Didn't capture my attention and engagement. Interested in trying it again though and hopefully it will take.

A good rule of thumb in life is to pick your boss carefully; they will influence your job satisfaction more than any other factor. And clearly, this rule is never more important than when you are heading into uncharted and potentially treacherous territory! Placing your life in the hands of someone in the grip of exploration fever and the need for glory sounds like a recipe for disaster and that's exactly what plays out in this enthralling account of the voyage of The Belgica in 1897.

I love when author's do the research and then present it like this! What a great captivating story. I wasn't sure I would love it but I definitely did!

Why oh why oh why do we so love to read about other people's suffering? Why am I so devastatingly drawn to tales of hardship and struggle at the frozen ends of the earth when I find 59 degrees Fahrenheit to be an absolute affront to my sensibilities? What is it about the coldest, loneliest places in the world that inspires not only fictional tales of danger, occult, and intrigue like those of Edgar Allan Poe and Howard Phillips Lovecraft but also factual people to get on a ship and say, "Why yes, I think I'd very much like to probably freeze to death?"

Did every question I just asked answer itself?

If you find the answer to be yes, then here is another book for your TBR list. I have to confess, I knew literally nothing about the voyage of the <i>Belgica</i>, which feels especially shameful considering I follow more than one YouTube channel dedicated to, for want of a better phrase, unusual deaths (not to mention the sheer volume of podcasts). Julian Sancton's sparse but impactful writing never for a moment gets in the way of the stories of the brave, innovative, and possibly batshit men who boarded a ship in Belgium, headed south, and got stuck there for an awful lot longer than they had planned. Indeed, Sancton most often prefers to use the words of those fated men themselves, pulling heavily from the journals and letters of the crew of the <i>Belgica</i> to let them speak for themselves even when they're stupid or reckless or absolutely just infuriating.

I... I mean, I can't say this was a joy, but like a ship through ice, uh, doesn't, I absolutely plowed through this. I woke up at four in the morning to keep reading. I don't know what else I can say.

Oh, just... uh...

Don't get too attached to the cats.

This is a fascinating look at one of the early antarctic expeditions. Told with historical context and primary texts, it is a gripping tale of survival and scientific discovery. It is also a gripping page-turner.

My thoughts are here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4032984317 and I reviewed this title for AudioFile magazine

Rarely do I come across a book that I think is absolutely perfect.

This is absolutely perfect.

It is well-written and grips you from the very first pages. While recounting the story of the Belgica Expedition, I felt like I was trapped there with them. The first thing I did, when I finished, was look up the author to see if he had written any other books because I would snatch them up in a heartbeat. A 5-star rating system is an injustice.

I despise being cold myself but I cannot resist a tale of polar exploration. There is something amazing about choosing to go to the ends of the earth just to see what’s there. As our world becomes smaller, there are fewer places like that anymore — even Mount Everest is crawling Instagram tourists. But at the close of the 19th century, exploration was still a life-threatening endeavor, with the prospect of heroic immortality and the praise of a nation.

In 1897, Belgian explorer Adrian de Gerlache set out to map the the vast expanse of the mysterious continent of Antarctica. Though the world knew of the icy land mass, most of it remained uncharted. Additionally, no one had yet made it to the South Pole, magnetic or geographic. Gerlache aimed to be the first, and to claim the distinction for Belgium. Their mission becomes one of merely surviving the long unforgiving months of Antarctic night.

Despite his efforts to find a crew entirely from Belgium, it proved impossible to fill all the specialized roles with his countrymen. It became necessary to find experts from America, Norway, and Poland. The varied backgrounds and languages, made for increased tension in an already stressful situation.
As the author recounts Gerlache’s choices preparing for the expedition, the mistakes — and Gerlache’s stubbornness — are clear. But of course, the researcher and the reader both have the benefit of hindsight. Still, as the ship and her crew face mounting challenges, it is clear their survival will depend on the knowledge and instinct of others.

