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In the Land of White Death

An Epic Story of Survival in the Siberian Arctic
htliang
Aug 06, 2015htliang rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
This is an excellent account of the fate of the Russian ship, the Saint Anna, and the twenty-five men and one woman who were on board. The Saint Anna left Russia in 1912 to look for new Arctic hunting grounds and then became trapped in ice in the Kara Sea. It drifted north for almost 1 1/2 years before the 32 year-old navigator, Valerian Albanov, left with 13 members of the crew to try to find help. This book is Albanov's account of what happened after leaving the ship. Make sure you do not read the introduction unless you don't mind knowing the outcome. I was disappointed when I was told who survived and who didn't, even before starting the book! Even so, it was a well-written narrative and harrowing to say the least. I can't believe what these men had to endure. It made me appreciate every little blessing I have. The preface states that the book is told in Albanov's own words, as entries in a daily journal. I believe that some of the book, however, is told in retrospect. Nevertheless, this is a wonderful read for those who enjoy reading about other people's ordeals and how these people overcame obstacles.