A Wretched and Precarious Situation
In Search of the Last Arctic Frontier
WW Norton · Print & ebook · November 21, 2017
From a snow-swept hill in the ice fields northwest of Greenland, famed Arctic explorer Robert E. Peary spots a line of mysterious peaks dotting the horizon.
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- Who it’s for
- A brisk, unsentimental search through Arctic history, with a taste for hard conditions.
- Genres
- Exploration & Discovery, Polar Regions History, Adventurers & Explorers
- Published
- WW Norton, November 21, 2017
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Start with this bookAbout this book
From a snow-swept hill in the ice fields northwest of Greenland, famed Arctic explorer Robert E. Peary spots a line of mysterious peaks dotting the horizon. In 1906, he names that distant, uncharted territory “Crocker Land.”
Continue reading
Years later, two of Peary’s disciples, George Borup and Donald MacMillan, take the brave steps Peary never did: with a team of amateur adventurers and intrepid native guides, they endeavor to reach this unknown land and fill in the last blank space on the globe. What follows is hardship and mishap the likes of which none of the explorers could possibly have imagined. From howling blizzards and desperate food shortages to crime and tragedy, the explorers experience a remarkable journey of endurance, courage, and hope. Set in one of the world’s most inhospitable places, A Wretched and Precarious Situation is an Arctic tale unlike any other.
Arctic Friction
A brisk, unsentimental search through Arctic history, with a taste for hard conditions.
Come here for
- Arctic-frontier atmosphere
- Cultural-literacy context with an edged tone
Expect
- Sustained narrative read
- Insight alongside immersion
Where it sits
| Adventurers & Explorers | 81% |
|---|---|
| Polar Regions History | 53% |
| Exploration & Discovery | 45% |
Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.
Publisher categories
- Polar Regions History
- Exploration & Discovery
- Authors
- David Welky, Joel Richards, Audible Studios
- Publisher
- WW Norton
- Published
- November 21, 2017
- Format
- Print & ebook
- Reading lane
- Polar Regions History