The Belgica had not planned on overwintering in the Antarctic Circle, and they weren’t particularly prepared to do so. The plan was to return to the tip of South America before the ice pack trapped them. Their food stores were plentiful but lacking variety. Importantly, they didn’t have ways to keep busy, entertained, or sane. Furthermore, they were understaffed after leaving four belligerent crew in Rio de Janeiro and losing one sailor overboard.

Of the remaining motley crew, Dr. Fredrick Cook, the ship’s surgeon, proved to be one of the most crucial. After the ship became stuck in the ice, and it became clear they wouldn’t be able to leave until the sun returned, Cook turned to solving the myriad health problems they experienced. The effects of scurvy were well known, though the exact causes (or even the treatment) wasn’t understood. They knew citrus juice helped, but they didn’t know why. Vitamins C or D wouldn’t be isolated for years yet. However Cook figured out to insist that the crew ate fresh food, whenever possible. Penguin, seal, and fish provided important nutrients that were especially vital when the sun was gone for months.
He was one of the first to carefully detail the symptoms, treatments, and mental impacts of intense isolation with no sunlight, and his diary is referred to today. His reports have been studied by NASA as they try to prepare manned missions to Mars.

In the second half of the nineteenth century, rates of scurvy began creeping back up. But since the advent of steam-powered shipping, which cut the duration of ocean voyages, fewer sailors were spending enough time at the sea to show symptoms, blinding the Royal Navy — and all the fleets that emulated its practice — to the ineffectiveness of lime juice concentrate as an antiscorbutic. The hard-won cure was again in danger of being forgotten. ~ Loc. 3052

The other crew member who proved themselves was Roald Amundsen. Now a household name in polar exploration, this was Amundsen’s first expedition. With the Belgica, Amundsen was fearless. He constantly pushed himself with short exploratory challenges, and he learned a number of lessons about extreme boredom, scurvy, morale, and navigation (He would go on to reach the South Pole and attempt to fly over the North Pole).

The book is a fascinating adventure, focusing on the mental consequences of voyages such as these. As the Golden Age of Exploration slowly came to a close, the voyage of the Belgica showed there was still much to be learned about the Antarctic, about endurance, and about human psychology.

Madhouse at the End of the Earth by Julian Sancton
I have read quite a lot of nonfiction in the last year, most of them quite good, and yet I have to say that this book is the best one of them all. A well told survival story really pulls me in, and for some reason – even though I lived in high mountain deserts all my life – the best ones are all seafaring adventures.
Author Julian Sancton came across a treasure trove in the voyage of the Belgica because 10 of the men kept a detailed journal about their voyage as they became the first expedition to winter over in the Antarctic region. The thing I appreciated most about his narrative is that he included just enough detail for the readers to picture the scene and to feel for the men who took the voyage, but not so much that we are overwhelmed with the minutia.
The story was absolutely fascinating. The three main fellows – Commandant Adrien de Gerlach, Frederick Cook and Roald Amundsen – were drawn in three-dimensional complexity. Each had absolutely heroic characteristics and also absolutely tragic flaws. Mix together pride of country, quest for glory, intense curiosity, scientific inquiry, competing personalities with the stark beauty of Antarctica, the merciless weather, the imprisoning winter sea ice, and a couple of cats for good measure, and you have one heck of an adventure tale.
I received a free copy of this e-book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest opinion.

I was able to read this title early through netgalley.

I'm not the biggest fan of books about history, I tend to find them dry and dull, but Madhouse at the End of the Earth kept my interest and had me wanting to come back to it. It an amazing tale of adventurers who want to seek fame by sailing to Antarctica. Their journey is long and full of mishaps and even death. Sancton's writing creates vivid scenes and unique voices to each of the sailors. Overall it was a very entertaining, as well as, educational tale.

‘Madhouse at the End of the Earth: The Belgica’s Journey Into the Dark Antarctic Night’ by Julian Sancton (Crown Publishing, 350 pages, $30)

Rarely has a book been so appropriately named as the exquisitely researched and written “Madhouse at the End of the Earth’ by adventurer Julian Sancton.

