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Rescue Below Zero
Between the mountains along the east and west coasts of Greenland lies the Earth's largest relic of the ice age - 16,000 miles long, 700 miles wide, 10,000 feet thick.
In September 1952, six members of the NOrth Greenland Expedition stood in the center of this flat-topped seas of ice, their expectant faces turned skyward. Supplies were being flown in. They watches the aircraft as it spun - and then crashed...a crash heard around the world and resulting in the most spectacular rescue of all time.
In September 1952, six members of the NOrth Greenland Expedition stood in the center of this flat-topped seas of ice, their expectant faces turned skyward. Supplies were being flown in. They watches the aircraft as it spun - and then crashed...a crash heard around the world and resulting in the most spectacular rescue of all time.
191 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1954
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
January 11, 2023
The plan was for the men from the RAF to build a place in Antarctica on side of The newly named Brittany Lake where no man had ever gone before. When researching the area of Lake found the perfect spot and soon went from the planning stages to executing the plan. The goal was threefold first to mount the British flag in Antarctica, second to to research the weather and the climate in Antarctica and thirdly to train British military men how to survive in subzero weather. They had two planes full of men that would take turns dropping supplies and men off at the new base unfortunately there was a problem when the first planes wing clipped the snow. They were all trained on how to fly reading their instruments before the mission but it was almost impossible to gauge the distance between the ground and the plane and one mistake took the first plane out. 18 men were stuck in sub 0° weather and although they lost the plane the men were going to be OK… If only they could get rescued. Before arriving at their final Antarctica destination they stopped at the American Air Force Base called tool Air Force Base the only civilization on the continent at that time. The Americans were happy to host there British Guest but thanks to a miscalculations the Americans would go from their host to the rescuers. This is a great book and one I thoroughly enjoyed. I love hearing about men conquering new lands and despite the danger and the uncomfortable conditions how they persevere to eventually accomplish their goal. This is a great book about perseverance and I especially love how the two nations came together in a time of need. I love this book and books just like it and this was absolutely one of the better rescue books I have read. I highly recommend this book to those who love adventurous rescue stories and love to read about those who go places most of us would never even contemplate going to. I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.
May 9, 2013
I found this book at a flea market. Intrigued by airplane crashes in Greenland, I paid $1 for it and quickly read it. While the story wasn't as harrowing as I was expecting (not that what the men in the crashed plane experienced wasn't harrowing), I did learn an incredible amount about aviation during the 1950's.
The North Greenland Expedition was a part of Britain's attempt to send Brits to all corners of the globe before anyone else (i.e. Scott's expedition to the South Pole, Mallory and Hillary's attempt and success on Everest, etc.) Much less well known, the North Greenland Expedition was a less groundbreaking British 'assault' on yet another frozen place.
Rescue Below Zero, however, isn't really about the North Greenland Expedition, or its outcome (The book was actually published before the North Greenland Expedition was concluded). Instead, Rescue Below Zero is more about the logistics of getting the expedition to the ice cap, and then supplying the expedition. The reader learns about amphibious planes, and the SHORT (three week) northern Greenland summer. In fact, the first half of the book isn't even about the 'rescue'.
Perhaps because most of the book is logistical, the story isn't at all like Junger's Perfect Storm. While life and death were most certainly in the balance at multiple points in the book, Mackersey often relates these moments with an actuary's sense of detail. The writing is dry and technical. This is most likely why I came away from the book feeling like I learned more about planes, than a feeling a great sense of relief that the crashed crew were safely rescued.
I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys stories of adventure, rescue, or aviation.
The North Greenland Expedition was a part of Britain's attempt to send Brits to all corners of the globe before anyone else (i.e. Scott's expedition to the South Pole, Mallory and Hillary's attempt and success on Everest, etc.) Much less well known, the North Greenland Expedition was a less groundbreaking British 'assault' on yet another frozen place.
Rescue Below Zero, however, isn't really about the North Greenland Expedition, or its outcome (The book was actually published before the North Greenland Expedition was concluded). Instead, Rescue Below Zero is more about the logistics of getting the expedition to the ice cap, and then supplying the expedition. The reader learns about amphibious planes, and the SHORT (three week) northern Greenland summer. In fact, the first half of the book isn't even about the 'rescue'.
Perhaps because most of the book is logistical, the story isn't at all like Junger's Perfect Storm. While life and death were most certainly in the balance at multiple points in the book, Mackersey often relates these moments with an actuary's sense of detail. The writing is dry and technical. This is most likely why I came away from the book feeling like I learned more about planes, than a feeling a great sense of relief that the crashed crew were safely rescued.
I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys stories of adventure, rescue, or aviation.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews