Madhouse at the End of the Earth: The Belgica's Journey into the Dark Antarctic Night

4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars | 3,856 ratings

Price: 17.72

Last update: 12-20-2024


About this item

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER The “exquisitely researched and deeply engrossing” (The New York Times) 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

“The energy of the narrative never flags. . . . Sancton has produced a thriller.”—The Wall Street Journal

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 costly setbacks, the commandant faced two bad options: turn back in defeat and spare his men the devastating Antarctic winter, or recklessly chase fame by sailing deeper into the freezing waters. De Gerlache sailed on, and soon the Belgica was stuck fast in the icy hold of the Bellingshausen Sea. When the sun set on the magnificent polar landscape one last time, the ship’s occupants were condemned to months of endless night. In the darkness, plagued by a mysterious illness and besieged by monotony, they descended into madness.

In Madhouse at the End of the Earth, Julian Sancton unfolds an epic story of adventure and horror for the ages. As the Belgica’s men teetered on the brink, de Gerlache relied increasingly on two young officers whose friendship had blossomed in captivity: the expedition’s lone American, Dr. Frederick Cook—half genius, half con man—whose later infamy would overshadow his brilliance on the Belgica; and the ship’s first mate, soon-to-be legendary Roald Amundsen, even in his youth the storybook picture of a sailor. Together, they would plan a last-ditch, nearly certain-to-fail escape from the ice—one that would either etch their names in history or doom them to a terrible fate at the ocean’s bottom.

Drawing on the diaries and journals of the Belgica’s crew and with exclusive access to the ship’s logbook, Sancton brings novelistic flair to a story of human extremes, one so remarkable that even today NASA studies it for research on isolation for future missions to Mars. Equal parts maritime thriller and gothic horror, Madhouse at the End of the Earth is an unforgettable journey into the deep.


Top reviews from the United States

Wiiddershinz
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book
Reviewed in the United States on September 17, 2024
Great story, exciting, fun to read and well written.
Steven E. Sanderson
4.0 out of 5 stars Intrepid explorers in the Antarctic
Reviewed in the United States on June 29, 2021
This is an excellent book, enjoyable to read and rich in detail. The story itself, of a Belgian whaler refitted for polar exploration, is rich with weird turn-of-the-century nationalism and heroic acts. The characters, from the commandant and captain to the celebrated conqueror of the South Pole Roald Amundsen, are novel-worthy in the best sense. The author treats all of them with respect, while showing their flaws through the harrowing narrative. The action scenes are very tense and well-written. The flawed hubris of humanity against wild nature comes through in great relief. And the region being described is pretty priceless on its own.
Beach reader
5.0 out of 5 stars Rivals Shackleton, unbelievably good book!
Reviewed in the United States on June 17, 2021
What a compelling read! The writing was fantastic, and the primary source research was seamlessly pulled into a narrative that was engaging and psychologically fascinating. I was in awe of how much research the author did, yet still managed to make the story so engaging that I picked it up each morning in preference to the daily paper (something I never do.) I have read many polar exploration accounts and often the Belgica has been mentioned in passing as an example of men who went mad after being trapped through the polar night. What an over-simplification! I had read nothing that told the story of these men's fortitude and unbelievable resourcefulness, nor did it stick in my mind from these mentions that the Belgica successfully over-wintered and RETURNED HOME, while only losing two men. Reading about how they survived and got out of the pack ice made my jaw drop. Thank goodness someone has finally told the real story, so that the Belgica expedition gets its due and doesn't remain merely a misleading footnote about insanity from isolation. It truly rivals Shackleton's story for sheer endurance and psychological resilience -- I'm left sad that so many polar adventure readers have been left with the impression for over a century that the Beljica was nothing more than an object lesson about what could go wrong. Instead, it is an object lesson about the human spirit and what can be done when all appears to be lost. Absolutely inspiring. Thank you so much for hours of enjoyment and inspiration, Julian Sancton, thank you for resurrecting these men's unbelievable accomplishment in a way that gave me courage for my own life.
Linda F.
5.0 out of 5 stars Curious about Antarctica?
Reviewed in the United States on October 4, 2024
I bought this book for two different friends, it's well written, it moves along like a good novel, and is a true account of a very interesting time in the exploration of unknown territories. Read it and enjoy the fact that you have a house, and have food, and heat!
SW
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautifully written and riveting
Reviewed in the United States on August 11, 2024
I read this book for 5 hours straight on a flight , and I must say, wow, what an amazing story and cast of characters. The writing is excellent and beautifully descriptive of the harsh realities the men of the Belgica faced. Highly recommend.
A customer
4.0 out of 5 stars Good read
Reviewed in the United States on November 26, 2021
I read about the expedition of the Jeannette a couple of years ago, and decided this book might also be interesting. The suffering that these early explorers experienced was extreme, but their experiences of the polar regions were also spectacular. This is a book that will keep your interest and open up a view to the late nineteenth century and the dreams of brave men. Earth was still not completely known. Now, we have trampled all over our planet, surrounded her with space junk, and are dreaming of exploring Mars. All this in a century. It gives one pause.
Eric
5.0 out of 5 stars The Belgica
Reviewed in the United States on July 12, 2021
Having read about the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration and the daring exploits of it's more well-known men such as Shackleton, Scott and Amundsen, I knew it was mandatory for me to read about an expedition that, up until now, I had little (if any) knowledge about. The expedition that started the era of Antarctic exploration: The Belgian Antarctic Expedition of 1897-1899.

Julian Sancton does a superb job with meticulous research into this expedition, and explores the trials and tribulations of it's commandant: Adrien de Gerlache and his officers and crew that he is in charge of. Some parts of the book are written so well and capture your attention, that the story seems almost like a work of fiction. Sancton makes you feel empathic to de Gerlache's plight of commanding a petty and insubordinate crew during the early stages of the expedition. Sancton does this by going into depth of the characters of the men aboard the Belgica with detail. One can feel sympathy and grievance with de Gerlache, who ends up redeeming himself when the ship is threatened with another winter in the pack ice of Antarctica. One can feel frustrated yet inspired by the resident doctor aboard, Frederick Cook, who later in life loses his prestige and respect to scandals of his own making. One can certainly feel contemptuous and slightly unforgiving to the spiteful and unforgiving Norwegian Roald Amundsen, who would later in his life lead his own expedition and claim the South Pole for his own country, to the ire of the British people who felt he slighted Robert Falcon Scott of the honor.

This book is a very important historical contribution to Antarctic history and revives an expedition that almost seemed nearly forgotten to the depths of time. Sancton makes sure that the story of the Belgica and her men would live on, and never be forgotten. I highly recommend this book, even if you're not into the history of the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration.

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