Madhouse at the End of the Earth
by Julian Sancton · first published 2021
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"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 Sides. In August 1897, the young Belgian commandant Adrien de Gerlache set sail for a three year expedition aboard the good ship Belgica with dreams of glory. His destination was the uncharted end of the earth: the icy continent of Antarctica. But de Gerlache's plans to be first to the magnetic South Pole would swiftly go awry. After a series of c
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…was mostly Belgian in name only and also a complete disaster, save for a commendable amount of scientific data being collected. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belgian_Antarctic_Expedition The book "Madhouse at the End of the Earth" by Julian Sancton is a great read for this story of the first humans to spend a sun-less winter in Antarctica.
on “Belgian scientific base in Antarctica engulfed by Covid despite strict measures” ↗If you like history and stories like this you'll probably also enjoy "Madhouse at the End of the Earth: The Belgica's Journey into the Dark Antarctic Night" (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54900051-madhouse-at-the...) A 1897 expedition that ends up wintering (stuck floating in the ice) in a time…
on “The harrowing journey to Elephant Island by Ernest Shackleton and Endurance crew” ↗_Madhouse at the End of the Earth_ by Julian Sancton went hard. It documents the tragic expedition of Adrian de Gerlache to the south pole in the late 19th century. Due to hubris, they wound up locked in the ice overwinter, and came within…
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on “Ask HN: Books about people who did hard things” ↗