well enough told, but has 30 minute author‘s note at the end, where one really expects more info on the fate of the other members of the expedition. irritating. sometimes a LOT of pathos. 

Interesting book about the history of Antartic exploration. I am glad I listened to it rather than reading it myself. It starts off a little slow, but soon there are lots of perals and adventures facing the crew. 

An epic and fascinating story of human survival. Would highly recommend to anyone who enjoys non-fiction stories, and particularly anyone who has an interest in the Golden Age of Polar Exploration.

I CANNOT find the bookstagrammer who recommended this in a video, but shout out to them, this was kind of a banger.

Madhouse at the End of the Earth: The Belgica's Journey Into the Dark Antarctic Night by
Julian Sancton 4/5 🏔️s

This nonfiction text tells the story of the Belgica, one of the first expeditions to chart the South Pole led, by Belgian commandment Adrien der Gerlach. Although based on diary entries from the crew (of the 18 man crew, 10 kept diaries of the expedition), the book reads in most cases like a novel: it's not sensationalized, but it approaches it's subject matter with unflinching detail. Centering on the first four officers of the ship, de Gerlach, Roald Amundsen, Frederick Cook, and Georges Lecointe, the book paints a vivid picture of each man, laying out their personalities, drives, goals, and ambitious as they impacted the decisions made throughout the expedition. 

See, the Belgica is famous not only for being one of the first ships to map the coast of Antarctica, but for being the first ship to survive a winter in the Antarctic. The extensive record keeping kept by the crew and the ships doctor has made this exploration a case study in human behavior within isolated environments, and has impacted the way humans prepare for space travel, deep sea travel, as well as other forms of extreme isolation. Cook's theories of maintaining mental stability, born out of his experience on the ship, represent some of the first documents indicating a relationship between light and human health (think of seasonal affective disorder). His knowledge of first nations practices of hunting and food preparation are also the main reason his crew survived, and helped legitimize indigenous techniques of health and wellness in the eyes of white scholars during this period.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and learned a lot from it. The amount of research the author put into it really shows in the descriptions of the landscape and the characterization of the men onboard, helping to humanize this story of nearly one hundred years ago.

While there were certainly interesting aspects to the story, it dragged on and the title and description were deceptive. I especially take exception to line "the men descended into madness and turned against each other" which was on the back of the book. That is definitely a gross exaggeration intended to sell books.