Madhouse at the End of the Earth
Julian Sancton
The harrowing true survival story of an early polar expedition that went terribly awry--with the ship frozen in ice and the crew trapped inside for the entire sunless, Antarctic winter--in the tradition of David Grann, Nathaniel Philbrick, and Hampton SidesIn August 1897, thirty-one-year-old commandant Adrien de Gerlache set sail aboard the Belgica, fueled by a profound sense of adventure and dreams of claiming glory for his native Belgium. His destination was the uncharted end of the earth: the icy continent of Antarctica. But the commandant's plans for a three-year expedition to reach the magnetic South Pole would be thwarted at each turn. more
354 pages, Hardcover
First published Crown
4.27
Rating
12820
Ratings
1634
Reviews
Julian Sancton
2 books 198 followers
Julian Sancton has written for Vanity Fair, Departures, Esquire, The New Yorker, Wired, and Playboy, among other publications. He spent most of his childhood in France and attended Harvard University, where he studied European history. He lives in Larchmont, New York, with his partner, Jessica, and their two daughters.Community reviews
Fascinating non-fiction that offers analysis of a little known voyage undertaken by The Belgica at the end of the 19th century to do research of then still unchartered Antarctica. A powerful tale of stamina, determination, endurance and weaknesses. For some inexplicable reasons I am into tales of men whose courage and determination allowed the cruellest places on our planet to be described and defined . A definite must for readers interested in polar exploration. A big thank-you to Julian Sancton, Random House UK, and Netgalley for arc in exchange for my honest review. more
One of the best books I've read about polar exploration, Madhouse at the End of the Earth is a fascinating non-fiction story of a little known event. The Belgica was a Belgian ship on an adventure to Antarctica, before Ross and Amundsen's race for the South Pole. In 1897, the ship set out with a small crew who were already in contention. The Belgian leader wanted a Belgian group to achieve immortality, but he had to take the men he could get, making this one of the first international explorations. Two of the best men on his team were the later, world renowned, Norwegian, Roald Amundsen and Dr. more
4 for the author and his writing skills3 even 2 even 0 for several of the so-called heroes of the tale 👎🏼It is a dark but impressive book of survival. You definitely go back to a world and an Antarctica 🇦🇶 that is over 100 years in the past. [No love here for LeCointe who threw a beautiful cat into the sea to drown in a fit of temper which was his problem not the cat’s. Imagine making it die that way. A pet. more
It took a chapter or two to get into it but then I was hooked. Fascinating story. more
This is not just a book on early exploration of Antarctica (1897 ) but also a psychological and terrifying study of the men aboard the Belgica who ventured into the hell at the bottom of the world. Arctic exploration was becoming widespread near the turn of the 20th century and became somewhat of a race to be the first to reach the poles. A young Belgian, Adrienne de Gerlache, had exploration fever and was determined to join in that race to reach the magnetic South Pole, even though he was less than experienced as were many of the men which comprised his crew. Luckily he had three men who had polar experience, one being Roald Amundsen who later became legendary. Due to de Gerlache's driving need to reach the Pole, he made some major mistakes and the ship ended up trapped in the ice flow during the months of darkness. more
I love reading about the Arctic, so I decided to venture southward and learn more about its polar (ha) opposite. Madhouse at the End of the Earth is a detailed, gripping account of the Belgica expedition in the late 1890s. Julian Sancton has deftly recreated the unforgiving Antarctic landscapes the crew encountered, using excerpts from the sailors’ diaries to bring the ship’s fraught tensions to life. It took the story awhile to get to the southernmost continent, and I wasn’t as captivated by the backstory as I was by the time spent in Antarctica (though it was helpful groundwork for certain decisions and dynamics). I was especially intrigued by the ship surgeon (Frederick Cook, who later became an infamous huckster after oil schemes and widespread doubt over his purported discovery of the North Pole). more
I will never understand how or why anyone would want to do extreme things such as be the first to visit the magnetic South pole, but it sure is rewarding to read about the people who do. This book is a fascinating and harrowing story of polar exploration in the late 1800s. Never a dull moment. Unfortunately, there is some description of hunting because otherwise the men would have starved so I had to skip a page here and there. Otherwise, this is a fantastic read, and one I finished on a day I had to take my morning walk on the treadmill rather than outside in cold, wet snow. more
