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mbondlamberty's review
3.0
This was an interesting examination of the story of exploration for a Northern passage to China.
It was informative, especially about Dutch efforts, but it wasn't a very compelling read.
It is hard to make a hard tale of survival something that one wants to read.
I did finish it (I listened to it) and that helped make some parts easier to get through.
It was informative, especially about Dutch efforts, but it wasn't a very compelling read.
It is hard to make a hard tale of survival something that one wants to read.
I did finish it (I listened to it) and that helped make some parts easier to get through.
mizar's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
slow-paced
4.0
An account of the voyages of Willem Barentsz to the North Pole, at an age where polar exploration had not yet entered into the public consciousness.
Seeking a trade route to China, the newly founded Dutch kingdom sent Barents on 3 expeditions to try and find a fabled Northern route towards Asia. It was the time believed that the polar sea should be ice-free due to the constant sunshine during summer. The Dutchmen went totally unprepared. There no heavy winter clothing, no preparations to ward off scurvy, which was the scourge of sailors at that time, and certainly no preparations for wintering over the Arctic circle in perpetual night during Barentsz third and final expedition.
Seeking a trade route to China, the newly founded Dutch kingdom sent Barents on 3 expeditions to try and find a fabled Northern route towards Asia. It was the time believed that the polar sea should be ice-free due to the constant sunshine during summer. The Dutchmen went totally unprepared. There no heavy winter clothing, no preparations to ward off scurvy, which was the scourge of sailors at that time, and certainly no preparations for wintering over the Arctic circle in perpetual night during Barentsz third and final expedition.
me_haugen's review
5.0
Goodreads, you honor me by publishing my words. so humbled to be doing another review for your fine site. I read this one while I was waiting for my Youtube video to load. My internet has been very slow lately ever since Comcast sent me a nasty letter saying they had to give me less internet because I was downloading too many big pictures of whales for a collage I was making of the gentlest giants in the sea. I guess the pictures were taking up so much space that no one else in the apartment building could get internet and my neighbor missed the deadline for their clay massaging class which is where I guess you work the clay on a wheel but never make any pottery. Anyway, I get less internet now and I didn't even end up making the collage cause my roommate told me orcas aren't even that gentle of a giant and are actually sort of dicks. My Youtube video did eventually load though and I did get some tips for getting salt water taffy out of my mustache so that turned out nice. This book was good.
miguelf's review
4.0
The detailed reporting on events that happened 400 years ago is fairly astounding at times. Minor criticism is simply the tale is so typical of those trapped near the North or South pole and grim tale of survival that seems to be such a common trope. One does learn specifically to never eat polar bear livers, or for that matter be in or around polar bears if one can possibly avoid doing so.