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Icebound: The Jeannette Expedition's Quest for the North Pole by Leonard F. Guttridge
Trapped in the ice for two winters, the Jeannette eventually buckled under the crushing power of the pack and sank. Her crew escaped but was forced to haul eight tons of supplies and three boats over hundreds of miles of ice before reaching open water. A frigid, blizzard-churned sea claimed the men in one vessel. Those who reached land wandered across the vast wastelands of the Siberian tundra, some to safety, others to their deaths.
Hardcover
First published January 1, 1986
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
May 21, 2021
Never bored by this topic, and having read a fair number of books on arctic exploration, I must say this one was a bit more slow going for me than most texts on this subject. It is well written, surely, and describes vividly the series of unfortunate events that befell the crew of the USS Jeanette.
I really cannot imagine the heartbreak of watching your vessel buck, crack and crumple under the icy hummocks, be wholly consumed by sea below, covered over with ice pack and disappeared. Even more devastating: knowing that you must keep the crew going over hundreds of miles pulling and pushing sleds and whale boats, camping on ice in the eternal winter, running out of food, drink, and protective gear. That some would be lost and buried either at sea or in an icy crypt must have been an ever-present ache to the captain and crew. The brutal conditions of 19th century polar exploration will captivate you and make you grateful for comforts of today.
A sad ending to an otherwise illuminous career for Captain De Long. An interest point is how his widow fought desperately until her death at age 91 to keep his reputation untarnished. That proved no small task in that age of editorial bashing and naval inquiries before Congress. It was a time when the country's interest in building a naval power was not so strong. But oddly enough, the story of the USS Jeanette is what finally propelled the new Secretary of the Navy to lobby Congress. Ultimately, the funds were appropriated to start building the maritime ancestors of the fleet the USN has today.
Most intriguing for me, and mostly because of my proximity to Philadelphia, is the life of Chief Engineer George Melville. I am planning to find his memorial statue near the Philadelphia Navy Yard and gravesite within the city proper, if possible.
I really cannot imagine the heartbreak of watching your vessel buck, crack and crumple under the icy hummocks, be wholly consumed by sea below, covered over with ice pack and disappeared. Even more devastating: knowing that you must keep the crew going over hundreds of miles pulling and pushing sleds and whale boats, camping on ice in the eternal winter, running out of food, drink, and protective gear. That some would be lost and buried either at sea or in an icy crypt must have been an ever-present ache to the captain and crew. The brutal conditions of 19th century polar exploration will captivate you and make you grateful for comforts of today.
A sad ending to an otherwise illuminous career for Captain De Long. An interest point is how his widow fought desperately until her death at age 91 to keep his reputation untarnished. That proved no small task in that age of editorial bashing and naval inquiries before Congress. It was a time when the country's interest in building a naval power was not so strong. But oddly enough, the story of the USS Jeanette is what finally propelled the new Secretary of the Navy to lobby Congress. Ultimately, the funds were appropriated to start building the maritime ancestors of the fleet the USN has today.
Most intriguing for me, and mostly because of my proximity to Philadelphia, is the life of Chief Engineer George Melville. I am planning to find his memorial statue near the Philadelphia Navy Yard and gravesite within the city proper, if possible.
September 29, 2017
Incredible story and thoroughly researched and expertly told. I felt Guttridge's writing was a bit obtuse to begin with but glad I pushed through the first few chapters of history to get at the heart of the people on and associated with the Jeannette. What a complete disaster. Egos and self serving politics truly clouded what was genuinely an incredible, brave and at times heroic mission on the ice.
April 28, 2011
A good fact-filled read. Another artic expedition that ended in disaster. The politics in this one are interesting.
May 4, 2025
Excellent use of primary sources, the tense atmosphere on the voyage made palpable through Guttridge's storytelling. If you are coming to polar exploration narratives for the onboard drama and post-expedition fallout, this is the book for you.
Outside of the expedition itself, Guttridge illustrates the backdrop of an America still bruised and chafing from the Civil War and well into the era of Gilded Age oligopoly. He pays special attention to the voyage's distant and disinterested financier, James Gordon Bennett Jr., the playboy son of the founder of the New York Herald. However, Bennett's reputation as an irresponsible philanderer perhaps obscures his financial interests in imperial endeavors, including not only the race for the poles, but the scramble for Africa. As the narrative progresses, Guttridge makes it readily apparent that Bennett's influence superseded the law. A more cynical reader might view his stipulations for an exclusive scoop on the Jeannette's story as an insurance policy - one must imagine Bennett making back his investment strewn across the bottom of the Arctic Ocean.