Dancing to the Beat of a Different Drum The Belgica caught in the Ice Pack (1898) This work presents a thoroughly researched account of the expedition of the Belgica (1897-1899), first ship to hivernate in the ice pack by Antarctica, those manning it escaping death by a whisker (or not. ), the whole occurrence opening what came to be called the 'Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration', lasting from 1900 to 1922. I have been driven to read it partly out of a personal interest for travel under extreme conditions, or life in unusually unforgiving places. If you feel the call of the wild, too, feel free to check:Lost in the Taiga: One Russian Family's Fifty-Year Struggle for Survival and Religious Freedom in the Siberian Wilderness, Таежный бродягаInto the Wild, Memoires Du Large The Belgica Anchored at Mount William (1898)Features:=> A severe lack of discipline in the international crew & officer quarter for the get-go=> Unreliable crews, inexperienced officers, frauds=> A 'Belgian ring' (responsible for a near-mutinee near Punta Arenas, and growing restlessness on general) "Souvenir cordial à mon amie Berthe. A. more
Madhouse at the End of the Earth revolves around an early polar expedition that went devastatingly awry trapping the ship’s crew on board and frozen solid for the entirety of the dark, frigid Antarctic winter. In August 1897, thirty-one-year-old commandant Adrien de Gerlache set sail aboard the Belgica, fueled by a profound sense of adventure and dreams of claiming glory for his native Belgium. His destination was the uncharted end of the earth: the icy continent of Antarctica. But the commandant's plans for a three-year expedition to reach the magnetic South Pole would be thwarted at each turn. Before the ship cleared South America, it had already broken down, run aground, and lost several key crew members, leaving behind a group with dubious experience for such an ambitious voyage. more
Another fantastic voyage (and disaster)to the Antarctic. This time via the Belgica. I found this nonfiction different from my other expedition reads to the North or South Pole. MADHOUSE dived into the psyche of each of the crew rather than concentrating on the journey itself. Personally, I prefer hearing more about the hardship of the environment and what has to be undertaken to survive. more
Demult nu am mai citit o poveste atât de captivantă. Faptul că este o poveste adevărată cântărește foarte mult. Am fost mereu interesant de cărțile de aventuri și aventurieri de tot felul. Despre Antarctica am citit mai puține (nume ca Amundsen și Shakleton îmi sunt cunoscute, totuși), dar albul nemărginit de la polul sud m-a fascinat și pe mine, la fel ca pe marii exploratori. În lipsa curajului și spiritului de aventură (uneori prea teribilist), eu m-am mulțumit cu imagini din Planet Earth. more
Wow, what a great story. The author definitely did their research. The book read as an adventure story instead of a collection of facts. more
This book was incredible. Julian Sancton manages to include meticulous research and authentic scientific and maritime details while making the book read like a ‘ripping yarn’. I am so glad that this story has finally been told in English as it wasn’t an expedition I was familiar with. Having read fairly widely about John Franklin and Erabus and Shackleton it was breathtaking to read of a ship that survived a polar winter. Despite knowing the outcome of the expedition I was still on the edge of my seat, reading feverishly to find out if they would manage to free Belgica from the ice. more
I guess one reason I continue to enjoy books about polar exploration is that each voyage has a unique wrinkle. As you might imagine from the title of this one, the emphasis here is on the mental health of crew of the Belgica as they attempted to cope with being stuck in the ice during the long Antarctic winter. This was obviously not the only ship to have endured this fate, but there you go - each voyage has its own story. One of the things that struck me most about what happened to the Belgica is the extent to which de Gerlache, the captain, repeatedly let his motivation to please his backers and the Belgian government overcome his common sense. Among other things, there was the initial selection of the crew (focusing on Belgians, regardless of their qualifications, or the lack thereof); dawdling along when they first reached the Antarctic so that the scientists aboard could collect samples; and intentionally getting stuck in the ice so that they would already be in place to pursue “furthest south” in the name of Belgium, come the thaw. more
