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Weird and Tragic Shores: The Story of Charles Francis Hall, Explorer
In 1860, fifteen years after Sir John Franklin's ill-fated expedition disappeared in the Arctic, a Cincinnati businessman named Charles Francis Hall set out to locate and rescue the expedition's survivors. He was an amateur explorer, without any scientific training or experience, but he was driven by a sense of personal destiny and of religious and patriotic mission. Despite the odds against him, he made three forays into the far North, the final--and fatal--one taking him farther north than any westerner had ever gone before. But Hall was suddenly taken ill on that voyage and died under mysterious circumstances.
Ninety-seven years later, Chauncey Loomis headed an expedition to Hall's grave in northwestern Greenland. He exhumed Hall's frozen body and performed an autopsy. His findings suggest that the investigators of Hall's death nervously sidestepped the damning evidence. Loomis has written a masterful biography-cum-mystery that brilliantly evokes the lure of the Arctic and the brutal contest between man and nature.
With a new Introduction by Andrea Barrett, author of The Voyage of the Narwhal
Ninety-seven years later, Chauncey Loomis headed an expedition to Hall's grave in northwestern Greenland. He exhumed Hall's frozen body and performed an autopsy. His findings suggest that the investigators of Hall's death nervously sidestepped the damning evidence. Loomis has written a masterful biography-cum-mystery that brilliantly evokes the lure of the Arctic and the brutal contest between man and nature.
With a new Introduction by Andrea Barrett, author of The Voyage of the Narwhal
384 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1971
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
January 12, 2018
Oooh, oooh, oooh, I sure do love my Arctic exploration books. My word, so many tragedies in an effort to find the Northwest Passage. Every time I think I know all the stories, along comes another mind boggling expedition. And the Charles Francis Hall story was quite a tale.
A drifter and a dreamer, Hall became interested in learning more about the fate of the famous Franklin Expedition, so in 1860 he set out for the Arctic to discover the truth. Of course, Franklin and his crew were long since dead, but Hall didn't know that. That first voyage was somewhat successful and Hall followed up with two more. It was on the third and final trip that all hell broke out. The expedition members became suspicious of each other and took different sides, thus dooming Hall, who simply couldn't lead them. To top it all, some of the exploring party ended up drifting on an ice floe for six months until they were miraculously rescued. That darn Arctic.
The author, Chauncey Loomis, was a professor at Darmouth and in 1968 he set out for northern Greenland to see if he could prove his theory that Hall had been murdered by the crew's doctor. So in this book, you get a biography along with an exciting tale of adventure plus a murder mystery. Not fiction at all, just the incredible mid-19th century adventure of Arctic explorers.
Book Season = Winter (don't drink the coffee)
A drifter and a dreamer, Hall became interested in learning more about the fate of the famous Franklin Expedition, so in 1860 he set out for the Arctic to discover the truth. Of course, Franklin and his crew were long since dead, but Hall didn't know that. That first voyage was somewhat successful and Hall followed up with two more. It was on the third and final trip that all hell broke out. The expedition members became suspicious of each other and took different sides, thus dooming Hall, who simply couldn't lead them. To top it all, some of the exploring party ended up drifting on an ice floe for six months until they were miraculously rescued. That darn Arctic.
The author, Chauncey Loomis, was a professor at Darmouth and in 1968 he set out for northern Greenland to see if he could prove his theory that Hall had been murdered by the crew's doctor. So in this book, you get a biography along with an exciting tale of adventure plus a murder mystery. Not fiction at all, just the incredible mid-19th century adventure of Arctic explorers.
Book Season = Winter (don't drink the coffee)
June 24, 2021
I knew the author of this book as my favorite professor in the English Department at Dartmouth College. What I did not know at the time was what an adventurer Chauncey Loomis. What I learned from him in the classroom was the 18th century English novel. In real life, Chauncey traveled to the Arctic, to Peru, and to other fascinating places.
Weird and Tragic Shores: The Story of Charles Francis Hall, Explorer takes us to the Canadian Arctic to follow an explorer who made three trips there to search for news about the Sir John Franklin expedition (all died) and to discover the North Pole. Charles Francis Hall was unfortunately not a people person, which made it difficult for him to command an expedition of his peers, which he did on his third abortive attempt. (Curiously, he was far better at dealing with the Inuits he met on his travels.)
