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Albanov's epic begins in 1914, after he leaves the Saint Anna, a sailing vessel bound for Vladivostok and new hunting territory, 7,000 miles across dangerous water. Only a few months into the voyage, the ship is trapped in pack ice, where it drifts helplessly with the Kara Sea ice flow for nearly one and a half years. With supplies dwindling and no hope of rescue, Albanov, the ship's navigator, and 13 of his colleagues leave the boat and the remaining crew to look for land. Outfitted with sleds and kayaks built from scavenged fragments of the Saint Anna, Albanov begins his 18-month trek to Franz Josef Land with a broken chronometer, scant supplies, and a team of inexperienced men.
Facing starvation, subzero temperatures, and the loss of most of his team, Albanov persists, searching for an outpost rumored to be at Cape Flora, 120 miles from his original starting point. He and his last surviving shipmate survive a litany of amazing mishaps: asleep on an ice flow, they are dumped into frozen water while bound in a sleeping bag; scurvy nearly kills Albanov only a few miles from his destination; and once help arrives, they're caught in the first skirmishes of World War I, a conflict of which they had no knowledge.
Albanov's experience is a brief, gripping account of a story that rivals the greatest survival tales in history. The diary style of his tale preserves its emotional authenticity as he trudges his way across the frozen Arctic, and his knack for clear detail only highlights the unbelievable fact that Albanov was lucid enough to write at all during his winter march across a deadly landscape. --Lolly Merrell
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Book Description Paperback. Condition: Very Good. In 1912 the Russian navigator Valerian Albanov embarked on an expedition to find new Arctic hunting grounds. Albanov's ship the "Saint Anna" became frozen fast in the ice of the treacherous Kara Sea. Problems were futher compounded by an incompetent commander, the absence of crucial nautical charts, insufficient fuel and inadequate provisions that left the crew weak and debilitated by scurvy. After a year-and-a-half of drifting through the ice Albanov and 13 crewmen left the ship. Hauling makeshift sledges and kayaks behind them, the crew crossed the frozen sea hoping to reach the distant coast of Franz Josef Land. With only an inaccurate map to guide them, Albanov led his men on a 235-mile journey, through blizzards, disintegrating ice floes, polar bear attacks, starvation and sickness, snowblindness and mutiny. This book is Albanov's diary of the 90 day ordeal. The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged. Seller Inventory # GOR001035299
Book Description Condition: Very Good. First edition & printing. Ships from the UK. Former library book; may include library markings. Used book that is in excellent condition. May show signs of wear or have minor defects. Seller Inventory # 6885800-6
Book Description Paperback. Condition: Very Good. ALL ITEMS ARE DISPATCHED FROM THE UK WITHIN 48 HOURS ( BOOKS ORDERED OVER THE WEEKEND DISPATCHED ON MONDAY) ALL OVERSEAS ORDERS SENT BY TRACKABLE AIR MAIL. IF YOU ARE LOCATED OUTSIDE THE UK PLEASE ASK US FOR A POSTAGE QUOTE FOR MULTI VOLUME SETS BEFORE ORDERING. Seller Inventory # mon0000773319
Book Description Soft Cover. Condition: F. Reprint. 8vo. original printed paper wraps; pp. xviii (last blank), 206 (last blank), with illustrations. A fine copy, as new. Seller Inventory # 005804
Book Description Soft cover. Condition: Very Good. Published 2001 Soft Cover very good book, corners and edges rubbed. No inscription. 205 pages with index. Maps. Seller Inventory # 0016440