It seems the crew of the Jeannette were not the only ghosts haunting Guttridge. He seems to have written the final portion of the book, dealing with the scandal and political fallout of the expedition, in the shadow of the Challenger disaster. In the book's final line, he compares the sacrifices of 19th century polar exploration to those of space travel. In this light, his focus on the naval inquiries, family members seeking justice, the efforts to recover De Long and his men from their Siberian grave - it all reads incredibly raw. Guttridge states, if a little uneasily, that the only solace one can gain from this loss is that the crew of the Jeanette made a great sacrifice for science, calling to mind the ghoulish testimony of Marshall Space Flight Center director, William R. Lucas.
At one point, Guttridge quotes coverage of the Jeannette scandal which lays blame on the expedition's private backer, stating "the position of the commander is a very unpleasant one. He feels himself bound to give his owner a run for his money," an interesting take from a British perspective (the reader may speculate about the Brits' wounded pride regarding their own nationally funded polar pursuits). Arguably, commanders of publicly funded expeditions were under similar pressure to ensure return on investment, still liable to endanger their men to meet the bottom line. Corners are cut. The ship is not suitably outfitted for the ice. The launch must run on schedule. It's hard to digest the "noble sacrifice" narrative under these circumstances.
Outside of the expedition itself, Guttridge illustrates the backdrop of an America still bruised and chafing from the Civil War and well into the era of Gilded Age oligopoly. He pays special attention to the voyage's distant and disinterested financier, James Gordon Bennett Jr., the playboy son of the founder of the New York Herald. However, Bennett's reputation as an irresponsible philanderer perhaps obscures his financial interests in imperial endeavors, including not only the race for the poles, but the scramble for Africa. As the narrative progresses, Guttridge makes it readily apparent that Bennett's influence superseded the law. A more cynical reader might view his stipulations for an exclusive scoop on the Jeannette's story as an insurance policy - one must imagine Bennett making back his investment strewn across the bottom of the Arctic Ocean.
It seems the crew of the Jeannette were not the only ghosts haunting Guttridge. He seems to have written the final portion of the book, dealing with the scandal and political fallout of the expedition, in the shadow of the Challenger disaster. In the book's final line, he compares the sacrifices of 19th century polar exploration to those of space travel. In this light, his focus on the naval inquiries, family members seeking justice, the efforts to recover De Long and his men from their Siberian grave - it all reads incredibly raw. Guttridge states, if a little uneasily, that the only solace one can gain from this loss is that the crew of the Jeanette made a great sacrifice for science, calling to mind the ghoulish testimony of Marshall Space Flight Center director, William R. Lucas.
At one point, Guttridge quotes coverage of the Jeannette scandal which lays blame on the expedition's private backer, stating "the position of the commander is a very unpleasant one. He feels himself bound to give his owner a run for his money," an interesting take from a British perspective (the reader may speculate about the Brits' wounded pride regarding their own nationally funded polar pursuits). Arguably, commanders of publicly funded expeditions were under similar pressure to ensure return on investment, still liable to endanger their men to meet the bottom line. Corners are cut. The ship is not suitably outfitted for the ice. The launch must run on schedule. It's hard to digest the "noble sacrifice" narrative under these circumstances.
February 8, 2020
Doomy
Icebound: The Jeannette Expedition’s Quest for the North Pole, by Leonard F. Guttridge, is the perfect read for anyone in the mood for a double helping of hubris and death, and for those seek lasting glory through pointless feats of bravery.
The Jeannette, an underbuilt and overprovisioned ship, set out in 1879 to test the prevailing theory that a warm current that kept the Arctic open — or at least accessible — year round (spoiler alert: nope). The Jeanette was captained by George W. DeLong, a man a little too anxious to prove himself, and funded by JG Bennett, a newspaper man hoping to capitalize on the public fascination with doomed explorers. The crew includes some decent hands and a few wholly unready for the challenges of Arctic travel. They immediately became stuck in the ice, suffered abysmally for two years, and then — when the ship broke up and sank — made a run the Siberian coast. Only half the crew made it. DeLong and his contingent made landfall, wandered about a bit and starved/froze.
No one comes off particularly well in this telling, but long-suffering officer Danenhower stands out. Despite lying about his mental health (and his actual health), to join the journey, once onboard and stuck in the ice, and eye condition required that he receive more than a dozen eye surgeries, all without the benefit of anesthesia, in the bottom of the icebound ship by torchlight. He lived but lost an eye — and once back from the expedition, went on to be a successful lecturer.
