Try free for 30 days
-
Madhouse at the End of the Earth
- The Belgica’s Journey into the Dark Antarctic Night
- Narrated by: Vikas Adam
- Length: 13 hrs and 28 mins
Failed to add items
Add to basket failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from Wish List failed.
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Madhouse at the End of the Earth
Buy Now for $26.99
No valid payment method on file.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Publisher's Summary
Brought to you by Penguin.
The harrowing survival story of an early polar expedition that went terribly wrong, with the ship frozen in ice and the crew trapped inside for the entire sunless Antarctic winter.
August 1897: the Belgica set sail, eager to become the first scientific expedition to reach the white wilderness of the South Pole. But the ship soon became stuck fast in the ice of the Bellinghausen sea, condemning the ship's crew to overwintering in Antarctica and months of endless polar night. In the darkness, plagued by a mysterious illness, their minds ravaged by the sound of dozens of rats teeming in the hold, they descended into madness.
In this epic tale, Julian Sancton unfolds a story of adventure gone horribly awry. As the crew teetered on the brink, the captain increasingly relied on two young officers whose friendship had blossomed in captivity - Dr Frederick Cook, the wild American whose later infamy would overshadow his brilliance on the Belgica; and the ship's first mate, soon-to-be legendary Roald Amundsen, who later raced Captain Scott to the South Pole. Together, Cook and Amundsen would plan a last-ditch, desperate escape from the ice - one that would either etch their names into history or doom them to a terrible fate in the frozen ocean.
Drawing on firsthand crew diaries and journals, and exclusive access to the ship's logbook, the result is equal parts maritime thriller and gothic horror. This is an unforgettable journey into the deep.
Critic Reviews
"An unforgettable tale brilliantly told." (Scott Anderson)
"It grips from first sentence to last." (Lawrence Osborne)
"The next great contribution to polar literature." (Hampton Sides)
What listeners say about Madhouse at the End of the Earth
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jammo
- 05-11-2022
rather enjoyable
This was an unexpected delight. Highly engaging tale that included deep interesting information, first person accounts and solid research.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Rowey555
- 02-11-2024
Great book
A great book and very worth a listen. Very well researched and well told. Narrator is fantastic too.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- jpublic
- 02-05-2022
Brilliant Read
page-turning plot, in-depth character portrayal and meticulous historical research. An emotional roller- coaster of a read...
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 05-02-2024
Narrator was excellent.
What a wonderful find by chance and taking the risk to read a topic I would normally never have considered.
The narrator got so excited at times. And then he bought the dark and depressive moments as if he himself were part of the crew.
This really was a fantastic read and I highly recommend it.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Robyn
- 20-09-2022
Gripping
An amazing account of one of the lesser known journeys to the Antarctic in the Age of Polar Exploration. Just when you think things couldn't get worse, they do. Julian Sancton has used a variety of sources to give us a fact-based account which is beautifully written and perfectly paced. This is an exciting story not to be missed. Vikas Adam's narration is perfect.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Wombat
- 27-11-2023
Another amazing must read Antarctic Epic
Came across this by chance while browsing on Audible - and what a gem. On a par with Shackleton and his epic 1915/6 escape from Antarctic ice and the loss of Endeavour - and the two tales have a lot in common albeit this adventure occured 17 years prior (1898/9). Thoroughly recommended - and the last chapters about the subsequent adventures of Frederick Cook and Roald Amundsen (who were leading players in this expedition) and particularly the uncertainty about who got to the North Pole first was also fascinating given what we had already learned about these characters! Highly commended!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Judith
- 04-11-2023
Exhilarating story
In common with other readers, I found this true story to be absolutely gripping in completely unexpected ways. I was introduced to characters both unknown and known, and enjoyed the careful but thorough descriptions of the ship’s officers and crew, around whom the story revolved. Although taking place more than 120 years ago, the experiences recorded on this voyage are important to today’s scientists planning trips to space. Read it and discover a completely new world.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!