In November 1872, Hall died of arsenic poisoning while his ship was trapped in the ice on a bay off Western Greenland. Loomis dug up his body and sent samples of his hair and fingernails for chemical analysis, whereupon the arsenic poisoning was discovered. Was Hall murdered? No one knows for sure, as many medical preparations in the 19th century contained the poison, though there was reason to suspect several officers and crew members with whom Hall did not get along.
Weird and Tragic Shores: The Story of Charles Francis Hall, Explorer takes us to the Canadian Arctic to follow an explorer who made three trips there to search for news about the Sir John Franklin expedition (all died) and to discover the North Pole. Charles Francis Hall was unfortunately not a people person, which made it difficult for him to command an expedition of his peers, which he did on his third abortive attempt. (Curiously, he was far better at dealing with the Inuits he met on his travels.)
In November 1872, Hall died of arsenic poisoning while his ship was trapped in the ice on a bay off Western Greenland. Loomis dug up his body and sent samples of his hair and fingernails for chemical analysis, whereupon the arsenic poisoning was discovered. Was Hall murdered? No one knows for sure, as many medical preparations in the 19th century contained the poison, though there was reason to suspect several officers and crew members with whom Hall did not get along.
May 9, 2015
Fascinating book about a somewhat obscure American eccentric who led three polar expeditions, including an ill-fated attempt on the North Pole in 1871. Despite his faults, its impossible not to like and respect Hall, as he clearly had more guts and passion than anyone else around him. His story is an example of what can be achieved by sheer will-power and determination, but also of how an obsession can end up destroying a person. Loomis brings Hall's tale to vivid life and puts you right there on the ice with him. Recommended not just for those interested in the history of Arctic exploration but for anyone who has been held spellbound by survival stories and books such as 'In The Heart Of The Sea'.
February 24, 2020
Another good arctic explorer read. It's amazing to me how people with absolutely no experience or training decided to trek off to the arctic back in the day. Hall made his first trip before the Civil War in search of the lost Franklin expedition. He managed to survive and made two more trips over the coming years. The mystery surrounding his death (was he murdered?) is one of those puzzles that will probably never be solved. Good writing and an easy ready.
May 24, 2010
I haven't been reading as many arctic books lately (and I read a lot of them before I started keeping a list) but this was a nice one in a few ways - for example, no graphic starvation.
It's interesting because this book's author got the body exhumed and did the autopsy that showed the elevated levels of arsenic in Hall's body (proving that he probably died of poison, instead of a stroke, as Emil Bessels had opined). Loomis is more open-minded about the *source* of the poison - other books I've read have put the blame squarely on Bessels.
Anyway it was pleasant and readable. People completely unfamiliar with the history of Arctic exploration would probably be better served to start elsewhere (I recommend The Arctic Grail: The Quest for the Northwest Passage and the North Pole, 1818-1909, by Pierre Berton, as an excellent place to start), but it's a worthy read if you're interested in the topic.
It's interesting because this book's author got the body exhumed and did the autopsy that showed the elevated levels of arsenic in Hall's body (proving that he probably died of poison, instead of a stroke, as Emil Bessels had opined). Loomis is more open-minded about the *source* of the poison - other books I've read have put the blame squarely on Bessels.
Anyway it was pleasant and readable. People completely unfamiliar with the history of Arctic exploration would probably be better served to start elsewhere (I recommend The Arctic Grail: The Quest for the Northwest Passage and the North Pole, 1818-1909, by Pierre Berton, as an excellent place to start), but it's a worthy read if you're interested in the topic.
December 27, 2020
This is a very strange saga of an "arctic explorer" from the U.S. of whom I was not aware. He was an ordinary working man who grabbed hold of a hunch he had about a former expedition, and decided that he could solve the mystery surrounding its tragic ending. So he basically deserted his wife and new baby and went off to the far northern whaling grounds to live for long periods of time among the native settlements and plot additional expeditions.
The author talks about such men as either heroes or fools.....I would say he was a fool with aspirations of being a hero, who ended up dead under mysterious circumstances, but having made a small mark in the historical records of exploration.
