Structure

The Kingdom of Ice is separated into six major parts. Part One: The Great Blank Space describes the environment leading up to the De Long expedition. Part Two: The National Genius tells of the planning and preparation for the expedition. Part Three: A Glorious Country to Learn Patience In describes the life of the crew after it was literally stuck in ice for almost two years.

Part Four: We Are Not Yet Daunted tells of the last days and sinking of the USS Jeannette. Part Five: The End of Creation describes the crew’s one-thousand mile trek toward the Siberian mainland in an effort to survive. Part Six: The Whisper of the Stars tells of the challenges that the harsh Arctic Siberia posed to the men. This last chapter reveals which of the crew members survived and which ones perished.

Unless the reader knows the story of...