Join us for an informal and relaxed discussion of Julian Sancton's "Madhouse at the End of the Earth." Copies are available at the Munster branch.
In August 1897, thirty-one-year-old commandant Adrien de Gerlache set sail aboard the Belgica, fueled by a profound sense of adventure and dreams of claiming glory for his native Belgium. His destination was the uncharted end of the earth: the icy continent of Antarctica. But the commandant's plans for a three-year expedition to reach the magnetic South Pole would be thwarted at each turn. Before the ship cleared South America, it had already broken down, run aground, and lost several key crew members, leaving behind a group with dubious experience for such an ambitious voyage.
As the ship progressed into the freezing waters, the captain had to make a choice: turn back and spare his men the potentially devastating consequences of getting stuck, or recklessly sail deeper into the ice pack to chase glory and fame. He sailed on, and the Belgica soon found itself stuck fast in the icy hold of the Antarctic continent. The ship would winter on the ice. Plagued by a mysterious, debilitating illness and besieged by the monotony of their days, the crew deteriorated as their confinement in suffocating close quarters wore on and their hope of escape dwindled daily.
Drawing on firsthand accounts of the Belgica's voyage and exclusive access to the ship's logbook, Sancton tells the tale of its long, isolated imprisonment on the ice--a story that NASA studies today in its research on isolation for missions to Mars. In vivid, hair-raising prose, Sancton recounts the myriad forces that drove these men right up to and over the brink of madness.
AGE GROUP: | Adults (19-99) |
TAGS: | Discussion Groups |
The Munster Branch is a convenient, vibrant community center and educational hot spot for residents in the Lake County Public Library District and surrounding areas. Our goal is to be an inviting place where the community looks forward to visiting and using the library's services with their friends and family. This year, over 147,000 people walked through our doors and received wonderful service from the Munster Library staff.
Our library contains library materials for adults, teens and children along with ample seating, a meeting room, program room, WiFi access, public computers and small group rooms. We also provide a variety of programs for people of all ages in-house and at Munster schools. We take pride in our community by featuring and co-hosting programs with local non-profit organizations.
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