Trial by Ice : The True Story of Murder and Survival on the 1871 Polaris Expedition

From Publishers Weekly During the first U.S. attempt to reach the North Pole, the doomed 1871 Polaris expedition's team leader, Charles Francis Hall, mysteriously died. In this book, Parry, a novelist (That Fateful Lightning, etc.), provides a vivid but uneven account of the captain's death, which may have been brought on by a muddled command structure that encouraged insubordination, even mutiny, among the crew. Suspense builds as Parry describes the events leading up to Hall's "murder," then climaxes in horrifying detail. Once Hall is gone, however, the plot's momentum disappears, with half the book to go. The fragmented crew's attempt to survive the Arctic until they are rescued and brought back to civilization is evoked only by clich?s. Readers holding out through the pedestrian middle section will be rewarded with an enticing account of the government's coverup and an abssorbing chapter about the autopsy performed on Hall's body 100 years after it was buried. Author tour. (Jan. 30) Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. From Library Journal Although Denmark, England, France, and Norway had already tried and failed, in 1871 the United States decided to finance an expedition to find the North Pole and the Northwest Passage. Charles Francis Hall of Ohio, who was neither a seafarer nor an explorer, convinced President Grant and Congress to send out a vessel and was given a ship, the Polaris, and a crew of 25. The ship was not suitable for ice navigation, and the crew, a mixture of Germans and Americans, was selected by politicians and did not include the men Hall wanted. The expedition was doomed from the start. Beset by jealousies, intrigues, and weak leadership, the crew suffered from exposure, hunger, and the bleak Arctic. Captain Hall was poisoned (it was probably murder), and the ship was lost. The crew split into two parties, one surviving nine months on an ice floe until it was finally rescued by a whaler. Despite an exhaustive inquiry by the U.S. Navy and Congress, no conclusion was reached. Parry (That Fateful Lightning: A Novel of Ulysses S. Grant) has brought the story to light again with this riveting account. For all public and academic libraries.DStanley L. Itkin, Hillside P.L., New Hyde Park, NY Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. “An extraordinary real-life adventure of men battling the elements and themselves, told with ice-cold precision.”–Kirkus Reviews (starred review)In the dark years following the Civil War, America’s foremost Arctic explorer, Charles Francis Hall, became a figure of national pride when he embarked on a harrowing, landmark expedition. With financial backing from Congress and the personal support of President Grant, Captain Hall and his crew boarded the Polaris, a steam schooner carefully refitted for its rigorous journey, and began their quest to be the first men to reach the North Pole. Neither the ship nor its captain would ever return.What transpired was a tragic death and whispers of murder, as well as a horrifying ordeal through the heart of an Arctic winter, when men fought starvation, madness, and each other upon the ever-shifting ice. Trial by Ice is an incredible adventure that pits men against the natural elements and their own fragile human nature. In this powerful true story of death and survival, courage and intrigue aboard a doomed ship, Richard Parry chronicles one of the most astonishing, little known tragedies at sea in American history.“ABSORBING . . . Suspense builds as Parry describes the events leading up to Hall’s ‘murder,’ then climaxes in horrifying detail.”–Publishers Weekly“RIVETING.”–Library Journal "An extraordinary real-life adventure of men battling the elements and themselves, told with ice-cold precision."--Kirkus Reviews (starred review) In the dark years following the Civil War, America's foremost Arctic explorer, Charles Francis Hall, became a figure of national pride when he embarked on a harrowing, landmark expedition. With financial backing from Congress and the personal support of President Grant, Captain Hall and his crew boarded the Polaris, a steam schooner carefully refitted for its rigorous journey, and began their quest to be the first men to reach the North Pole. Neither the ship nor its captain would ever return. What transpired was a tragic death and whispers of murder, as well as a horrifying ordeal through the heart of an Arctic winter, when men fought starvation, madness, and each other upon the ever-shifting ice. Trial by Ice is an incredible adventure that pits men against the natural elements and their own fragile human nature. In this powerful true story of death and survival, courage and intrigue aboard a doomed ship, Richard Parry chronicles one of the most astonishing, little known tragedies at sea in American history. "ABSORBING ... Suspense builds as Parry describes the events leading up to Hall's 'murder, ' then climaxes in horrifying detail." An account of the 1871 Polaris expedition into the Arctic details the conflicts among the crew, the mysterious death of expedition leader Charles Francis Hall, the destruction of the Polaris, and the ordeal of its survivors.