Following explorer Robert Peary's 1905-1906 Arctic expedition, he maintained that he had spotted a landmass unknown to science northwest of Canada's Ellesmere Island, which he dubbed "Crocker Land." His assertions inspired Donald MacMillan, a teacher and exploration enthusiast who had accompanied Peary on that journey, to secure funding and launch a followup trek with the goal of confirming the existence of this potentially new and exciting geographic discovery. Author David Welky has researched this second expedition and presented here the detailed story of adventure, accidents, discoveries, surprises, disappointments, murder, and lots of cold, cold weather.

Although not as gripping as I'd hoped – I was expecting decidedly more serious situations in which I'd be left wondering "Oh, no! Will they survive?!" – I'd never heard of MacMillan nor his Arctic journey prior, so it was rather fascinating to learn of the amount of sheer work, determination and supplies that went into an endeavor like this, and the number of things that have to go exactly right in order not to delay plans by days, if not months or years. Definitely recommended for fans of adventure and exploration. ( )

I have read a lot of arctic expedition books and found this one difficult to finish. More so because I felt the book could have been shortened by 100 pages and the plot was bland and typical for this genre. ( )

This is the most pathetic polar expedition I've ever read about. The characters are portrayed as foolish or incompetent, there are so many false starts it's hard to keep track of what's happening, the amount of time spent exploring is minimal and not particularly interesting, and there is a mass of tangential and trivial information like a kitchen sink the author includes it all. Needless to say, I did not enjoy this book. There are some interesting if dark side-stories, such as Green's crime and Perry's lie, but they didn't discover anything noteworthy in the Arctic and it's one stupid mistake after the next, but without the heroics and literary art of another contemporary bumbler, Scott. The book is sufficient as a history and unsurprisingly the only modern account of this forgettable expedition, which even the participants wished had never happened. ( )

It was not all that long ago when explorers first penetrated the Arctic. A curious history professor's interest in that effort resulted in this fascinating book. David Welky's work, A Wretched and Precarious Situation: In Search of the Last Arctic Frontier, looks at the exploration of what was then a brand new frontier.

One of the early treks into the far north led to a belief that there was a continent called Crocker Land. The mistaken assumption was born because of an illusion that was conveyed as fact by famed explorer Robert Peary. When the American Museum of Natural History in New York decided to finance an expedition to probe the supposed continent, this became big news.

The continent that didn't exist was named in honor of George Crocker, a financial backer of the failed 1906 Peary attempt to reach the North Pole. The hubbub was heard loud and clear after Peary related what he thought he had seen on the trip. Prospects of finding Crocker Land sparked continued interest in Arctic exploration until the fascination waned because of the First World War.

Explorers of this time scarcely more than a hundred years ago were a hardy bunch. Peary himself lost eight toes, amputation necessitated by frostbite. Murder was committed by an explorer who later failed to come clean with what really happened. There were times of severe lack of ample food to keep the explorers properly nourished. After going months without bathing many became infested with lice.

The book is spellbinding, and very well written. It must have been hours of painstaking research to uncover the interesting details. Welky deserves high accolades. It's one of those works that is difficult to put down. If you are like me you probably will be looking for more online facts about the people and places mentioned. You will love this piece of excellent non-fiction if you have a passion for adventure. ( )

The history of polar exploration is full of disappointment and failure. However, there aren’t a lot of tales of polar exploration that descend into not only outright dissension but murder too. And none of those are documented so personally by the principals involved from not only their published writings but personal journals and diaries.

In 1913, the Crocker Island Expedition set off to explore an island, neigh a continent, sighted by Captain Robert Peary in 1908 on his penultimate expedition to attain the North Pole.

Weather, logistical problems caused by World War One, and public indifference stretched the expedition out to four years. The brutal polar clime, the long nights and social isolation, the deprivations of sledding and short provisions, changed the men. Some discovered inner reserves and talents, some realized the importance of loved ones they left, and some psychologically disintegrated.

Welky pulls the reader through the story in a high state of suspense partly because of its obscurity and the parallax view of all those personal and largely unpublished writings. The frontpiece is of a map – but only of the Arctic as theorized in 1912. Further the suspense, Welky narrates his story chronologically. Characters drop out of the story unexpectedly and a nice coda is provided for the principals’ post-expedition lives.

He also acknowledges the indispensability of the native Inuit in this account. Not only does he concisely cover points of their culture and history and survival skills, but the effects of their contact with Europeans and Americans and the various expedition members’ attitudes towards them ranging from total admiration to contempt.

With a complete index, footnotes, bibliography and some rather grainy photos, this book should be of interest to any buff of polar exploration.

[Review copy from Amazon Vine.] ( )