It was August 1897 that the steam whaler Belgica left its Belgium port with commandant Adrien de Gerlache and a largely inexperienced crew setting out on a polar expedition. Sold as a “scientific mission” — on paper the idea was to “chart the uncharted,” collect data on the region and find the South Magnetic Pole — “at its core it was a romantic endeavor,” Sancton writes. But in this thrilling narrative, the romance is one that quickly goes sour.
Capturing the gritty and unwashed masses, Sancton dives deep into the detailed diaries and journals that survive from the expedition, handling historic materials with the voice of a novelist bent on telling the truth. Even as misfortunes mount and the ship becomes ice bound, Sancton stays the steady voice of the narrator, crafting a thriller as the story descends literally into darkness — the sun disappears for six months at a time at the pole — and depression, illness, insomnia and madness engulf the crew.

With no certainty that the Belgica will ever return to a friendly port, Sancton delivers a stunning story. Sentenced to a prison of monthslong darkness, the crew must muster a do-or-die ingenuity in attempting to free the ship. They do so, but it is not until March 1899 — this is no spoiler, the voyage is one so well-known that NASA has studied it for effects of isolation — that they can make the journey home.

A fine historical narrative that reads like fiction, Sancton delivers as the experienced correspondent he is. A prolific writer, the author has reported from every continent, including Antarctica for this novel. Such first-hand experience shows: “Madhouse at the End of the Earth” will stand with the best of those about the massive southern continent once called, “Terra Australis Incognita.”

I've read several books about expeditions to the Arctic (Labyrinth of Ice), as explorers search for the Northwest Passage and brave polar bears to reach the North Pole. But this is the first book I've read on exploring Antarctica. By the late 1890s Antartica was one of the last places on earth to be explored, a blank space on a map to fill in. Adrien de Gerlache of Belgium wanted to fulfill a boyhood dream of being a polar explorer and saw Antarctica as a way to claim glory for himself and Belgium. What followed was perhaps one of the first international exploration efforts, as the crew of the Belgica sailed to Antarctica to claim new records for Belgium's glory and scientific research. As the book's title suggests (and anyone who has read anything on polar exploration already knows) this voyage cannot possibly go smoothly. The Belgica becomes trapped in the ice and the crew is forced to winter in Antarctica. Between inactivity, months of darkness, and scurvy, the men suffer to various degrees both physically and mentally.

Julian Sancton's tale of the Belgica and her crew is well-written, well researched, and utterly captivating. From the beginning when the reader is questioning the sanity of men who want to explore Antarctica and suffer the inevitably harsh conditions, to the shock and awe of the crew on seeing icebergs for the first time; from the rank stench of penguin colonies that virtually leaps off the page in his descriptions to the horrors of the darkest and longest nights the crew are trapped on board the Belgica, Sancton brings the entire expedition to life for the reader. Equally as interesting to me (as an archivist) was Sancton's Author's Note at the end of the book, describing his journey to the archives in Belgium to read the diaries of the crew themselves and his trip to Antarctica to discover the polar land for himself. His comments on the damage current tourism and climate change is causing to the area, and its inevitable conclusions, comes as both a dark warning and a well timed reminder that there is still much we don't know about the world and how we as humans react in certain situations (expeditions like the Belgica's are apparently being studied by NASA for how space explorers might react) but that there are other situations we can understand, and can hopefully still work together to solve.

An excellent book on an amazing expedition. A must read for polar armchair explorers. In addition to the fascinating story, the photographs taken by Belgica doctor Frederick Cook are absolutely gorgeous.


I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Madhouse at the End of the Earth: The Belgica’s Journey into the Dark Antarctic Night by Julian Sancton is an excellent historical book that tells the true story and adventures of the larger then life men and travels of the polar expedition at the end of the 19th century. It was fascinating, engaging, and read like a fictional novel. I loved it!

Sadly, I had never read anything about this particular ship and expedition, however I have heard of Dr. Cook, so I wanted to know more...and boy did I get a real eye opener. This group of men, their characters, the way the quest was founded, and how it went down read like a train wreck, you know bad things will be going down, you cringe, but man, you cannot look away. You have to know how bad it gets. One bumble after another, at times I laughed, others I gasped. The author had a remarkable way of creating a narrative that gave us the facts, yet in a smooth, fictional flow that also added cheeky commentary and sarcasm. It was right up my alley. I flew through this book, and loved every minute of it.

