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Trapped In Ice!: An Amazing True Whaling Adventure
In this true story that reads as action-adventure, learn how 1,219 members of the world's largest whaling expedition managed to survive after becoming entrapped within an Arctic ice shelf.
In the late summer of 1871, thirty-nine whaling ships traveled to the frigid Arctic waters in search of the prized bowhead whale. Despite warnings from local Inuit tribes about impending inclement weather, thirty-two of the whaling ships--carrying 1,219 officers, crewmen, women, and children--decided to journey ahead. When a succession of icy storms ensued, the ships' captains realized that they were, literally, trapped in ice. What followed was a desperate race toward rescue--and against certain death. And, in an extraordinary testament to human courage and perseverance, all survived.
In the late summer of 1871, thirty-nine whaling ships traveled to the frigid Arctic waters in search of the prized bowhead whale. Despite warnings from local Inuit tribes about impending inclement weather, thirty-two of the whaling ships--carrying 1,219 officers, crewmen, women, and children--decided to journey ahead. When a succession of icy storms ensued, the ships' captains realized that they were, literally, trapped in ice. What followed was a desperate race toward rescue--and against certain death. And, in an extraordinary testament to human courage and perseverance, all survived.
192 pages, Hardcover
First published March 1, 2006
62 people want to read
About the author
Martin W. Sandler
88 books56 followersMartin W. Sandler has written more than seventy books for children and adults and has written and produced seven television series. He has twice been nominated for the Pulitzer Prize and has won multiple Emmy Awards. He lives in Massachusetts.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
June 4, 2019
As a person who likes books packed with action, this short nonfiction read offers a multitude of stories and pictures that describe what it was like being a whaler in the 1800s. This heartwrenching true story will have you hooked until the very last page. Not knowing how dangerous whaling was, this informative read is great if you want to learn what life was like in the 1800s for a whaler. The official documents included in the reading help immerse the reader in the harsh world of whaling in the freezing waters of the Antarctic.
February 15, 2018
a quick read on a very interesting event.
October 30, 2022
Readers in search of amazing survivor stories need look no further than TRAPPED IN ICE, a nonfiction book telling the story of how thirty-two whaling vessels were trapped in the Arctic with only one hope to survive. Their story begins in the Spring of 1871, thirty-nine whaling vessels set sail from Hawaii full of arrogant adventurers seeking a plentiful and prosperous whaling adventure. The book provides readers with the background of the whaling industry, whaling vessels, and an in-depth glimpse of average whalers. (Primary sources such as journals, diaries, letters, etc.) When they arrive in the Arctic circle to hunt whales, they soon see something strange. Eskimos are seeking out each vessel to pass on a warning: winter is coming early. It is unsafe to stay. Most vessels (or should I say most captains) decide that they know better. After all return home with less than a full cargo? They’d be laughed out of the ports. And who would ever hire them for other expeditions? But seven vessels heed the warning and turn back. Thirty-two remain to spend weeks in the frozen waters hunting whales. They are plentiful. Always busy killing and processing whales. But soon trouble begins. One vessel after another becomes trapped, lodged in ice. Some vessels can’t withstand the pressure of the ice and begin to break apart and sink. Others seem stronger and more stable. The thirty-two vessels were carrying 1,219 officers, crewmen, captain’s wives, and children. Now there only hope for survival was to try to send a handful of men in several of the smaller whaleboats to see if the seven whaling vessels were still close enough to rescue them. A small team was elected to go and see if rescue was even possible. The others would have to stay and wait.
The amazing thing? They found the seven vessels, obtained permission for all 1,219 to be distributed among the seven remaining ships, and returned to spread the good news. The journey is not easy. The whaleboats are overcrowded and offer little protection from the harsh climate. Yet through it all, they persevere. Losing wealth and prestige but learning a valuable lessons...human life is more important than making a profit.
Martin W. Sandler is the author of many books, including The Story of American Photography, which was a Boston Globe-Horn Book Award Honor Book. He has been nominated twice for the Pulitzer Prize, and is one of America's most respected television producers, with five Emmy Awards to his credit. He is the author of five other Library of Congress Books: Pioneers, Cowboys, Immigrants, Presidents, and Civil War. Mr. Sandler and his wife, Carol, live in Massachusetts.
