In the years following the Civil War, “Arctic fever,” fueled by myths of a fertile, tropical sea at the top of the world, gripped the American public. Several explorers attempted to find a route to the North Pole, but none succeeded.

Bound by Ice follows the journey of George Washington De Long and the crew of the USS Jeannette, who departed San Francisco in the summer of 1879 hoping to find a route to the North Pole. However, in mid-September, the ship became locked in the frozen seas north of Siberia and drifted for nearly two years before it was crushed by ice and sank.

De Long and his men escaped the ship and began a treacherous journey in extreme polar conditions in an attempt to reach civilization. Many—including De Long himself—did not survive. A true-life adventure of the first order, Bound by Ice includes excerpts from De Long’s extensive journals, which were recovered with his body, plus newspaper accounts from the time and photos and sketches from the men on the expedition. Backmatter includes an epilogue, author’s note, bibliography, source notes, and a full index.