowshoes, when it is a question of hauling heavily loaded sledges over such as rough and uneven surface as is presented by polar ice, ..." (page 417, volume 2)
Volume 2 describes the sledge trip north to attain the pole. Nansen's partner was Hjalmar Johansen. They traveled north until travel was sufficiently retarded by ice ridges that they felt they would not be able to make the pole and return. Ice movement affected their travels, sometimes pushing them north; at other times south.
Travel conditions were difficult on the return trip. No animals were found for food. While the latitude could be measured directly, longitude was less certain. Huge suspense existed around their actual location versus known land. Nansen observes "We must comfort ourselves with the adage that night is darkest before dawn. Of course, it somewhat depends on how dark the night is to be, and considerably darker than it is now it might very well be." The sameness of days reminded him "... of some Eskimos who journeyed up a fjord to collect grass for hay; but when they arrived at their destination found it quite short, and so settled down and waited until it was long enough to cut."
Included in Volume 2 is the Report of Captain Otto Sverdrup on the Drifting of the Fram. The ship eventually drifted far enough south that it got to water where they could break free of the ice and return to Norway.
A well written book that gives a good feel for the logistics of Arctic travel.
Nansen's ship, the Fram, was constructed with a rounded bottom and extra strengthening so that ice pressure would push the ship up rather than crushing it. The concept largely worked, although they had one incident where merging ice piled high against one side of the boat. Concerned that it might collapse on to the ship, they cut much of it away. The ship was built for use as a winter refuge, having much insulation around the living quarters.
Possibly the most interesting part of the book is the skill with which they dealt with the cold arctic conditions. While frozen in during the winter, they had planned exercise for it's own sake, but found that daily maintenance provided sufficient work. Wherever possible, they killed game for food. Polar bears visited regularly, and they killed them for food whenever possible.
Skis were used for travel over the icepack, but they were called snowshoes. At one point in the narrative, he referred to them as skis but in general he differentiated between his snowshoes and "Canadian snowshoes'. "As I consider Canadian snowshoes superior to Norwegian snowshoes, when it is a question of hauling heavily loaded sledges over such as rough and uneven surface as is presented by polar ice, ..." (page 417, volume 2)
Volume 2 describes the sledge trip north to attain the pole. Nansen's partner was Hjalmar Johansen. They traveled north until travel was sufficiently retarded by ice ridges that they felt they would not be able to make the pole and return. Ice movement affected their travels, sometimes pushing them north; at other times south.
Travel conditions were difficult on the return trip. No animals were found for food. While the latitude could be measured directly, longitude was less certain. Huge suspense existed around their actual location versus known land. Nansen observes "We must comfort ourselves with the adage that night is darkest before dawn. Of course, it somewhat depends on how dark the night is to be, and considerably darker than it is now it might very well be." The sameness of days reminded him "... of some Eskimos who journeyed up a fjord to collect grass for hay; but when they arrived at their destination found it quite short, and so settled down and waited until it was long enough to cut."
Included in Volume 2 is the Report of Captain Otto Sverdrup on the Drifting of the Fram. The ship eventually drifted far enough south that it got to water where they could break free of the ice and return to Norway.
A well written book that gives a good feel for the logistics of Arctic travel.
May 23, 2022
If the rating was for the man, it would easily be five stars. Alas, the book is significantly less interesting, and thus my dismal rating. Nansen definitely was an exceptional human being with qualities many would aspire to emulate. As a writer, though, he was quite a lot of average. One could argue his subject matter and his reason for writing this book made it dry and academic, while his diary-journal-ish approach did nothing but make the facts and figures and observations repetitive to the point of severely uninteresting. Boring, more the word. His ability to make such an incredible journey operate rather flawlessly made something that could have been incredibly fascinating just read like a slightly longer than usual winter outing, akin to the summation of his traversal of Greenland, he called that merely a long ski trip. I guess I would say I track toward the morbid and dark and awful, and this was mostly none of that. Great for Nansen and science and future attempts at the Pole, but page after page of sameness - nothing to make you cringe or gasp or run away screaming - while a testament to his genius for preparation and his leadership qualities, the reading turned into a daily roll call of ordinary drabness which was soporific at times, mind-numbing the rest of the way. A giant of a man in many ways, and yet none of that comes through in this book. Give me Scott and his egotistical death or Franklin's slow demise, not this elegy to Scandinavian order, regularity, and gasp!, survival. Ha!
February 7, 2011
The book is poorly written and poorly edited, which means that it's such a great story that even those problems can't keep it from being a page turner. This story makes many exploration stories look like jaunts to the mall in comparison as Nansen decides that being stuck in the ice for 2 years isn't enough for him and pushes himself farther north.
It's an amazing story and one that shows the true determination, personal strength and mental toughness of the turn-of-the-century explorers. Nansen's name should be as common as many of the others and is still very well known in his home country. Part of the reason for his lack of worldwide notoriety is probably because he was good enough to not have the tragedies happen to his expeditions that so often are at the center of popular expedition stories (Shackleton, Into Thin Air, Curious George Gets A Medal, etc). Nansen is so good at what he does that nothing is really left up to chance.
The book is a collection of his diary entries with some insight and elaboration put in to fill the gaps and expand on the important aspects, but in general it reads rather sterile except where emotion was the only action going on.
they do shoot a lot of animals though. Like everything they see gets shot at, even if just for sport.
It's an amazing story and one that shows the true determination, personal strength and mental toughness of the turn-of-the-century explorers. Nansen's name should be as common as many of the others and is still very well known in his home country. Part of the reason for his lack of worldwide notoriety is probably because he was good enough to not have the tragedies happen to his expeditions that so often are at the center of popular expedition stories (Shackleton, Into Thin Air, Curious George Gets A Medal, etc). Nansen is so good at what he does that nothing is really left up to chance.
The book is a collection of his diary entries with some insight and elaboration put in to fill the gaps and expand on the important aspects, but in general it reads rather sterile except where emotion was the only action going on.
they do shoot a lot of animals though. Like everything they see gets shot at, even if just for sport.
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