June 11, 2024
I picked this up at a used book store in Westerly, RI, as an interesting addition to my sad boat collection. Considering how short it is, I decided to pick it up and read it today.
Having read many accounts of whaling, in particular In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex, and having been many times to New Bedford’s Whaling Museum, I am rather familiar with this dangerous and stressful job. This book does give a good overview of the sailors who chased these huge whales in order to bring home the oil. It is no small thing that New Bedford really did “light the world” with the whale oil procured by her ships.
I enjoyed that the author included a lot of first person accounts of being on a whaleship, and the vignettes interspersed with the text added a great deal. However, I would have preferred that they had interrupted the text a little less; I’d turn the page mid-sentence and find myself looking at a two-page spread on a related topic.
I was also surprised that the author continued to use the word “Eskimo” (now acknowledged as a slur; it is not the name the indigenous peoples of the Arctic call themselves) even after calling them the Inuit. Granted, this book is nearly twenty years old, but I assumed we had all made the switch to Inuit long ago.
This was obviously written for a young audience, but as an adult woman it still feels as though it’s written to glorify these adventurers, to make them seem heroic when they’re out in the ocean slaughtering defenseless animals.
I did enjoy that the text was all done in shades of blue. Very aesthetically pleasing.
Having read many accounts of whaling, in particular In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex, and having been many times to New Bedford’s Whaling Museum, I am rather familiar with this dangerous and stressful job. This book does give a good overview of the sailors who chased these huge whales in order to bring home the oil. It is no small thing that New Bedford really did “light the world” with the whale oil procured by her ships.
I enjoyed that the author included a lot of first person accounts of being on a whaleship, and the vignettes interspersed with the text added a great deal. However, I would have preferred that they had interrupted the text a little less; I’d turn the page mid-sentence and find myself looking at a two-page spread on a related topic.
I was also surprised that the author continued to use the word “Eskimo” (now acknowledged as a slur; it is not the name the indigenous peoples of the Arctic call themselves) even after calling them the Inuit. Granted, this book is nearly twenty years old, but I assumed we had all made the switch to Inuit long ago.
This was obviously written for a young audience, but as an adult woman it still feels as though it’s written to glorify these adventurers, to make them seem heroic when they’re out in the ocean slaughtering defenseless animals.
I did enjoy that the text was all done in shades of blue. Very aesthetically pleasing.
November 29, 2013
In the book "Trapped In Ice", you learn how members of the worlds largest whaling expedition were trapped in the cold Arctic ice. It was summer time in 1871, when 39 whaling ships traveled to the arctic in hope of catching a bow-head whale. Although they received warnings about challenging weather as well as other difficulties, the thousands of people on the ships decided to go ahead with this journey. This journey turned of to be worse then they thought. They were more than challenged by icy storms and fog, which led them to be literally trapped in ice. They were very unprepared with clothing, provisions, and fuel. The winter wasn't leaving them while they were praying for a rescue.
This book was very meaningful. I think the theme shows how with human courage, survival isn't that distant. The author " Martin W. Sandler" writes his book in a very unique way. He uses multiple sizes of founts as well as diary entries that really shows the reader the story. He also stops for pictures and maps in the story, as well as non fictional vignettes to describe life on a whale ship for example.
I would recommend this book to other readers who are interested in ship wrecks, the arctic, or whale hunting. Their are many other books of the same whaling background. If you enjoy Gone A-Whaling, or Whale Hunt, you would most probably enjoy this book as well.
This book was very meaningful. I think the theme shows how with human courage, survival isn't that distant. The author " Martin W. Sandler" writes his book in a very unique way. He uses multiple sizes of founts as well as diary entries that really shows the reader the story. He also stops for pictures and maps in the story, as well as non fictional vignettes to describe life on a whale ship for example.
I would recommend this book to other readers who are interested in ship wrecks, the arctic, or whale hunting. Their are many other books of the same whaling background. If you enjoy Gone A-Whaling, or Whale Hunt, you would most probably enjoy this book as well.
