Grumpy review ahead:
I'm not really sure what I want to say about this book! I really wanted to like it a lot, but the story, it seems to me, got bogged down in the minutiae. Sides obviously did an amazing amount of research, but I think a lot of what made it into the book could have been put into footnotes...which would have taken up about half the space. What finally pushed me over the edge was a detailed description of a hotel: WHY am I reading a description of the menu of a fancy hotel in a book that is supposed to be telling me about a voyage to the Arctic?! Not integral to the story & doesn't need to be there. Describe the ship's stores, personnel, structure...but you don't need to put every single interesting factoid from your research into the finished product. So, I skimmed a LOT.

Mailed (finally!)

Received while I was on vacation. I really like books on polar expeditions, so I’m looking forward to this one,