The author talks about such men as either heroes or fools.....I would say he was a fool with aspirations of being a hero, who ended up dead under mysterious circumstances, but having made a small mark in the historical records of exploration.
May 23, 2021
Since Mr. Hall's exploits took place before, during and after the Civil War and since much of the book is drawn from his journals, the style is unsurprisingly dated!!! And to this modern day reader, that makes it slow going. Some of that slowness is evocative of the life of an explorer, especially during the years in which he lived with native tribes and lived as one of them (except when he didn't and insisted on imposing his religious views on theirs . . . ) and no one could have told that particular story better than the man who lived it. I really wanted to like this book more than I did.
April 25, 2023
Fantastic! I thoroughly enjoyed reading about Captain Hall's explorations into the arctic. I must admit I actually had no idea who the man was before reading this book, though I am quite glad I did. Hall was one of those men who was never content to be simply "normal", and that quality shows itself quite readily throughout his entire life. Luckily for us, that makes for an excellent read.
August 27, 2022
This was a really interesting read about an explorer that is often overlooked in the wake of the larger and better known expeditions. He showed a lot of lessons that the other expeditions should have learned from. Well written and quick moving.
September 8, 2023
Just finished this! Wow. Loved it. Finished it in a couple days because I just had to keep reading. I wish this author had written more. He must have been wonderful as a professor at Dartmouth. Anyways, read this book if you like Arctic tales or explorer tales. Highly recommend.
April 15, 2021
I love a good Arctic expedition story, and Chauncey Loomis does a great job. I wish he was a live so I could talk to him about it.
October 15, 2021
ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST
May 22, 2024
This would happen to me if I lived in the 19th century
March 15, 2011
"Verloren im ewigen Eis" ("Weird and Tragic Shores: The Story of Charles Francis Hall, Explorer") sind viele, dies ist die Geschichte von Charles Francis Hall. Auf Spurensuche über den Arktisforscher begab sich Chauncey Loomis.
Im Jahre 1848 begann die epische Suche nach der verschollenen Franklin-Expedition. Zwölf Jahre später, als als gesichert angenommen werden konnte, alles was möglich war, herausgefunden zu haben, glaubte ein Mann noch immer, dass es in der Arktis Überlebende dieser Expedition gäbe: Charles Francis Hall. Im Jahre 1860 machte sich die neue Franklin-Rettungsexpedition auf den Weg, sie bestand nur aus Hall selbst. Er konnte in seinem zweijährigen Aufenthalt bei den Inuit nachweisen, dass Ereignisse noch lange Zeit in der mündlichen Tradition dieser Menschen weiterleben. Deshalb war er auch guter Dinge, dass ihn ihre Erzählungen über Franklins Männer zu Dokumenten oder sogar Überlebenden führen könnten. Überlebende fand er nicht, doch die Arktis schlug ihn in ihren Bann. Und zwei Jahre später reiste er wieder in die Arktis, dieses Mal für fünf Jahre, in denen er wieder mit den Inuit zusammenlebte.
Über die ersten Lebensjahre Halls ist so gut wie nichts bekannt, er tauchte im Jahre 1849 in Cincinnati auf und widmete sich seinen Geschäften, bevor er in der Geschichte der Arktisforschung einen Platz einnahm. Hall war ein manischer Tagebuchschreiber, mit einem Hang zu Majuskeln, Ausrufezeichen und Unterstreichungen in Zeiten emotionaler Erregung, wie beim Anblick seines ersten Eisberges. Die ersten beiden Expeditionen dokumentiert der Autor auf der Grundlage dieser Tagebücher, wobei er manches Mal leicht ironisch dargestellt wird, was aber nicht heißt, dass Loomis den Arktisforscher nicht ernst nähme, es bewahrt jedoch davor, Hall zu glorifizieren und heroisieren.
Nun war Hall ein anerkannter Held und brach zu seiner dritten und letzten arktische Fahrt nicht mehr als Einzelgänger, sondern als Kapitän ehrenhalber mit einer gut ausgerüsteten Expedition ins ewige Eis auf. Diese Reise wandelte nicht mehr auf Franklins Spuren, Hall wollte zum Nordpol. Die Reise endete für Hall im Jahre 1871 in einem eisigen Grab im Norden Grönlands. Seine Tagebücher von dieser Fahrt sind verschollen und so stützt sich Loomis auf die Tagebuchaufzeichnungen der Expeditionsteilnehmer und das Protokoll des Untersuchungsausschusses und ist darum im Ton anders als der erste Teil des Buches gehalten.