A very good historical book. I only occasionally read historical books which are much different many of my fiction books(tend to be a lot less gripping). So, many kudos to this story that grabbed my attention, had a good amount of thrilling adventure moments as well as good characters(even with having being limited to factual events). The story begins with a late 1800,s a Belgiium explorer who wanted to sail to the South Pole. His name was Andrien de Gerlache. more
368 pages5 starsThis 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. more
Narrative non-fiction that tells the story of the Belgica, commanded by Adrien de Gerlache de Gomery, that set off for Antarctica in 1897 in an early attempt to reach the South Pole. Crew members included Norwegian Roald Amundsen, the First Mate, and American Dr. Frederick Cook, the ship’s doctor, whose future exploits would make them famous (or infamous). De Gerlache was seeking fame, adventure, and acclaim for his country, Belgium. He and Captain Lecointe had to decide, as winter closed in, whether to continue their quest or turn back. more
An incredible story of Antarctic exploration by the ship and crew of the Belgica. Memorable characters and events. Well researched and written. It also features two significant characters of polar exploration, Amundsen and Cook in their early years. To read how the journey shaped these men for their future exploits was fascinating. more
This book is an amazing accomplishment. I am generally not a fan of adventure non-fiction, and I feel trapped as soon as I step aboard a boat. But the book is so well written, the story so compellingly told, and the characters made so real and multi-dimensional, that I completely fell in, and read it, breathlessly, in a weekend. Sancton not only does an excellent job explaining the technical, interpersonal, and psychological issues facing the crew of the Belgica, he makes the reader feel the intense sense of peril. I've never written a Goodreads review before, but I felt compelled to let people know about this book. more
4. 25This book really at times reads like a horror. You can absolutely FEEL the decent into madness for some of these sailors. You can HEAR the rats rummaging around on the ship. You can SMELL the animals, etc. more
Another excellent polar exploration narrative. Other than Roald Amundsen, I was not familiar with the Belgica or any members of its crew. While the adventure of the Belgica is entertaining in itself, the best parts of the book were the character studies of Amundsen, Cook and de Gerlache, as well as Sancton's analysis of the crew's successes and the voyage's long term implications for polar exploration (and space exploration, for that matter). A worthwhile read for any fan of polar exploration. more
An Antarctic expedition in 1897 starting in Belgium. I had not heard of this before. Belgium is famous as the country that is used to indicate the size of something on travel documentaries. This lake in Russia is about the size of Belgium. You can fit Belgium into this Iowa corn field. more
The title of the book caught my attention. The wonderful writing and incredible research kept me to the end. The prose is tight, colorful, and dramatic. I'd never heard about this Beligica or the journey to the Antartic. It is not even the type of non-fiction I would typically read. more
much more soon. for now: I liked this one. The Belgica expedition seemed destined for failure even before the ship arrived in Antarctica, but somehow made it there and back. on the personal side: I feel so stupid. I bought this book because I couldn't remember reading anything about The Belgica expedition, then realized after the author brought it up that I've had Frederick Cook's Through the First Antarctic Night sitting on my shelves forever (still unread). more
I thought this book was just fascinating. One of my favourite reads in a long time. Such an incredible adventure and told like your reading a thriller. Never a dull moment. So exciting and riveting. more
Fascinating account of one of the lesser known (to me anyway) expeditions from the great age of polar exploration. The fame and fate of those involved subsequently adds to the drama. Great read. more
Madhouse at the End of the Earth: The Belgica’s Journey Into the Dark Antarctic Night by Julian Sancton promises more in the title than it delivers. This is an interesting story of discovery and misfortune, but ends with a thunk. In the late 19th century, a Belgian aristocrat, Adrien de Gerlache, sails for Antarctica with a hastily assembled (and somewhat unqualified and unprepared) crew. It’s been his life’s dream to become the first to reach the magnetic South Pole. Unfortunately, his ambitions fuel his poor judgement and he steers the Belgica into the sea ice instead of away from it. more