The Expedition: Solving the Mystery of a Polar Tragedy

Description

On July 11th, 1897, three men set out in a hydrogen balloon bound for the North Pole. They never returned. This award-winning forensic investigation reveals their final hours. 11 July, 1897. Three men set out in a hydrogen balloon bound for the North Pole. They never return. Two days into their journey they make a crash landing then disappear into a white nightmare. 33 years later. The men's bodies are found, perfectly preserved under the snow and ice. They had enough food, clothing and ammunition to survive. Why did they die? 66 years later. Bea Uusma is at a party. Bored, she pulls a books off the shelf. It is about the expedition. For the next fifteen years, Bea will think of nothing else... Can she solve the mystery of The Expedition?

Bea Uusma started investigating the Andree expedition whilst completing her medical degree. THE EXPEDITION was awarded the August Prize, 2013 for best non-fiction book.

'Uusma's tenacity has produced real results and by the artless vulnerability with which she reveals her own foibles and the artful way in which she weaves together history, research and self-revelation into something of genuine substance' The Times. 'A masterpiece' Aftonbladet. 'A fascinating, seriously entertaining book' Helsingborgs Dagbladet. 'I read it in one sitting. You just can't put it down' Nerikes Allehanda. 'Not just an exploration book or a detective story but an intriguing experiment in literary non-fiction, THE EXPEDITION is playful in its typography and layout, with every page designed and not just typeset. But its whimsy is always purposeful, and the book earns its right both as documentary and as memoir to the attention of exploration enthusiasts of any taste' Times Lierary Supplement. 'This beautifully written adventure story is a blend of memoir and poetic investigation, packed with maps, photographs, lists and journal entries' The Simple Things.