Doch mit der aus den schriftlichen Dokumenten entstandenen Geschichte, war für Loomis die Spurensuche noch nicht abgeschlossen. Er beantragte, die Exhumierung und Autopsie von Halls Leichnam vornehmen zu dürfen. Zunächst ablehnend, denn "Halls Ruhestätte sei ein heiliger Ort, seine Abgeschiedenheit würde das Geheimnisvolle und Schöne, das mit so einem einsamen Grab verbunden sei, noch verstärken" (p.317), wurde die Erlaubnis schlussendlich erteilt und einhundert Jahre nach seinem Tod brachte Loomis eine weitere Wahrheit ans Licht. Die Schlüsse, die sich daraus ziehen lassen, lassen sich heute nicht mehr beweisen und geben nur weiteren Spielraum für die verschiedensten Spekulationen und Theorien. Und leider schließt auch Loomis mit einer Phrase: "Sicher wissen wir in diesem Fall nur, daß die Vergangenheit vorüber ist und sich uns für immer entzieht." (p.329) Und dabei stellt sich die Frage, ob und aus welchem zweifelhaften Erkenntnisdrang die Totenruhe gestört werden mußte.
Neben einer ausgezeichneten Biografie über einen außergewöhnlichen Mann, vermittelt Loomis' Buch ein Bild der viktorianischen Gesellschaft und ihrer Vorstellung von der Arktis, als einen Ort, auf den Wünsche und Sehnsüchte projiziert wurden, als Herausforderung an den menschlichen Entdeckergeist und Heldenmut. Das verwendete Material ist größtenteils Unveröffentlichtes der Hall Collection aus den Archiven des Smithsonian Institute. Das Buch enthält Fotos, u.a. die einzige Fotografie von Charles Francis Hall, die einen bärtigen leicht verschmitzt blickenden Mann zeigt und das Faksimile einer Tagebuchseite mit dem wichtigen Satz: "I must learn to live as Esquimaux!" Die vordere und hintere Innenseite bildet eine geografische Karte der Arktis ab. Auf dem Cover der deutschen Ausgabe ist ein Foto von Halls Leichnam nach der Exhumierung, von dem sich vielleicht sensible Leser abgeschreckt fühlen könnten.
Im Jahre 1848 begann die epische Suche nach der verschollenen Franklin-Expedition. Zwölf Jahre später, als als gesichert angenommen werden konnte, alles was möglich war, herausgefunden zu haben, glaubte ein Mann noch immer, dass es in der Arktis Überlebende dieser Expedition gäbe: Charles Francis Hall. Im Jahre 1860 machte sich die neue Franklin-Rettungsexpedition auf den Weg, sie bestand nur aus Hall selbst. Er konnte in seinem zweijährigen Aufenthalt bei den Inuit nachweisen, dass Ereignisse noch lange Zeit in der mündlichen Tradition dieser Menschen weiterleben. Deshalb war er auch guter Dinge, dass ihn ihre Erzählungen über Franklins Männer zu Dokumenten oder sogar Überlebenden führen könnten. Überlebende fand er nicht, doch die Arktis schlug ihn in ihren Bann. Und zwei Jahre später reiste er wieder in die Arktis, dieses Mal für fünf Jahre, in denen er wieder mit den Inuit zusammenlebte.
Über die ersten Lebensjahre Halls ist so gut wie nichts bekannt, er tauchte im Jahre 1849 in Cincinnati auf und widmete sich seinen Geschäften, bevor er in der Geschichte der Arktisforschung einen Platz einnahm. Hall war ein manischer Tagebuchschreiber, mit einem Hang zu Majuskeln, Ausrufezeichen und Unterstreichungen in Zeiten emotionaler Erregung, wie beim Anblick seines ersten Eisberges. Die ersten beiden Expeditionen dokumentiert der Autor auf der Grundlage dieser Tagebücher, wobei er manches Mal leicht ironisch dargestellt wird, was aber nicht heißt, dass Loomis den Arktisforscher nicht ernst nähme, es bewahrt jedoch davor, Hall zu glorifizieren und heroisieren.