But alas poor loyal Snoozer. You gave your best as sled dog and mascot of hope, and for your troubles, you were eaten by the men you served loyally. And eaten in vain, because everyone with you died.
The author has some clear ice-axes to grind, digging deep into the records and providing some commentary that makes it clear he thinks the expedition was unnecessary, poorly planned, beset by political nonsense and ultimately — despite some grit and personal heroics — a waste of time and lives. But he closes on a high note, showing how we rationalize such endeavors by pointing to a quote from Captain DeLong’s widow.
“… the world is richer by the gift of suffering.”
I’m not so sure.
A great read for those of us who love our doomy travel stories.
Icebound: The Jeannette Expedition’s Quest for the North Pole, by Leonard F. Guttridge, is the perfect read for anyone in the mood for a double helping of hubris and death, and for those seek lasting glory through pointless feats of bravery.
The Jeannette, an underbuilt and overprovisioned ship, set out in 1879 to test the prevailing theory that a warm current that kept the Arctic open — or at least accessible — year round (spoiler alert: nope). The Jeanette was captained by George W. DeLong, a man a little too anxious to prove himself, and funded by JG Bennett, a newspaper man hoping to capitalize on the public fascination with doomed explorers. The crew includes some decent hands and a few wholly unready for the challenges of Arctic travel. They immediately became stuck in the ice, suffered abysmally for two years, and then — when the ship broke up and sank — made a run the Siberian coast. Only half the crew made it. DeLong and his contingent made landfall, wandered about a bit and starved/froze.
No one comes off particularly well in this telling, but long-suffering officer Danenhower stands out. Despite lying about his mental health (and his actual health), to join the journey, once onboard and stuck in the ice, and eye condition required that he receive more than a dozen eye surgeries, all without the benefit of anesthesia, in the bottom of the icebound ship by torchlight. He lived but lost an eye — and once back from the expedition, went on to be a successful lecturer.
But alas poor loyal Snoozer. You gave your best as sled dog and mascot of hope, and for your troubles, you were eaten by the men you served loyally. And eaten in vain, because everyone with you died.
The author has some clear ice-axes to grind, digging deep into the records and providing some commentary that makes it clear he thinks the expedition was unnecessary, poorly planned, beset by political nonsense and ultimately — despite some grit and personal heroics — a waste of time and lives. But he closes on a high note, showing how we rationalize such endeavors by pointing to a quote from Captain DeLong’s widow.
“… the world is richer by the gift of suffering.”
I’m not so sure.
A great read for those of us who love our doomy travel stories.
July 30, 2022
The book is not an easy, thrilling read, unlike the story of Shackleton. But it is a very comprehensive and well-researched story of the Jeannette.
I recommend this for people who are NUTS about the history of Arctic exploration. I doubt others would stick with the book.
I recommend this for people who are NUTS about the history of Arctic exploration. I doubt others would stick with the book.
April 20, 2018
Interesting, but I would have enjoyed more details about the expedition and less about the trial afterwards
May 26, 2009
Another arctic book. This one describes an American attempt to get to the North Pole via ship up the coast of Alaska that ends up frozen in the icepack north of Siberia. This is the second Leonard Guttridge book I've read (the other being _The Ghosts of Cape Sabine_), and this one has a similar dry tracing of the expedition's outfitting, political maneuvering in Washington, expedition's progress, and the ensuing Naval Inquiry. (I don't think I'm giving away too much to tell you that some people didn't make it.)
Guttridge's impartial retelling is (again) sort of frustrating to me - I would have preferred some interpretation of the conflicting reports, or theories about where the group that disappeared ended up, or anything. Despite this, it's a fascinating, well-researched story of an expedition trying to fill in blank spaces on the map that was hampered by bad luck and modern-at-the-time theories that turned out to be wrong.
Guttridge's impartial retelling is (again) sort of frustrating to me - I would have preferred some interpretation of the conflicting reports, or theories about where the group that disappeared ended up, or anything. Despite this, it's a fascinating, well-researched story of an expedition trying to fill in blank spaces on the map that was hampered by bad luck and modern-at-the-time theories that turned out to be wrong.
March 7, 2008
Only 3 stars as this book paints a very poor image of my GG Granduncle, Jerome J. Collins, who was a true scientist and brilliant man of his day. However, Guttridge, of whom I have had the priviledge of exchanging letters with, does give a very precise and accurate description of the Jeannette's voyage and tragedy.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews