If you are looking for a story that has all the suspense of a thrilling novel yet is a gripping account of an actual event, look no further. Author Buddy Levi’s “Empire of Ice and Stone” will fulfill all your expectations.

This is a story that will pull you in, and as the author reveals the chain of events one can sense future danger hang over the expedition right from the very start. This is Nature at its strongest, and at times the expedition could do nothing but make an educated guess when each problem arose and then wait for the answer from the ice and cold. From the beginning there is no doubt who the antagonist is, and it is scary that this faceless force with the benign name could wreak so much havoc on a small group. Over and over I kept telling myself that it couldn’t get any worse…and then it did.

Taken from the accounts of the people who endured this ordeal, “Empire of Ice and Stone” is a book that I devoured in just a few days. There is always something going on or a new danger around the bend to keep readers glued to its pages. Highly recommended. Five stars.

My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for a complimentary electronic copy of this book.

Under the command of Bob Bartlett, the Karluk set sail for its ill-fated voyage in June. At the time, it was ill-chosen and equipped for its voyage. Several times, its engine would give out and supplies had to be transferred to its sister ships. By August, the ship was completely icebound. By January, the ship had sunk. This book covers the ship’s residents 700-mile trek to find shelter, food, and help.

Full of action, intense survival, and harrowing events, this plot is a well-written and engaging page turner. The narrative-style non-fiction is well suited for this story and helps bring it to life. Readers who like informational books, survival stories, and narrative non-fiction will enjoy reading this book.

Please note: This was a review copy given to us by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. No financial compensation was received.

Many, many, many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of this. This was terrific! Wow. What a story. The story of the Karluk is not one that the reader with ever forget. Fans of this genre will eat this up. Wonderful and suspenseful storytelling. Unbelievable characters like Captain Barlett will stay with the reader. I really enjoyed this one. Will recommend to my reader friends. Highly recommended!

I chose a perfect day to read this chilling, harrowing read. It’s a cold, gloomy winter day mirrored by the experiences the men of the Karluk expedition endured, Although many perished.
I had never heard of this particular expedition so when I received a widget from the publicist I was intrigued.
I’ve never visited the Arctic, the closest I’ve come is Fairbanks, Alaska, but the stories Of expeditions from the early 20th century fascinate me.
While reading Some parts I sucked in my breath and cringed and during other sections I mourned the animals that were harvested for survival, especially the polar bears.
It’s an incredible tale and Levy does a first rate job with the narrative, research, afterward, and bibliography. I appreciated knowing the what happened afterward for the survivors.
It took guts and fortitude to survive, something I pay homage to, as I snuggle under my warm blanket.

Excellent writing vividly brings the ill fated story of this artic expedition.Reading about their desperate fight to survive kept me on the edge of my seat@netgalley#st.martins

This book was amazing. I was unfamiliar with Captain Robert Bartlett and the Karluk and decided to take a chance on Empire of Ice and Stone. I am so glad I did. After I finished it I had the desire to read everything else Buddy Levy has written and then to investigate other books about Arctic exploration.
I could write a review that would come across as a long essay for a class, giving everything away. I wouldn't be able to pick just a few examples of how well this book is written. I would be spoiling it for others. The research is meticulous and the writing style flows effortlessly. Captain Bartlett was brave and selfless and Vilhjalmun Stefansson was out for himself, fame and glory. I usually refrain from saying things like page turner, couldn't put it down, etc. but those apply here. My thanks to the publisher St. Martin's Press and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

I was provided a free advanced copy of this book from @netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
Based on the real events of the Karluk, a ship on an Arctic expedition, this story was pretty wild! A lot of research went into piecing journals and resources together to gather a full picture of the events. If it hadn't really happened you would think some of their experiences were impossible!
There were definitely some tough things to read about. But if you enjoy an adventure and a tale of survival against all odds, this one is for you!
I normally struggle with non-fiction, but this one kept my attention pretty well. There were some monotonous parts, but it was based on real events and there are monotonous parts of real life too!
It is set to be published on 6 December, so add it to your Christmas wish list!
#EmpireOfIceAndStone #NetGalley

My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy this book on Arctic exploration and survival.

Explorers deserve all the praise that there exploits merit. The idea of going into the great unknown for knowledge and discovery is a very noble idea. The exploitation that usually follows is a big problem, but does not take away from the fact that they planned, fund raised, talked, listened, researched, and undertook a sometimes perilous trip, to find themselves in more danger when they get there. Sure the rewards were fame, book deals, lecture tours, medals, political office, might await them if they have a successful expedition. Failure, famine, disease, loss of limb, sanity and loss of life was a lot more common. Also more common were casualties among the support crew that never get much headlines for the risks they take. Especially when things go tragically wrong. Empire of Ice and Stone:The Disastrous and Heroic Voyage of the Karluk, by Buddy Levy is a tale of an mission of exploration that goes horribly wrong and how two men face their destines and the lives of their comrades on the ice in different ways.

Vihjalmur Stefansson was born with a skill for influencing people, and with a want and a need for fame that had not limits, nor morals. Deciding that exploration was his way to gain the life he wanted Stefansson planned a trip to Africa, where he hoped to make his name. Instead an offer was made to voyage to a place almost opposite where he planned. The Arctic as part of a plan to find the fabled white eskimos, descendents of early Viking settlers who traveled from Greenland hundreds of years early, and intermarried with the Inuit people. Trouble began immediately with Stefansson lacking the skill or the interest in caring for the small things about a artic expedition, not caring about the pemmican, a food product that could travel north and be safe to eat for year being contaminated. Also in his choice of transportation the Karluk, an underpowered steam ship, whose better days were behind her. However his choice in Captain for the Karluk was inspired. Bob Bartlett was considered the premier Arctic navigator, who had come within miles of reaching the North Pole aiding a previous expedition. Here he got a taste of both exploring and sailing in the North. Which served him well, though he began to question much about this expedition including the leadership. Soon his fears would be justified as the Karluk became entrapped in ice, and things went quite quickly from bad to far far worse.

This book should be read in the summer, when the sun is high, the birds are singing and the only pops and cracks are fireworks, not the slow crushing force of ice collapsing a boat in the frozen wastes. Levy has a very good way of presenting the story, filling the mind with the sounds of ice wind and empty stomachs, and the smells of pemmican, wet wool, and the salt of the sea. Levy is quite good at balancing the two men, and does not choose sides, but you can tell what person did their best for others, and who did the best for themselves. The writing is good, with a steady tension that makes the book move quick, but still delivers a lot of information both nautical, on ice and on survival. A fascinating tale of survival on the ice.

Recommended for fans of both arctic survival, and nautical stories. Some of the scenes on the ice and on the open water are very well written, putting readers in the situation, and with a clear sense of the gravity of the what is happening. A book that should be read with plenty of blankets a few hot toddies, and a dog or cat nearby for extra warmth.

I received an advance reading copy of this book from NetGalley.com and the publisher in return for a fair review. Author Buddy Levy tells the saga of the doomed Karluk that was part of a Canadian Arctic expedition in 1913. Three ships headed north under the guidance of expedition leader Vilhjalmur Stefansson. While two of the ships made the trek, one ship--the Karluk--became stuck in the vast ice floes. Instead of staying and trying to help the stranded men, Stefansson left the ship on the pretext of going hunting, never to return. In the meantime, Captain Bob Bartlett, did everything he could to save the men on his ship including crew, scientists, and a young Eskimo family with two children. Eventually the ice gobbled up the ship and it sunk but not before Bartlett got everyone and their supplies off safely. Now they were forced to stay directly in the harsh elements with only igloos to protect them. They called the place Camp Shipwreck. It was a harrowing ordeal for the men. Bartlett kept their morale up and made sure they stayed active, but at some point, they had to leave their base camp and look for help. Help was nowhere to be found. Ultimately, Bartlett and one other person left the group and trekked over 700 miles to get help. With Levy's descriptive passages, you could just about feel the freezing temps and the icy winds. I thoroughly enjoyed this page-turner and it was one of the very best books I have read so far this year. You couldn't help but be touched by the bravery these men showed--especially Captain Bartlett who was obsessed with saving his men. If you are looking for a real adventure story that will keep you on the edge of your seat, then this is the book for you!

This was the last of a lingering group of eARC's I had signed up for on NetGalley a few months ago. I wanted to make sure I fit this into November as if my memory serves me right it's scheduled to be released in December.

At this point I'm regretting the fact that I held off on this one for so long. I don't typically give full reviews of non-fiction reads as I haven't come up with a system that works yet for me. But one of the shining aspects to this book by Buddy Levy is the fact it doesn't read like non-fiction. If I didn't know better I'd think this was a purely fiction novel. The story told is fantastical and hard to believe that it truly happened. Now I can't truly contest to the validity of everything portrayed by Levy's story telling but worst case scenario this is at least one perspective of this tale.

Levy seems to have a knack in perhaps filling in the games from documentation to make it feel like we are hearing this tale from those who were actually involved rather than a dry text book style collection of facts as we know them. I did love the fact that he also included a rather large list of the documents he used to gather information for this book. Since I didn't know much about this historical tale prior to this book, these give me lots of other documents to look into if I so wish.

I think most of us even today realize just how deadly these regions can be. But reading what tools this crew had when they set out and what they used during their struggle to survive just makes even in more of a grand adventure of exploration! The crew dealt with so many physical and emotional struggles along the way but also finding ways to not only survive but triumph in the face of those struggles so many times.

From what I've since read from other reviews of Buddy Levy works, I need to pick up some more in the near future!

As far as recommendations, I can't recommend this enough for anyone who is interested in a bit of history regarding exploration of the artic in the early 1900's. But even beyond that, I would recommend this to just fans of fiction that include mystery, suspense and survival.

Empire of Ice and Stone: The Disastrous and Heroic Voyage of the Karluk by Buddy Levy is the very highly recommended true story of the 1913 Canadian Arctic Expedition.

When the Karluk departed Canada for the Arctic Ocean, Captain Bob Bartlett was at the helm and Vilhjalmur Stefansson was the leader of the expedition. The expedition set out in June and by early August the Karluk was icebound. Stefansson headed off with five men on a hunting trip and never returned, choosing to head for land and continue the expedition on his own. This left Bartlett in charge of the survivors. When the ship was crushed by the ice, they trekked 50 miles across the ice pack to Wrangel Island. Then Bartlett and an Inuit hunter set out on a 1,000 miles hike to Alaska to summon help to rescue the survivors.

Empire of Ice and Stone reads like a thriller. It is a fascinating, terrifying, and un-put-downable account of a polar expedition gone terribly wrong. Levy takes the facts and uses them to portray these people as real individuals facing a harrowing, impossible situation where a good outcome seems highly unlikely. He also clearly portrays the two different paths taken by Stefansson and Bartlett, with most of the focus on the crew trying to survive. Bartlett is legitimately the hero of this frightening true story.

Anyone who enjoys reading about Arctic expeditions will want to add Empire of Ice and Stone to their list of must read nonfiction. Included at the end is an extensive list of documents, collections, websites, etc. in a selected bibliography that showcases the research that went into writing this account. This is an excellent, well-researched book and one of the best nonfiction books of the year.
Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of St. Martin's Press via NetGalley.
The review will be published on Barnes & Noble, Google Books, Edelweiss, and Amazon.

The gripping account of a fatal polar adventure with a cast of eccentric and fascinating characters on a grand adventure - and misadventure - in one of the most extreme regions of the world. Empire of Ice and Stone reads more intensely than a thriller.

If you enjoy survival and adventure true stories, this is the book for you. The setting was perfect. Writing style was fast paced and easy to follow along with. Highly recommend

Empire of Ice and Snow took my breath away while reading it and also as I think about it this moment. Vivid and sharp, atmospheric and multisensory, it is written in stunning Buddy Levy style. He scrupulously gathered information and details on the Karluk Expedition's harrowing journey into the Arctic Ocean in 1913 and even includes a list of those involved as well as their ages. Many were very young but their heroism is out of this world. The photographs are etched on my brain.

Explorer Vilhjalmur Stefansson had always been adventurous. But he also knew how to manipulate from a young age and enjoyed glory. Master Mariner Bob Bartlett also felt more at home at sea than on land but was fiercely loyal and reliable. Along with a motley crew of hunters, a seamstress and her two young daughters, scientists, a doctor and a skier Stefansson and Bartlett left British Columbia on the Karluk on a Canadian Arctic Expedition. But six weeks after things went terribly wrong which resulted in Stefansson and a few of the crew leaving the others on the pretense of a hunting trip to provide food. But they never returned. Bartlett was a remarkable captain and leader. After the Karluk was crushed by ice and sank, the rest of the crew's goal was to escape and survive. But survival was impossible for some. Daily life was rife with one horror after another.

Descriptions of the sounds of the ice, scrounging for scraps of carcasses to eat, threadbare clothing in frigid temperatures, frostbite, total darkness, a bear hug and bear attacks are lucid, raw and real. But the descriptions of the ski jump, courageous sled dogs, successful hunts, aurora borealis and Christmas sports are equally moving. Though in dire straits the crew relied on and respected their captain. He led them to Wrangel Island which probably saved them but their troubles didn't end there. The island was isolated and help was far away. Bartlett reluctantly left for aid out of necessity returned with rescuers. Meanwhile, Stefansson was living his life without remorse. There are so many layers to the story including a mysterious death. The photographs are etched onto my brain. I appreciate that Levy also included what happened to each person after the journey.

If you are even remotely interested in polar adventures, especially those which actually happened, do read this unmissable book. Be prepared to get utterly captured in the story and forget everything else. It is THAT good.

My sincere thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the honour to read this phenomenal book, one which I will never forget.

This book is well written and reads more like fiction than history. It addresses the differences in the leadership styles of the Vilhjalmur Stefansson, the arctic expedition leader, and Bob Bartlett, the captain of the Karluk. Stefansson left the ship to founder in the ice using the need to hunt caribou as an excuse, but continued until he was safe leaving those in the ship to find a way to survive. Bartlett on the other hand did his best to first save the ship and then failing that, managed to save as many of the crew and scientists as possible. A very good read.

I received a free ARC of this book courtesy of Net Galley and the publisher with the understanding that I would post a review on Net Galley, Goodreads, Amazon, Facebook and my nonfiction book review blog.

Many thanks to St. Marten's Press and NetGalley for an ARC of this book!

I confess that I have been anxiously awaiting publication of this book for months, and it did not disappoint! I am fascinated with polar exploration in general and the Karluk specifically, and I've always felt that this story doesn't get enough love from other polar enthusiasts. It has everything-- a gripping survival narrative, a great leader, a complicated villain, big personalities, hubris (and HOW), a medical mystery, a mutiny, a possible murder... you get the idea. It's an incredible story, and Levy tells it very well, interjecting details about the crew and their lives into the more monotonous parts of the tale to keep the book going. The pacing is excellent, and even though this is objectively a long book, it doesn't feel long at all. I've read extensively about the Karluk and thought that I'd heard pretty much everything there is to hear about this story, but Levy still managed to surprise me with a few new-to-me details and anecdotes. I can't recommend this enough to polar history enthusiasts, but anyone with an interest in survival narratives will love it. I am excited for this book to introduce more people to the Karluk story, and I will certainly do my part by putting it in the hands of as many of my library patrons as possible!

"Narra a bit o' bacca, narra a bit o' comfort!"

Buddy Levy is turning into one of those authors I could probably read on release and easily add it to my favorites list for that year. I read Labyrinth of Ice about the Greely expedition in 2021, and this was an easy pick when it showed up in my list of possible ARCs to choose from this year. He sets up the expedition quickly, gets you up to speed on the main players of the trip, and off you go on another adventure where you're not quite sure who's going to make it out on the other side. This one was no exception.

This one was different from the other polar expedition books I've read so far, in that the goal wasn't to strike out for the North Pole in competition with other people, but rather for scientific exploration. Vilhjalmur Stefansson set up the expedition to explore the islands and people of the northernmost regions, and whether he actually believed he could or just wanted to make a name for himself in any way he could, the expedition set out and very quickly things went south. The Karluk was separated from the other ships in the group, icebound, and without much of the supplies that the other ships had on them. Captain Bob Bartlett makes the most of a bad situation, and shepherds his group of sailors and scientists alike through a series of harrowing close calls. Stefansson, meanwhile, bailed out of the Karluk as soon as he was able, and wrote the ship off as being lost at sea, poor men.

Written from a collection of diaries, firsthand accounts, other books on the topic, and archived documents about the trip, this book really drew me in from the start. Bartlett was clearly the hero of the story, and, as with the other books on the topic I've read, I could never imagine willingly risking myself on a wooden ship in the ice. It's such a heroic, heartbreaking, and engaging read, I really had a hard time putting it down once I started.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance ecopy in exchange for an honest review.

Empire of Ice and Stone is the true story of the disastrous Arctic expedition aboard the sail-and-steamship Karluk. It is my first time learning of the Karluk, expedition leader Vilhjalmun Stefansson, Captain Bob Bartlett, and how Stefansson’s and Bartlett’s decisions determined the fate of the ship and all of its passengers.

It began with an aggressive timeline and an ill thought of plan to explore the Artic ocean. Unprepared for the worst that could happen, the Karluk became ice bound capturing with it the entire crew and scientists aboard. Eventually, the Karluk succumbed to the pressure from the ice floes, thus marooning all of the passengers in the middle of nowhere.

Under the guise of a caribou hunting trip, expedition leader Stefansson leaves the stranded crew and scientists with a handful of men, never to be seen or heard from again. Left behind were 22 men, Captain Bartlett, 1 woman, and 2 children. Most of the men would perish from sickness and injuries. And in the end, only 9 persons survived and were rescued. And it was due to Bartlett’s heroic effort of traversing 700+/- miles to civilization.

Author Levy has done an excellent job in capturing the essence of the desperation, and survivalist nature of the persons left behind to fight the perils of nature. With references from the crew members’ diaries, Levy has compiled a harrowing account of the dangerous environment hazards the remaining survivors had to face.

Empire of Ice and Stone is a tour de force novel. It is riveting, emotional, and unforgettable. Five masterful stars.

I received a digital ARC from St. Martin’s Press through NetGalley. The review herein is completely my own and contains my honest thoughts and opinions.

Levy has written another gripping and well-researched account of a harrowing Arctic expedition. The beginning was a little slow as the main characters were introduced, but once the expedition was underway, the story of the Karluk and its crew was a real page-turner. It's remarkable that anyone survived this 1913 shipwreck, and it's clearly thanks to Captain Bob Bartlett's tenacity and leadership. At times, the graphic descriptions of frostbite and amputations were a little much for me, but overall I really enjoyed this book. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a digital review copy.

After the disappointment of my last non-fiction book from NetGalley, I started reading this with a fair amount of concern. Fortunately, that concern was unfounded, and I ended up enjoying the book. I shook my head several times during the planning of the expedition, and wanted to knock some sense – and humility – into one of the men, all while being glad that *I wasn’t part of this planned journey into the Arctic.

The book could have read like a textbook, but it didn’t. The reader gets a good sense of who the men involved really were, and how strongly they believed in doing what’s right even when things are going terribly wrong. The things they went through just to survive were amazing, and it made me more than a little angry that the so-called leader of the expedition just wrote them off and went on his merry way, while the captain of the ship endured so much just to get help.

If we ever get this far north in our travels, I don’t think I’ll be able to avoid thinking about Captain Bartlett and the rest who endured so much when it seemed like everything was working against them.