Rescue Below Zero

by Ian Mackersey

The gripping true account of eighteen heroic men trapped in the heart of the freezing Arctic.

Ideal reading for fans of Ranulph Fiennes, Michael Palin’s Erebus and the Nathaniel Philbrick.

On September 16th, 1952, six members of the British North Greenland Expedition stood where no man had ever stood just seven hundred miles from the pole, they were eight thousand feet up in the middle of the Greenland ice-cap.

They were the only humans for hundreds of miles on this sea of ice and supplies had to be flown in, yet on this fateful day the six men watched as their supply plane plunged to the ground. The crew survived but they were now stranded in the heart of the arctic without adequate clothing and limited supplies as winter was beginning to descend.

How did these eighteen men survive on the ice? And how did the international community, particularly the United States Air Force, conduct one of the most remarkable rescue missions in history?

Rescue Below Zero is the astounding account of how the desire to survive can overcome the most difficult of situations.

“The author is to be congratulated on the care he has taken to be accurate and the way in which he has conveyed the privations and endurance of the members of the Hastings crew … This gallant episode has been faithfully and excitingly retold.” Yorkshire Post

“excellent” New York Herald Tribune

Genres: Aviation, Nonfiction

173 pages, Hardcover

Published January 11, 2023

Reviews

[Bob Crawford · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Long-Forgotten and Very Cold Adventure

I was never aware of this story from so long ago. But this bit of history is proof that despite our hubris about technology, Mother Nature still wins a lot of the battles. The glory in this story is that 12 victims brought down by the whims of nature at its most raw still managed to survive.
If you like adventure, polar wastes and beating the odds, this is an interesting read.

[Demetria Books · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF at 36%

I don't know why but I really struggled to get through that 36%. I had trouble understanding what the author was talking about waaaay too many times and because of this I really struggled to get into this book. I'm really disappointed because I had high hopes for this book since I found the topic so interesting.

I don't know, maybe it's just me.

[Maryellen Walter · Rating 3 out of 5]

True account of a supply plane that crashed in Greenland while attempting to drop supplies to the six members of the British North Greenland Expedition seven hundred miles from the North Pole. The book struggles until the plane crash and how all survived and how they were rescued. Easy to read and interesting history.

[shari lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

A harrowing tale of crisis survival

What a fascinating story of resourcefulness and incredible fortitude of the survivors. Also the amazingly creative ability of the RAF and USAF to produce a workable rescue plan.

[Mary Ellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating and inspirational story

I was unaware of this great part of history. The leadership displayed is awe inspiring as is the bravery of all the me. Involved. Congrats to all.

[Kenneth P. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great quick read.

While the beginning seemed slow the second half made up for it. Wonderful detail on the day to day challenges of living on the ice. I would recommend

[William O. Robertson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I usually enjoy these kinds of survival stories, but for some reason I could not get into the book's early chapters.. The pace of the book was slow at the beginning. Real slow. It was not until the last quarter of the book that it became interesting, but by this time I was wanting to complete the book to find something much more captivating regardless of how interesting the book was becoming toward the end.