The Impossible Rescue, Martin W. Sandler
The Impossible Rescue, Martin W. Sandler
List: $28.99 | Sale: $20.29
Club: $14.49

The Impossible Rescue
The True Story of an Amazing Arctic Adventure

Author: Martin W. Sandler

Narrator: Malcolm Hillgartner

Unabridged: 3 hr 49 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 09/11/2012

Synopsis

Whaling in the Arctic waters off Alaska’s coast was as dangerous as it was lucrative in 1897. In that particular year, winter came early, bringing with it storms and ice packs that caught eight American whale ships and about three hundred sailors off guard. The ships were imprisoned in ice with no hope of escape. With limited provisions on board the ships that hadn’t been crushed by the ice, there was little hope that these men could survive until warmer temperatures arrived at least ten months later.Martin Sandler tells the incredible true adventure story of three men who were ordered by President McKinley to carry out an overland rescue that covered 1,500 miles of treacherous Alaskan terrain in the dead of winter. Their mission was to drive two herds of reindeer the distance to feed the starving men. With their own survival in the balance, these men battled raging storms, killing cold, injured sled dogs, and their own will to continue to bring relief to the stranded whale men. Entries from the journals of two of the rescuers and photographs taken by the third key member of the unlikely expedition dramatically document every mile of their heroic, unprecedented journey.

About Martin W. Sandler

Martin W. Sandler has written more than seventy books for children and adults and has written and produced seven television series. He has twice been nominated for the Pulitzer Prize and has won multiple Emmy Awards. He lives in Massachusetts.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Jim on April 23, 2013

Ever since being drawn in by the opening scenes of Frankenstein with the icebound ship, this kind of bleak setting and desperate narrative has been something I enjoy in books. I was dragged on enough winter camps as a scout in the 80s to know that I would absolutely hate it. Butterfield Canyon in th......more

Goodreads review by Dakota on October 20, 2017

Personal Response I thought the book was pretty good, but I never really fully understood why they had to walk over 1500 miles and arrived in April when they could have just waited one more month and the ice would have been melted enough to be able to get to them. I enjoyed how they gave a lot of de......more

Goodreads review by Sunday on July 04, 2023

Engaging read aloud for grades 5-8.   Imagine. Alaskan terrain. Winter. 1898. You have 400 reindeer and 1600 pounds worth of provisions you need to move 700 miles in less than eight week. To rescue 300 whalers whose ships are frozen at a standstill and who will starve if you don’t get there soon. Add......more

Goodreads review by Emily on December 02, 2016

Well, two stars is not a nice rating so I shall explain myself. This book dragged. It's biggest faults were a lack of emotion, feeling more like a clinical reselling than an exciting account of an impossible mission. Perhaps the author didn't have enough material to stay true to the story while maki......more

Goodreads review by Jim on March 18, 2016

Not a badly written adventure book detailing the brave effort of Revenue Service pre-Coast Guard) officers to relieve the crews of ice-locked (or destroyed) ships caught off the coast of northern Alaska in wintertime, but it felt a bit bland. I enjoyed it up to a point, and then got tired (like I wa......more

Add to Cart
Add to Wish List