June 28, 2008
Tells the true story of a fleet of whalers caught in the ice. They must make a journey of incredible length in their life boats through ice pack to make it to another group of ships which can rescue them. An incredible story.
My favorite part was when they went back later to see what could be salvaged from their ships. They found one man who secretly stayed behind so that he could claim the ships as his, by salvage laws. Except after living through an arctic winter all alone he didn't care about the money anymore and would do anything just to be rescued.
This is a juvenile book, so it was quick to read and not as in depth as some histories.
My favorite part was when they went back later to see what could be salvaged from their ships. They found one man who secretly stayed behind so that he could claim the ships as his, by salvage laws. Except after living through an arctic winter all alone he didn't care about the money anymore and would do anything just to be rescued.
This is a juvenile book, so it was quick to read and not as in depth as some histories.
January 25, 2010
I love any and all stories that have something to do with the artic so I naturally picked this book up. The book is perfect! I loved the cover and dust jacket, the color and feel of the paper and most of all I loved the story. I am not a fan of whaling but I understand the drive for adventure and the need of income back then so I am not holding anything against these hearty souls. The book was well written with just the right amount of facts to supplement the story and the illustrations worked well. The book was written so that a young adult could read and enjoy but this “not so young” adult found the book entertaining just as well. Nice work!
January 15, 2014
Trapped in Ice is an exciting story about a group of whaleships who travel up north to, well, hunt whales. The story shows the ships travelling up north to hunt whales when disaster strikes. It shows them trying to survive i the harsh Arctic wilderness.
I think that this is a very good book because the author tells the story in many different perspectives, such as first person when he quotes people from the boats, and third person when he watches over all the boats. I also think this is a good book because it is very descriptive and interesting to read.
Overall i think this is a very good book for anyone who wants to read a thrilling historical fiction book about whales.
I think that this is a very good book because the author tells the story in many different perspectives, such as first person when he quotes people from the boats, and third person when he watches over all the boats. I also think this is a good book because it is very descriptive and interesting to read.
Overall i think this is a very good book for anyone who wants to read a thrilling historical fiction book about whales.
December 30, 2020
I really enjoyed this book. This is a survival on ice story that I didn't know about. After reading this I want to learn more about this adventure and wonder why it is not so well known. The author is a TV producer so I also wonder why this wasn't made into a movie.
This is a YA book and it can be read in a day. It got me to thinking about YA books and the role they can play in an adult readers life. If you want to read something quickly they are a good option. They can be a good launching point for learning about a new subject. I am a new fan of the YA book.
This is a YA book and it can be read in a day. It got me to thinking about YA books and the role they can play in an adult readers life. If you want to read something quickly they are a good option. They can be a good launching point for learning about a new subject. I am a new fan of the YA book.
February 3, 2009
I read the galley of this book (yes . . . I know it's somewhat old and I could have read the real version) and I hope that they changed the format so that the narrative wasn't constantly being interrupted by the two-page fact-filled pages. That was kind of annoying. The book was also a bit too short for my tastes, but I can see how school-age boys might be interested in it.
July 30, 2008
An amazing telling of the true account of the doomed whaling expedition from Massachusetts in 1871. A perfect recommendation for a non-fiction book read, as the true story is told in story-telling format. Accompanied by artwork, original documents, the text is original and fun to read.
November 6, 2012
I can't wait to take a trip to the whaling museum in New Bedford now. This survival story is absoulutely incredible. Every aspect of the whaling process is incredible. This book pays homage to the strength, determination and courage that these seafaring families displayed over and over.
July 11, 2012
In 1871 a fleet of 39 ships went whaling in the Artic Ocean for the much valued bowhead whale, despite the Eskimo warning of an early winter OK
June 19, 2014
Whaling is a dangerous job and Sandler makes sure you know it. Great read.
November 17, 2015
Read for book group
February 3, 2019
An excellent retelling of an amazing survival story of an 1871 Whaling fleet that got caught in an extremely early winter in the antarctic. Great story for elementary students.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews