Bound To Stay Bound

Booklist - 05/01/2019 Ah, the elusive North Pole; often sought but never reached until, perhaps, the advent of Norwegian explorer, adventurer, and scientist Fridtjof Nansen, who was determined to make the effort even though, as Lourie writes, “to attempt reaching the North Pole in the 1890s was like preparing for the first moon landing.” Heading resolutely into the unknown, Nansen and his crew of 12 set off on their grand adventure on June 24, 1893. Nansen’s bold plan was to deliberately freeze his ship, the Fram, in the northward drifting ice pack. With that accomplished as planned, Nansen and one of his crew, Frederik Hjalmar Johansen, abandoned the ship, setting off on a dash in search of the Pole. Would they succeed? Indeed, in the face of overwhelming odds, would they even survive? Lourie has done a superb job of recreating an epic, little-known story of white-knuckled adventure and survival. Well written, the story sets a brisk pace and is enlivened by a generous selection of photographs and Nansen’s own well-executed sketches. A rich selection of appended matter further enhances this memorable story. - Copyright 2019 Booklist.