Madhouse at the End of the Earth: The Belgica’s Journey into the Dark Antarctic Night

Read this on a beach holiday and it was very good. Even more so because it is true. The author clearly did meticulous research, really filled out the characters and offered the reader a fascinating tale of adventure. Genuinely enjoyed this.

What a compelling read! The writing was fantastic, and the primary source research was seamlessly pulled into a narrative that was engaging and psychologically fascinating. I was in awe of how much research the author did, yet still managed to make the story so engaging that I picked it up each morning in preference to the daily paper (something I never do.) I have read many polar exploration accounts and often the Belgica has been mentioned in passing as an example of men who went mad after being trapped through the polar night. What an over-simplification! I had read nothing that told the story of these men's fortitude and unbelievable resourcefulness, nor did it stick in my mind from these mentions that the Belgica successfully over-wintered and RETURNED HOME, while only losing two men. Reading about how they survived and got out of the pack ice made my jaw drop. Thank goodness someone has finally told the real story, so that the Belgica expedition gets its due and doesn't remain merely a misleading footnote about insanity from isolation. It truly rivals Shackleton's story for sheer endurance and psychological resilience -- I'm left sad that so many polar adventure readers have been left with the impression for over a century that the Beljica was nothing more than an object lesson about what could go wrong. Instead, it is an object lesson about the human spirit and what can be done when all appears to be lost. Absolutely inspiring. Thank you so much for hours of enjoyment and inspiration, Julian Sancton, thank you for resurrecting these men's unbelievable accomplishment in a way that gave me courage for my own life.

A very well-written book that tells a powerful story of misadventure and high drama in the Antarctic. It paints a vivid picture of the passion for exploration in the late 19th century and the wild risks that sailors were prepared to take in order to make a name for themselves. Reading this book is like stepping 125 years back in time and living the lives of the explorer-adventurers of that era. Highly recommended 😊👍

No me gusto que llego la cubierta del libro (dust jacket) con pegamento de la caja y rota.

- la copie etait asez usee mais acceptable

One of the best books I’ve read, gripping