I also enjoyed the before and after context as well as the chapter notes, and the author’s note about his inspiration and how he researched this gem.

5/5 stars

Fabulous!!!!!

Thank you NG and Crown Publishing for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication.

The story of the <i>Belgica</i> is extraordinary. In 1897, Belgian commandant Adrien de Gerlache led a government-sponsored expedition to conquer Antarctica and find the south magnetic pole. He is naïve and idealistic, but I couldn’t help admiring his persistence. The voyage of the <i>Belgica</i> is doomed from the start with an inexperienced and unreliable crew. De Gerlache’s quixotic pursuit of glory results in an unplanned, unprecedented overwintering in the pack ice, and his recklessness leads to mental instability, physical deterioration, and near mutiny from the remaining crew.

Unlike many polar accounts I have read, each person on the <i>Belgica</i> is distinguishable as an individual, with deft consideration of the various personalities, ambitions, and relationships, both the good and the not-so-good. Sancton includes background information on science, history, medicine, humorous anecdotes, diary accounts (and explanations of how and why they often differed from the truth), and explorations into the psyche of these men. I appreciated, too, the insights of how the men got along with one another, or failed to, due to the differing nationalities on board. The lack of fresh food and the gruesome symptoms of scurvy in addition to the unexpected quarantine in months-long freezing darkness became a crucible for simmering hostilities. The tale vacillates from nightmarish to inspiring and back again. The burial at sea of one of the men into the icy water is an image that will stay with me for a long time. Meticulously researched from primary source material, the book is never tedious and reads like a thriller. Fascinating photos are included that are directly discussed in the text.

I highlighted a total of 20 pages of excerpts from this book. I found so much of the information compelling that I didn’t want to forget a thing. I also appreciated the epilogue in which Sancton provides a succinct account of the lives of the men after the <i>Belgica</i>, focusing on the friendship of Cook and Amundsen.
Sancton honors the men of the <i>Belgica</i> in admirably telling their story, with all of their shortcomings as well as their triumphs. This work deserves a high rank among the echelon of polar literature. I normally would recommend a book such as this to those interested in polar exploration, but honestly, I highly recommend this book to everyone.

Many thanks to Netgalley for the advance copy in exchange for my review.

“Could there be a more melancholy, a more maddening, or a more hopeless region than this?”

Am I fascinated by the Antarctic? YES. Do I love books about harrowing Antarctic voyages? Of course. Would I ever venture to the South Pole? According to this book (and the others I’ve read on the subject), it wouldn’t be the best idea without rigorous training and careful preparation. The Belgica’s crew unfortunately lacked these crucial factors.

It also seemed to lack luck. The constant setbacks, obstacles, confrontations, bad weather, and ill timing – all before the ship even reached Antarctica – seemed to pile one on top of the other and created an atmosphere of anxiety. I was practically biting my nails from the tension, asking myself: will they even make it to the Antarctic? More importantly, will they make it back?

This book features three main adventurers – Adrien de Garleche, Dr. Cook, and Roald Amundsen. Out of the three, Cook was my favorite due to his indomitable spirit (and the fact that he hailed from Brooklyn, of course). I also gained grudging respect for Amundsen, whom I strongly disliked in Captain Scott due to his arrogance and manipulative ways. The younger Amundsen seems more humble, more willing to be a team player. I think de Garleche’s failings as a leader came down to his caring too much about what the press might say about him, instead of putting all of his focus on the expedition and his men’s wellbeing.

In all, this is a riveting story of adventure, survival, and endurance in one of the most treacherous environments on earth.

Magazine editor Julian Sancton’s debut book, Madhouse at the End of the Earth, tells the story of the ship Belgica’s ill-fated 1897 expedition to Antarctica led by Belgian commandant Adrien de Gerlache. In order to secure financing, de Gerlache promoted the voyage to potential financiers as a scientific expedition. Eventually he had to hire Polish scientist Henryk Arctowski and Romanian zoologist Emile Racovitza to handle all scientific matters related to the trip to fulfill his end of the bargain.

