Overview

While reading Valerian Albanov's In the Land of White Death, David Roberts came across the mention of an old legend of four shipwrecked Russian sailors who had managed to survive six years stranded on a barren island in the high Arctic. Incredulous, Roberts -- an expert on exploration literature who had never heard of this account -- was determined to learn the truth behind this extraordinary story. Little did he know that his search would ultimately bring him closer to the experiences of these four survivors than he had imagined. In 1743 four survivors of a Russian shipwreck in the Arctic Ocean were trapped on a tiny island with only twenty pounds of flour for food. With ingenuity and courage they endured six years of nearly unimaginable hardship, with only driftwood to fuel their life-saving fires, and the constant threat of attack from polar bears (they would kill ten with homemade lances). Roberts's quest to document their story would take him across two continents and culminate in his own expedition to the remote and desolate shores where these mysterious sailors had been marooned. Riveting and haunting, Four Against the Arctic chronicles an incredible true story.

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Jennifer Niven <p>Author of The Ice Master: The Doomed 1913 Voyage of the Karluk and Ada Blackjack: A True Story of Survival in the Arctic <p>Just when I thought all the great polar stories had been told, here comes Four Against the Arctic. David Roberts does a phenomenal job of piecing together this elusive and remarkable piece of history....By combining the compelling account of a little-known tale of survival with his own riveting modern-day quest to uncover the story, Roberts turns Four Against the Arctic into a gripping suspense thriller.<p>

A completely absorbing and fascinating detective story about one of the most astonishing feats of survival in history...This is a wonderful book of both intellectual and real-life adventure. -- Derek Lundy, author of Godforsaken Sea: The True Story of a Race Through the World's Most Dangerous Waters By combining the compelling account of a little-known tale of survival with his own riveting modern-day quest to uncover the story, Roberts turns Four Against the Arctic into a gripping suspense thriller. -- Jennifer Niven, author of Ada Blackjack: A True Story of Survival in the Arctic A gem in the literature of survival under dire conditions. -- Kirkus Reviews Jennifer Niven Author of The Ice Master: The Doomed 1913 Voyage of the Karluk and Ada Blackjack: A True Story of Survival in the Arctic Just when I thought all the great polar stories had been told, here comes Four Against the Arctic. David Roberts does a phenomenal job of piecing together this elusive and remarkable piece of history....By combining the compelling account of a little-known tale of survival with his own riveting modern-day quest to uncover the story, Roberts turns Four Against the Arctic into a gripping suspense thriller.

A gem in the literature of survival under dire conditions. <p> -- Kirkus Reviews

Author Information

David Roberts is the author of twenty-four books on mountaineering, adventure, and the history of the American Southwest. His essays and articles have appeared in National Geographic, National Geographic Adventure, and The Atlantic Monthly, among other publications. He lives in Watertown, Massachusetts.

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