Product Description

“An extraordinary real-life adventure of men battling the elements and themselves, told with ice-cold precision.”
–Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

In the dark years following the Civil War, America’s foremost Arctic explorer, Charles Francis Hall, became a figure of national pride when he embarked on a harrowing, landmark expedition. With financial backing from Congress and the personal support of President Grant, Captain Hall and his crew boarded the Polaris, a steam schooner carefully refitted for its rigorous journey, and began their quest to be the first men to reach the North Pole. Neither the ship nor its captain would ever return.

What transpired was a tragic death and whispers of murder, as well as a horrifying ordeal through the heart of an Arctic winter, when men fought starvation, madness, and each other upon the ever-shifting ice. Trial by Ice is an incredible adventure that pits men against the natural elements and their own fragile human nature. In this powerful true story of death and survival, courage and intrigue aboard a doomed ship, Richard Parry chronicles one of the most astonishing, little known tragedies at sea in American history.

“ABSORBING . . . Suspense builds as Parry describes the events leading up to Hall’s ‘murder,’ then climaxes in horrifying detail.”
–Publishers Weekly

“RIVETING.”
–Library Journal

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #160594 in Books
• Published on: 2002-01-29
• Released on: 2002-01-29
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 336 pages

From Publishers Weekly
During the first U.S. attempt to reach the North Pole, the doomed 1871 Polaris expedition's team leader, Charles Francis Hall, mysteriously died. In this book, Parry, a novelist (That Fateful Lightning, etc.), provides a vivid but uneven account of the captain's death, which may have been brought on by a muddled command structure that encouraged insubordination, even mutiny, among the crew. Suspense builds as Parry describes the events leading up to Hall's "murder," then climaxes in horrifying detail. Once Hall is gone, however, the plot's momentum disappears, with half the book to go. The fragmented crew's attempt to survive the Arctic until they are rescued and brought back to civilization is evoked only by clich?s. Readers holding out through the pedestrian middle section will be rewarded with an enticing account of the government's coverup and an abssorbing chapter about the autopsy performed on Hall's body 100 years after it was buried. Author tour. (Jan. 30)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
Although Denmark, England, France, and Norway had already tried and failed, in 1871 the United States decided to finance an expedition to find the North Pole and the Northwest Passage. Charles Francis Hall of Ohio, who was neither a seafarer nor an explorer, convinced President Grant and Congress to send out a vessel and was given a ship, the Polaris, and a crew of 25. The ship was not suitable for ice navigation, and the crew, a mixture of Germans and Americans, was selected by politicians and did not include the men Hall wanted. The expedition was doomed from the start. Beset by jealousies, intrigues, and weak leadership, the crew suffered from exposure, hunger, and the bleak Arctic. Captain Hall was poisoned (it was probably murder), and the ship was lost. The crew split into two parties, one surviving nine months on an ice floe until it was finally rescued by a whaler. Despite an exhaustive inquiry by the U.S. Navy and Congress, no conclusion was reached. Parry (That Fateful Lightning: A Novel of Ulysses S. Grant) has brought the story to light again with this riveting account. For all public and academic libraries.DStanley L. Itkin, Hillside P.L., New Hyde Park, NY
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
In the mid-1800s, a number of countries raced to be the first to reach the North Pole. This incredible but true story relates the ill-fated 1871 Polaris expedition led by Charles Hall, an experienced Arctic explorer who persuaded President Grant and Congress to fund the endeavor. In a classic case of too many cooks spoiling the broth, the expedition was in trouble before it set sail. Hall, the Navy, and the Smithsonian Institute squabbled to appoint members to the expedition according to their own distinct and incongruent priorities, resulting in a group that suffered from disunity and mistrust. Personal enmity and unrelenting egos started undermining the captain's leadership before long. After the captain's suspicious death, the expedition deteriorated further under poor leadership that fostered a dangerous lack of discipline among the men. Parry uses the journals and testimony of the men to relate their conversations and interactions, portraying a vivid picture of the loyalties and personal differences among the members. His extensive research and excellent storytelling skills make this a fascinating and enjoyable read. Gavin Quinn
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Customer Reviews

Great Combination of Artic Exploration & True Crime!
I enjoyed this book very much. Well written and engaging, Richard Parry's latest work was a page-turner. I finished all 310 pages in one day. Parry draws upon the 1871 Polaris Expedition inquest transcripts, his experience as a physician, several secondary sources, and scientific analysis to skillfully re-create the story of the doomed ship. Moreover, the author makes an excellent argument as to how the ship's captain met his demise, and who was ultimately responsible.

The only drawback is that the two maps on the front and back covers are somewhat incomplete and vague, missing several locations mentioned by the author.

Overall, a very satisfying read.

Astonishing work by Richard Parry
I did not expect to find "Trial by Ice" so good.
Using very colorful and vivid writing style, author presents events during the ill-fated polar expedition. Action takes place on the deck of steamer Polaris, along the north/west Greenland's shore and on the ice floes of Baffin Bay.
This is a classic tale of survival describing international motley crew of officers, seamen, scientists and Inuits fighting for their lives after Polaris destruction.
Without leadership and teamwork all efforts are difficult and dramatic. Dark human nature and low morality quite often prevails, hardship creates lack of loyalty, national partiality and racism.
This book has an extra flavor - elements of crime and detective story.
Writing and explanations are enhanced by author's scientific and medical knowledge combined with his experience of living in a harsh climate of Alaska. He knows what he is writing about.
The story of Polaris is just another example of how little we usually know about causes and reality of current political, criminal and social events. True facts and motives stay hidden and masked to be fully exposed and published at much later time.
I rank this book in the same category as "Wreck of the Medusa", "In the Heart of the Sea" and "South".
If Dr. Parry was as good surgeon as he is now a writer, then many patients must be missing his medical practice.

An Excellent History Written Like a Dime Store Fiction
I was very glad that I read this book, but also very glad that I was finished reading this book, if you know what I mean. The story is fantastic, and what happened to Hall and his team contains instructive lessons that can be applied throughout history and today. BUT, my god was there some bad writing going on here. For example, Parry LOVES the word inexorably. EVERYTHING moved "inexorably towards"...something else. I lost count after the 27th usage of the word. Also, it couldn't be "bitterly cold" it had to be "a cold that would cut to the mens very souls and challenge their will to survive it" or words to that effect.

Without the authors weak stab at poetry, the book would have been a lot shorter, and a much more enjoyable read.