Realm of ice and sky Triumph, tragedy, and history's greatest Arctic rescue

Levy (Empire of Ice and Stone, 2022) continues his literary foray into the far north with this intriguing look into aerial exploration of the North Pole. After a brief overview of nineteenth-century "polar mania," including the famously doomed Franklin and Greely expeditions, he focuses on the period from 1900 to 1928, when hot air balloons and aircraft joined the international frenzy to reach the Pole. While readers will likely be familiar with Roald Amundsen, whose disappearance and assumed death make for a significant part of the narrative, it is the travails of lesser-known American journalist Walter Wellman and Italian balloonist Umberto Nobile that will likely spark acute reader interest and discussion (this is an excellent choice for book groups). Levy writes not only of the key events impacting these men as they competed to win the pole, he also considers their fears and excitements, their failures and disappointments, and, for Nobile in particular, the implications of a crushing loss. Levy excels at writing vivid history about the polar regions and exploration, and he's written another winner.

Award-winning Levy (Empire of Ice and Stone: The Disastrous and Heroic Voyage of the Karluk) details how polar airships replaced dogsled teams in Arctic exploration in the early decades of the 20th century. These were dangerous missions made possible through developments in engineering and technology, but expeditioners still risked losing their lives and limbs. This book focuses on the expeditions of three men--Walter Wellman, Roald Amundsen, and Umberto Nobile--who raced to reach the North Pole. Representing the U.S., Norway, and Italy, these explorers became international celebrities due to daily media coverage of their journeys. Levy shows that their successes were built on the work of supporters and competitors, such as Chester Melvin Vaniman, Robert Peary, Frederick Cook, and Frank Purdy Lahm. But Wellman, Amundsen, and Nobile also faced many physical and mental hardships during their expeditions as they watched their fame, fortunes, and reputations rise and fall repeatedly. VERDICT This highly recommended adventure narrative makes for great reading.--Catherine Lantz