The Belgica’s Journey into the Dark Antarctic Night

Madhouse at the End of the Earth

'An epic of survival' -- MICHAEL PALIN 
'A "grade-A classic"' -- SUNDAY TIMES 
'Utterly enthralling' -- GEOFF DYER, GUARDIAN 
'Deeply engrossing' -- NEW YORK TIMES 
LISTED AS A BOOK OF THE YEAR IN THE TIMES, NEW STATESMAN, SUNDAY TIMES 
 
 
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 first-hand 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.

A "grade-A classic" that's feverishly compelling ... this story has everything

Exquisitely researched and deeply engrossing

An epic of survival. A mixture of chaos and great courage; part Monty Python sketch, part real-life heroics

The next great contribution to polar literature. A wild tale, so well told and immersively researched

Hampton Sides, New York Times bestselling author of IN THE KINGDOM OF ICE

A brilliant, vivid piece of writing that should be read by all who care about heroism, courage, ingenuity and endurance... it is adventure to the max, and peopled by wonderful characters. As soon as you finish, you want to read it again

The story of the Belgica has been told before, but never so brilliantly. Madhouse at the End of the Earth belongs at the heights of polar literature

Considering that much of Madhouse at the End of the Earth is about moribundity, Sancton does well to make each page exciting - "murder, suicide, starvation, insanity, icy death and all the acts of the devil"

A riveting true-life horror story ... an obscure but important history transformed by deep research and note-perfect storytelling into a classic thriller

Walter Isaacson, bestselling author of STEVE JOBS and LEONARDO DA VINCI

Artfully constructed, written with evenly-paced poise and with a kind of dread-filled assurance, it grips from first sentence to last

Lawrence Osborne, international bestselling author of THE FORGIVEN

One of the most enthralling-and harrowing-adventure stories in years... An unforgettable tale brilliantly told

Scott Anderson, bestselling author of LAWRENCE IN ARABIA

Has it all: Idealism, ingenuity, ambition, explosives, flimflammery, a colourful cast, a blank map, a three-month-long night, penguins (and medicinal penguin meat). A riveting tale, splendidly told

Stacy Schiff, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of THE WITCHES and CLEOPATRA

A mesmerizing, unputdownable read... an epic of Antarctic exploration

Nathaniel Philbrick, author of IN THE HEART OF THE SEA and VALIANT AMBITION

[A] riveting history... A rousing, suspenseful adventure tale

The savage beauty of the antarctic landscape grips. The writing is exacting, compelling and compassionate.

The energy of the narrative never flags... Mr. Sancton has produced a thriller, and a welcome addition to the polar shelves

A riveting account...well-researched and enthralling

'A splendid, beautifully written book'

This is an epic of exploration, a brilliantly vivid piece of writing told by a natural storyteller

Julian Sancton's impressive research and incisive writing style ensures that this lockdown story grips like the pack ice

**A Times Best Book of 2021** 
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 first-hand 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.

Julian Sancton

A rousing slice of narrative history, and a rip-roaring tale from bow to stern

Spanish galleons groaning with gold, piratical English sea captains, swashbuckling treasure hunters with Hemingway beards, war, greed and adventure … Neptune’s Fortune is exactly the sort of book I want to read

A wonderful book, full of heroism, greed, piracy, sunken treasure, and adventure on the high seas. A wild, incredible story from beginning to end, with a central character straight out of Hemingway, it’s even more remarkable because it’s true

Eric Schlosser, New York Times bestselling author of 'Command and Control' and 'Fast Food Nation'

For more than three centuries the Spanish galleon San José remained a mystery, lost in battle and vanished in the pitiless deep ocean. Whoever found this shipwreck and its legendary treasure—among the many searching for it—would find their name etched in history. How fortunate for us that one man’s obsession with the San José led to its discovery, and that master storyteller Julian Sancton has chronicled this triumph. Neptune’s Fortune is a real-life drama, a maritime riddle, a swashbuckling adventure, and above all, a riveting tale

Susan Casey, New York Times bestselling author of 'The Underworld'

Sancton is a masterful storyteller, and he has struck gold—pun intended—with Neptune’s Fortune. Through extraordinary research across three continents and with a journalist’s eye for the telling detail, he has penned a rollicking tale of buccaneers, shady treasure hunters and sea battles both past and present. Readers are in for a rare treat

Scott Anderson, New York Times bestselling author of 'Lawrence in Arabia'

Of all the prizes slumbering upon the world’s seabeds, no shipwreck has stirred more mystery, intrigue, or controversy than the galleon San Jose. In these briskly-paced pages, Julian Sancton takes us from moldering Spanish archives to the murk of the Caribbean to tell the thrilling story of how one quixotic, eccentric, and thoroughly obsessed sleuth stubbornly defied the odds to locate this most legendary of underwater bounties. Neptune’s Fortune is about treasure and the subculture of treasure seekers, but more importantly, it reminds us of the deeper and more satisfying riches that come embedded within a splendid historical tale that’s been researched meticulously and told exceptionally well

Hampton Sides, New York Times bestselling author of 'The Wide Wide Sea'

Roaring with excitement, Neptune’s Fortune is a deeply reported adventure, a study in obsession, and a thoroughly engrossing read. Sancton writes in the fine tradition of great narrative nonfiction that transports the reader into private worlds and into marvellous larger-than-life characters.

Susan Orlean, bestselling author of 'The Orchid Thief' and 'The Library Book'

A brilliantly written, utterly engrossing book that moves with great panache between the 18th century and the present, between the spectacle and horror of the Spanish Main and its modern-day equivalent. If I were to choose one book to exemplify the fascination and folly of treasure-hunting, this would be it. A wonderful read

Julian Sancton

Praise for Neptune’s Fortune

A rousing slice of narrative history, and a rip-roaring tale from bow to stern

Spanish galleons groaning with gold, piratical English sea captains, swashbuckling treasure hunters with Hemingway beards, war, greed and adventure … Neptune’s Fortune is exactly the sort of book I want to ...

A wonderful book, full of heroism, greed, piracy, sunken treasure, and adventure on the high seas. A wild, incredible story from beginning to end, with a central character straight out of Hemingway, it’s even mor ...

A rousing slice of narrative history, and a rip-roaring tale from bow to stern

Spanish galleons groaning with gold, piratical English sea captains, swashbuckling treasure hunters with Hemingway beards, war, greed and adventure … Neptune’s Fortune is exactly the sort of book I want to ...

A wonderful book, full of heroism, greed, piracy, sunken treasure, and adventure on the high seas. A wild, incredible story from beginning to end, with a central character straight out of Hemingway, it’s even mor ...

A rousing slice of narrative history, and a rip-roaring tale from bow to stern

Spanish galleons groaning with gold, piratical English sea captains, swashbuckling treasure hunters with Hemingway beards, war, greed and adventure … Neptune’s Fortune is exactly the sort of book I want to ...

A wonderful book, full of heroism, greed, piracy, sunken treasure, and adventure on the high seas. A wild, incredible story from beginning to end, with a central character straight out of Hemingway, it’s even mor ...

Books by Julian Sancton

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