Knowing the history of other ships like the HMS Terror, HMS Erebus, and USS Jeannette, that did not return from their voyages into the Arctic region, the young and inexperienced de Gerlache enlisted the experience of veteran explorer Roald Amundsen from Norway, who had prepared for such a trip ever since he was a boy. Georges Lacointe of Belgium served as the ship’s captain, and American Franklin Cook joined the men of the Belgica as the ship’s physician and would later guide the men through their darkest days in Antarctica.

After surviving a few setbacks, including a failed attempt at mutiny, the Belgica reached the Antarctic region in late January 1898. It was summer in the southern hemisphere, and the scientists spent days collecting samples of native plants and insects and noting the many different species of penguins as de Gerlache grew impatient. But summer proved that Antarctica was a harsh environment not meant for humans, and many aboard the Belgica were eager to leave before cold weather set in and any chance of returning home disappeared. But de Gerlache chose to continue sailing south as far as possible, a decision that caused the Belgica and its crew to spend the winter months frozen in ice. During the long, dark winter days, the crew began to suffer from scurvy. Some of them also develop paranoia and experience hallucinations, and soon shipmates grow suspicious of one another.

While the pacing seems a little slow in the beginning, it quickly speeds up as the men arrive in the Antarctic region. From that point on, it becomes more difficult to put the book down as the reader is drawn into the story by Sancton’s use of imagery.

As Sancton acknowledges in his Author Notes, we are fortunate that the men aboard the Belgica kept journals and scientific notes in addition to the ship’s logbook, giving the author plenty of primary documents for his research. In addition, several of the officers would later write memoirs and autobiographies in which they shared their experiences of the harsh winter stuck in Antarctica.

The book includes an afterward and a selected bibliography.

I enjoy learning history, and this book does not disappoint. This was a well-written and thoroughly researched story of the Belgica expedition to Antarctica from Belgium in 1897, and how the men fared while stuck in the ice in total darkness for 70 days, and their slow and painful descent into madness. The three leaders - De Gerlache, Cook and Admundsen - had very different life philosophies and approaches to the journey, which increased the tension on an already harrowing journey. I thought the beginning was more slow; the action picked up once the boat was on its way. Reading of discoveries of new flora and fauna and naming previously undiscovered islands was fascinating, as were the dynamics in play after the sun set for months, and everyone began to deteriorate. The book was very descriptive, which upped the interest factor. Dr. Cook’s insistance on the mean eating seal meat saved them from both scurvy and death. Admunsen treated it all as a grand adventure; he and Cook’s attitudes were different yet both are to be admired for setting an example for the frightened men. Gerlache appeared to be more concerned for his reputation than using common sense. It is a miracle the boat returned intact. Anyone interested in Antarctic journeys and all things nautical and frozen would enjoy this book; and I highly recommend this read. It was a long book, and not the kind I couldn’t put down. I’m glad I finished it. While not necessarily my cup of tea book wise, it is a grand story told in exquisite detail.
Thank you to the author and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Young Adrien de Gerlache dreamed of exploring Antarctica, a huge dream requiring huge resources. He haphazardly brought together an unlikely crew of men (the oldest only 35), secured necessary finances, coal, canned food and other supplies and in 1897 his dream came true and the Belgica sailed. In addition to inexperienced sailors there were geologists, meteorologists, a doctor, engineer, zoologist, botanist and a cook. It was crucial to document flora and fauna and make geological and meteorological observations. But they didn't even share a common language and mutiny was a constant possibility.