Nun war Hall ein anerkannter Held und brach zu seiner dritten und letzten arktische Fahrt nicht mehr als Einzelgänger, sondern als Kapitän ehrenhalber mit einer gut ausgerüsteten Expedition ins ewige Eis auf. Diese Reise wandelte nicht mehr auf Franklins Spuren, Hall wollte zum Nordpol. Die Reise endete für Hall im Jahre 1871 in einem eisigen Grab im Norden Grönlands. Seine Tagebücher von dieser Fahrt sind verschollen und so stützt sich Loomis auf die Tagebuchaufzeichnungen der Expeditionsteilnehmer und das Protokoll des Untersuchungsausschusses und ist darum im Ton anders als der erste Teil des Buches gehalten.
Doch mit der aus den schriftlichen Dokumenten entstandenen Geschichte, war für Loomis die Spurensuche noch nicht abgeschlossen. Er beantragte, die Exhumierung und Autopsie von Halls Leichnam vornehmen zu dürfen. Zunächst ablehnend, denn "Halls Ruhestätte sei ein heiliger Ort, seine Abgeschiedenheit würde das Geheimnisvolle und Schöne, das mit so einem einsamen Grab verbunden sei, noch verstärken" (p.317), wurde die Erlaubnis schlussendlich erteilt und einhundert Jahre nach seinem Tod brachte Loomis eine weitere Wahrheit ans Licht. Die Schlüsse, die sich daraus ziehen lassen, lassen sich heute nicht mehr beweisen und geben nur weiteren Spielraum für die verschiedensten Spekulationen und Theorien. Und leider schließt auch Loomis mit einer Phrase: "Sicher wissen wir in diesem Fall nur, daß die Vergangenheit vorüber ist und sich uns für immer entzieht." (p.329) Und dabei stellt sich die Frage, ob und aus welchem zweifelhaften Erkenntnisdrang die Totenruhe gestört werden mußte.
Neben einer ausgezeichneten Biografie über einen außergewöhnlichen Mann, vermittelt Loomis' Buch ein Bild der viktorianischen Gesellschaft und ihrer Vorstellung von der Arktis, als einen Ort, auf den Wünsche und Sehnsüchte projiziert wurden, als Herausforderung an den menschlichen Entdeckergeist und Heldenmut. Das verwendete Material ist größtenteils Unveröffentlichtes der Hall Collection aus den Archiven des Smithsonian Institute. Das Buch enthält Fotos, u.a. die einzige Fotografie von Charles Francis Hall, die einen bärtigen leicht verschmitzt blickenden Mann zeigt und das Faksimile einer Tagebuchseite mit dem wichtigen Satz: "I must learn to live as Esquimaux!" Die vordere und hintere Innenseite bildet eine geografische Karte der Arktis ab. Auf dem Cover der deutschen Ausgabe ist ein Foto von Halls Leichnam nach der Exhumierung, von dem sich vielleicht sensible Leser abgeschreckt fühlen könnten.
May 31, 2023
This is the work of a very committed biographer, who brought a forensic doctor to the Arctic to exhume the title character 100-plus years after his death.
Hall reminded me a little bit of Fred Leuchter, known as Dr. Death from the movie by Errol Morris, in that Hall quested for the Arctic despite not having any of the expertise that explorers typically had. But he works not be denied.
The tale is meticulously researched, drawing not only from seemingly every possible secondary source, but his own spadework on the tundra. Came up with a pretty good mystery there, too, which I didn’t see coming.
Recommended by Elizabeth Kolbert, in an NYT books interview.
Hall reminded me a little bit of Fred Leuchter, known as Dr. Death from the movie by Errol Morris, in that Hall quested for the Arctic despite not having any of the expertise that explorers typically had. But he works not be denied.
The tale is meticulously researched, drawing not only from seemingly every possible secondary source, but his own spadework on the tundra. Came up with a pretty good mystery there, too, which I didn’t see coming.
Recommended by Elizabeth Kolbert, in an NYT books interview.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews