The Deadly Arctic Expedition

The commander was Vilhjalmur Stefansson, a celebrated polar explorer known for his ego as well as his exploits. The ship was the Karluk, a nineteenth-century whaler. The mission was arctic exploration. And the end was tragic. For sixty years, the true story of the Karluk expedition was unknown, but the complete tale is told here. With over thirty crewmen, the Karluk departed for the arctic in July of 1913. In less than two months, the aged, ill-equipped boat was trapped in the ice. In a stunning act of cowardice, Stefansson abandoned the ship and crew, saying he was hunting and would return shortly. Instead, he traveled the arctic for the next five years, a journey that would win him accolades. The Karluk was crushed in the ice, however, and in their desperate search for safety, 11 crewmen died. THE DEADLY ARCTIC EXPEDITION draws heavily on a book written by William McKinlay, a scholar who was aboard the Karluk and survived the odyssey. Through his words, Stefansson's journals, archival material and expert commentary, the sad saga of the Karluk and her crew comes to life.