Inexperience quickly showed. Sometime later, Commandant de Gerlache made the decision to plow into an icepack in hopes of personal gain and prestige, breaking records, but unfortunately this became their icy home. Realization quickly sank in that not only would the ice and currents be moving and freezing, likely pulverizing the boat, but the men would face complete darkness for 70 days. But this was only part of it. Dr. Frederick Cook documented the mental and physical observations of his colleagues and friends and came to alarming conclusions. First mate Roald Amundsen and Cook became friends and greatly contributed to saving morale and lives. Canned food was plentiful but was not nutritious. Hunting for seal and penguins became necessary. Survival under these conditions seem impossible enough but this with unbearable cold, horrors, fears of going mad and darkness pieced together a special kind of hell. Every effort when unwell must have been trebly difficult. Not all survived.

Not only does this book describe the horrendous conditions with hopeless setback after setback but also what happened to the men (in particular Cook and Amundsen's further explorations) after finally escaping the icepack to find land. It is terrible, horrific, heartbreaking and tragic but an incredibly important book. It prompted me to research this expedition and the lives of these men further. The author visited the area as well.

The resilience of these men is inexpressible. Lying there, hearing the moaning cracking ice night after night must have been intense in the extreme. The author captured their emotions brilliantly. And the title could not be more apt!

My sincere thank you to Crown Publishing and NetGalley for allowing me the privilege of reading this riveting, gut wrenching and utterly fascinating book!

368 pages

5 stars

This book has lengthy and interesting discussions about three of the key characters: Adrien de Gerlache, Roald Admundsen and Dr. Frederick Cook. Mr. Sancton talks about their childhoods and careers away from the Antarctic journey.

De Gerlache was a sheer novice, while both Cook and Admundsen had polar experience. De Gerlache was a terrible disciplinarian. His rowdy crew did what ever the heck they wanted and their behavior went unpunished. His expedition was underfunded, he avoided confrontation at all costs and this caused major problems among the crew. It was a disaster in the making.

Perhaps de Gerlache's biggest fault was that he was more worried about what his family and the “people back at home” in Belgium would think of him and his journey than the welfare of his men.

The book details the men's deteriorating behavior. The stories are taken from the journals and diaries compiled by the men. It talks for Admundsen's love of adventure, the search for a competent cook (this was almost amusing), de Gerlache's anxieties and Cook's sense of wonder and love of learning. The book also speaks of the tragedies and other stories about the men.

Descriptions abound about the flora, fauna and the vastness and colors of the sky and the ice. There is even a discussion on the difference between freshwater and seawater ice. The feelings of the men when they got trapped in the ice and had to winter over was heartbreaking. Tempers flared and as the men got more ill, the situation became dangerous.

The men joined together to make a last ditch heroic effort to escape from the ice. Cook, de Gerlache and Admundsen all agreed that they would not survive another winter in the ice.

This is a very well written account of the expedition and is very detailed. The hardships the men suffered were laid out in detail. I can't think of any aspect of the journey that wasn't discussed and told very well. This is an exceptional book. I will certainly look into other books written by Mr. Sancton.

I want to thank NetGalley and Crown Publishing/Crown for forwarding to me a copy of this very interesting and intense book for me to read, enjoy and review. The opinions stated here are my own.

This is my second voyage (ha!) with a polar expedition book, the first being In the Kingdom of Ice: The Grand and Terrible Polar Voyage of the USS Jeannette. Rather than going for the North Pole like the Jeannette several years previous, the Belgica and her crew gave it the honest college try in being the first to reach the magnetic South Pole. As you can imagine, in such an extreme environment and it being 1897 without modern advances and conveniences, things go south (haha!) quickly.

I thought this book had a bit of a slow start, but it quickly drew me in once the Belgica got underway and the actual expedition began. Some backstory of the ship and its crew is necessary to really establish a connection between the reader and the characters, so I didn't particularly mind. I thought the writing style was engaging, if a little bit sensational -- I get that it reads like an adventure book, but it's ultimately supposed to be a historical account, and it feels like the author played it a bit fast and loose with the day-to-day dialogue and accounts of what happened. The transition of the crew as their voyage became much longer than anticipated was especially interesting, and I liked the inclusion of the epilogue of sorts at the end that showed what happened to everyone at the conclusion.

In summary, a very engaging adventure book about the impact of hubris and stubborness on polar exploration. A bit of a slow start rewards the reader with much drama later on.