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<p> Once in a while you come across a book that so fully transfixes your imaginative gaze, it ceases to become a book but simply a story. . . In 1897, three men in a cold lonely balloon float toward the North Pole--and to their deaths. A haunting book. --Jimmy So, The Daily Beast <br> A rare work of nonfiction whose sublimely understated writing rivals the inherent drama of the subject matter . . . Wilkinson gives us not only an exhilarating account of Swedish engineer S.A. Andree's ill fated expedition, he offers a finely nuanced psychological portrait of a unique race of men--the Victorian-era Arctic explorers--and the age that produced them. --Emily Donaldson, The Toronto Star <br> A gripping account of what has been called the heroic age of Arctic exploration. --David B. Williams, The Seattle Times <br> Entertaining and extremely well-written. This captivating story [is] essential for all avid readers of exploration and polar literature. -- Library Journal <br> Fabulous . . . Readers meet 'a parade of fanatics' who attempt to reach the Pole, discover what is there, and return alive. --Kate Tuttle, Boston Globe <br> [Wilkinson's] superb storytelling skills shine on every page. The descriptions that Andree and his expedition mates wrote about the harsh but stunning Arctic landscape, and the slow, agonizing march to their inevitable deaths make for riveting armchair reading. --Stephen J. Lyons, Minneapolis StarTribune <br> Wilkinson writes with insight and flair, artfully interleaving Andree's story with a brief history of Arctic exploration. . . . [His] prose style suits the spare polar landscape, making his occasional poetic touches even more effective . . . And Wilkinson doesn't get bogged down in too much detail. He understands that the value of polar stories isn't to be found in guy ropes and provisions. It lies elsewhere, in our endless love of discovery and the drama of being human. --Sara Wheeler, The New York Times Booko

<p> Once in a while you come across a book that so fully transfixes your imaginative gaze, it ceases to become a book but simply a story. . . In 1897, three men in a cold lonely balloon float toward the North Pole--and to their deaths. A haunting book. --Jimmy So, The Daily Beast <br> A rare work of nonfiction whose sublimely understated writing rivals the inherent drama of the subject matter . . . Wilkinson gives us not only an exhilarating account of Swedish engineer S.A. Andree's ill fated expedition, he offers a finely nuanced psychological portrait of a unique race of men--the Victorian-era Arctic explorers--and the age that produced them. --Emily Donaldson, The Toronto Star <br> A gripping account of what has been called the heroic age of Arctic exploration. --David B. Williams, The Seattle Times <br> Entertaining and extremely well-written. This captivating story [is] essential for all avid readers of exploration and polar literature. -- Library Journal <br> Fabulous . . . Readers meet 'a parade of fanatics' who attempt to reach the Pole, discover what is there, and return alive. --Kate Tuttle, Boston Globe <br> [Wilkinson's] superb storytelling skills shine on every page. The descriptions that Andree and his expedition mates wrote about the harsh but stunning Arctic landscape, and the slow, agonizing march to their inevitable deaths make for riveting armchair reading. --Stephen J. Lyons, Minneapolis StarTribune <br> Wilkinson writes with insight and flair, artfully interleaving Andree's story with a brief history of Arctic exploration. . . . [His] prose style suits the spare polar landscape, making his occasional poetic touches even more effective . . . And Wilkinson doesn't get bogged down in too much detail. He understands that the value of polar stories isn't to be found in guy ropes and provisions. It lies elsewhere, in our endless love of discovery and the drama of being human. --Sara Wheeler, The New York Times Booki

Riveting. . . . Superb storytelling. . . . A bone-chilling account of a journey gone terribly bad in the harshest conditions possible. --The Minneapolis Star Tribune Gripping. . . . When you consider what these people went through, it is hard not to admire their resilience, optimism and determination, but also to question their sanity. That is what makes such stories as Andree's so compelling. --The Seattle Times Wilkinson writes with insight and flair . . . . He understands that the value of polar stories . . . [lies] in our endless love of discovery and the drama of being human. --The New York Times Book Review That rare work of nonfiction whose sublimely understated writing rivals the inherent drama of its subject matter. . . . [Wilkinson's] book couldn't be more riveting. --The Toronto Star Fabulous. . . . One feels guilty having so much fun reading about such harrowing voyages. --The Boston Globe Fast-moving and often heartbreaking. --The Columbus Dispatch Wilkinson's writing is so flawless and engaging that I'd read him on a packed subway at rush hour. --Sebastian Junger Alec Wilkinson is a spare, clear, and lucid writer who works in stylistic simplicity with material that is not simple at all. --Peter Matthiessen The Ice Balloon captures a time and place unknown to us now and, in elegant, low-key prose, offers an inspiring narrative of exploration and the indomitable human spirit. --Highbrow Magazine An eminently tellable story that is a perfect match for [Wilkinson's] spare and evocative style. . . . It's possible to forget that today's adventure tourists are following trails once traveled only by heroes, fools, and dreamers. --Natural History Captivating. . . . A thrilling account of a remarkable man. --Publishers Weekly A fine addition to the annals of polar exploration. --Booklist (starred review) Entertaining and extremely well written, this captivating story about an obscure Arctic expedition is an essential purchase for all avid readers of exploration and polar literature. --Library Journal (starred review)

Author Information

Alec Wilkinson began writing for The New Yorker in 1980. Before that he was a policeman in Wellfleet, Massachusetts, and before that he was a rock-and-roll musician. He has published nine other books—two memoirs, two collections of essays, three biographical portraits, and two pieces of reporting—most of which first appeared in The New Yorker. His honors include a Guggenheim Fellowship, a Lyndhurst Prize, and a Robert F. Kennedy Book Award. He lives with his wife and son in New York City.

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