"In the Land of White Death" is Valerian Albanov's stunning account of a ninety day journey across the barren wastes of the North Pole with his companions as they attempted to save themselves from an icy death. They man-hauled sledges and kayaks across the ice after their whaling boat was trapped in the pack ice for more than a year. The account is well-written and really interesting.... it stands up to the more well-known polar expedition stories. As I was reading, I really wished for a second account to shed some light on Albanov himself -- who seemed brusk and difficult-- and seemed to find ways to make his travels easier while disparaging the men who had to take the harder route as slow and lazy. So, I particularly appreciated David Robert's afterward, which focuses on the other survivor's journal to flesh out some of the details.

Most readers of polar exploration are familiar with accounts of ill-fated explorers such as Scott and Shackleton. The diary of Russian explorer Valerian Albanov was only recently discovered in a French translation buried in a library, translated into English and published in 2000. It tells of an incredible journey of survival as he and some of his crew set out from his ice-locked ship in hopes of finding aid.

This, then, is an autobiography in the form of a diary or journal written by Albanov. Whereas other expeditions have been written in absentia, decades after the fact, this account is important because Albanov himself describes his incredible journey. The writing/translation is well written, and each day holds danger, despair, hope and challenge. It is difficult to put this book down.

N

This is an astonishing story and a great read. My rating lacks one star because I don't understand much about the sea or the frozen north.

As I first read this book it hooked me in since just after reading the back it sounded like quite a good adventure type book. Following the reading of 3/4 of the book I soon realized that in my opinion it got repetitive. Closer to the end the chapters seemed to hardly change in pace and really started to get old since they just seemed to be using filler making me think they didn't really know what to say happens since its to close to the end for a new event to happen but to soon since something did. It wasn't a terrible book but I felt mislead by the preview on the back. Aside from it being repetitive it wasn't all bad and I found the detail to be quite nice.

This is a very fascinating and scary book. I was very impressed with the leadership, courage and work ethic of Albanov. Amazing read. However, all the stories of extreme cold and deprivation made me feel really cold, and like a wimp in comparison. It is a good read if you are feeling sorry for yourself. Your circumstances are better than his, and he made it.

Great way to beat the summer heat! The epilogue to the Modern Library edition is definitely worth reading, as it changes your understanding of the book completely and makes you want to go back and start it all over with fresh eyes. In addition to being a great adventure story, it's another testament to the lost art of the travel diary.

One of many books on the heroism or ineptitude of Arctic/Antarctic sagas of men against the elements. This is a short, easy read. A thoughtful reflection on the power and responsibility of leadership. The best leaders, like Valerian Albanov, struggle as they exercise their authority and reproach themselves when they are unsuccessful in convincing others to follow.

Очередная летопись из серии не увенчавшихся успехом северных экспедиций. Судно "Св.Анна" планировало проследовать вдоль берегов Сибири до Владивостока, но его сковали и понесли за собой льды. Продрейфовав в льдах больше года, половина команды покинула судно, пытаясь по льдам добраться до берега и попросить помощи. В живых осталось только два моряка. Альбанов отлично пишет, а жизнь северных исследователей всегда интересна. Любопытно, что на судне "Св.Анна" была молодая женщина - Ерминия Жданко (https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%96%...)

Theres Shakeltons South, then this shocker North!

This riviting tale of no escape rivals Shakeltons epic and certainly the tragic loss of the Jeanette. Read in awe of the sacrafices made in mans quest North. Fantastic to think these two events occured simultaneously, at the onset of WWI..

5*
What a phenomenal story of adventure, perseverance, and loyalty. Albanov's chronicles strike a perfect balance between the practical and the emotive. I loved his salty digs at his fellow explorers. The epilogue was also intriguing and I'm glad I didn't skip it!

There are two mentions by different men as to how this first-hand chronicle escaped notice for so long, with both claiming the feats detailed compare favorably, if not surpass, those of contemporaries Shackleton and Scott, among a couple others named in passing. After reading this dull narrative I could understand why, as it is so unimaginably boring and poorly written. The tale lacks any secondhand verification, counter-narrative, factual support, or unbiased reportage as to make it feel like one man's account of what he wanted people to believe happened. I am not doubting, at least not completely, that the skeleton of events is probably-possibly true enough, but Albanov comes across as such a boor and so self-aggrandizing that his telling is hard to take at face value. He spends more time embellishing his tale with needless asides and denigrations that it rings rather false. There is still much paucity of proof to his "diary", and he even admits here to writing it well after the events which lends itself to overstatement and flourishes of grandeur. Even now there is doubt in Russia as to what the truth of the reasons for Albanov's desire to quit the Saint Anna and strike out for rescue or simply escape. His plan to go it alone seems foolhardy at best, or an after-the-fact lie to make him sound heroic. No one but a fully insane individual would think he could survive alone in those conditions. Especially someone with little to no relevant experience outside of being a capable ship's navigator. Merely being Russian hardly equates to skill at traversing that level of dangerous, capricious, and un-charted landscape. His claim he used a broken chronometer and guessed East over West just reads bullshit or simply dumb luck. Moving away from any actual veracity, Albanov's writing is dismal and unexciting, turning something that would seem to be intriguing - like Shackleton's harrowing trials, maybe? - into a tasteless porridge of blech. He has been critiqued heavily for making something that would have been incredibly difficult, even under the best of all possible choices and outcomes, seem like a fun weekend camping trip with some dullard friends. So that alone makes the narrative suffer, as his recounting of the hardships and dangers don't read as hard or dangerous, just minor blips along the way to obvious safety and success. I do know artefacts have been found that support the truth of the Saint Anna's expedition, but there is nothing but Albanov's account to rely on for information about the trip, the relationships of the crew and captains, the complications of a female on board, or what transpired after he abandoned ship and left the remaining crew behind. The lack of so much information leaves a lot to be desired with respect to the truth and provability of Albanov's writing. Reading about it, doubtful or not, felt like more of a burden than Albanov's trek. A poor accounting and not one I will remember with any excitement.

Lost account of a Russian arctic expedition, where only 2 men survived. Author Valerian Albanov's diaries tell the story.