This husband-wife team relates their careful research in an engaging narrative. Their writing style will disprove anyone that claims historical accounts are dry!
After the Civil War, explorers were obsessed about reaching the North Pole. Many theories were spouted about the North Pole, including that a tropical sea surrounded it. George W. De Long led an expedition to discover the mysteries of the North Pole. The men encountered danger and mishap continuously. Out of the 33 men who left on the expedition, only 12 survived. Sadly, George W. De Long died in Siberia along with several of his men. Although many men died and they did not reach the North Pole, De Long's journal and record keeping continues to aid science and researchers.
As I read this exciting account, I was amazed by the men's good cheer, perseverance and willingness to endure physical hardship for the sake of science and discovery. Do individuals exist like that anymore?!
This quote from George Melville, the Chief Engineer, summarizes the attitude of these men well. "If men must die, why not in honorable pursuit of knowledge? Woe, woe to America when the young blood of our nation has no sacrifice to make for science.
*Highly recommend.
-Borrowed from the library.
The library has this book categorized as "young adult".
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