In the Kingdom of Ice: The Grand and Terrible Polar Voyage of the USS Jeannette

by Hampton Sides

As the Jeannette drew nearer to the equator, the waters became oily calm and teemed with eels, tortoises, and dolphins.

But why would anyone—officer, seaman, or scientist—volunteer for such a risky and difficult mission in the Arctic?

Farewell, brave boys, may your guns always salute friends and terrify enemies.

Siberia! The mainland of Asia … the delta of the mighty Lena River.

Yakutsk was widely considered the coldest city on earth—a designation it still holds today—and the world’s largest city built entirely on permafrost.