Cover Image: Empire of Ice and Stone

Empire of Ice and Stone

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Member Reviews

I love tales of Arctic (and Antarctic) adventure, and this one is a doozy! It kept me enthralled throughout.

Buddy Levy has clearly researched deeply, but displays great storytelling skills. Snippets of journal entries give us a window into the characters.

The book could also be a case study in leadership for business schools. One character embodies true servant leadership, the other abandons the people he leads and focuses on his own success. And it is a testament to human endurance and cooperation. I won't forget this one for a long time.

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Reading like a novel, instead of your standard historical nonfiction, Empire of Ice and Stone caught me with ice hooks and dragged me under from the first page. Between my grad school texts, introducing three cats to each other, and trying to have a life, it’s still been difficult to put this book down.

The expedition of the wooden-hulled brigantine Karluk departed Canada for the Arctic Ocean in the summer of 1913, with Captain Bob Bartlett at the helm, the world’s leading ice navigator at the time. After a catastrophic shipwreck, the journey shifts from exploring the Great North to surviving the bitter ice in the Arctic Sea as Bartlett sets out on a 1000-mile journey to save them all.

I’ve always been fascinated by the cold north, even if I haven’t wanted to deal with frostbite and gangrene myself, so true accounts of Captain Bob Bartlett and the crew of the Kartluk and other ships in this gripping tale have satisfied an urge I’ve been loath to indulge.

If you’ve ever read anything by Clive Cussler (think Dirk Pitt adventures and the movie Sahara starring Matthew Mcconaughey), you know the vibe this real-life adventurers’ tale provides. And the fact that it’s a true story makes it all the more exciting and breath-taking.

From the visionary leader, flamboyant and irritating at times, Vilhjalmur Stefansson, to the grumbling crew who forged ahead despite the dangers, the losses, and the shipwrecks, you’ll be held captive as I was, by the retelling of their incredible tale of scientific exploration, survival, and personal courage.

There are some dark details, of course, and some grown-up details and language, but it seems like a suitable book for teens and adults alike, as long as the readers can handle some vivid medical details about things like gangrene and frostbite.

I highly recommend reading this fantastic book, Empire of Ice and Stone, by Buddy Levy when it releases December 6, 2022.

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Thank you Net Galley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of Empire of Ice and Stone by Buddy Levy in exchange for an honest review. This is an amazingly well-researched non-fiction account of the 1913 Canadian Arctic Expedition arranged by Vilhjalmur Stefansson and captained by Robert Bartlett. As I was reading this book, I had to pause numerous times to remind myself that this is non-fiction because this account of the expedition was so extraordinarily difficult and almost unbelievable. To read about how the ship's crew and scientists had to adapt to the constantly changing ice floe conditions at a time without technology was just jaw-dropping. Capt. Bartlett has the impossible task to try to keep everyone alive and manage the vast stockpile of food and materials while Stefansson kept disappearing for one short jaunt or another. I was drawn in by the facts and figures of planning this expedition and kept engaged by the sheer determination of everyone to stay alive. There is a helpful list at the beginning of the book about all of the crew and scientists on the voyage plus details at the end about the author's research. I would have liked to have a picture of the Karkuk as well as a map of their journey so I searched for those myself. I could go on, but I'm still processing all the feels this book gave me about the men (and one Native woman) that made this incredible journey. I will encourage you to read this book if you like a detailed historical tale with inspiring people and their will to survive.

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Empire of Ice and Stone by Buddy Levy was received directly from the publisher and I chose to review it. There have been several Artic ice adventures books that have come out recently and they seem to get better and better. This book is no exception and at times I had to remind myself this was mostly true, not a fiction book. The book was a quick read because it was hard to put down and I will read more about this subject or by this author. If you or someone you buy gifts for is interested in Arctic ice adventures, dog sleds, ships, the North Pole or just being cold, certainly give this book a read.

Five stars

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An exceptionally well-written, riveting account of human comradeship, courage and self-preservation at its finest. This true story of the 1913 Canadian Arctic Expedition is highly recommended.

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Wowzers! Why didn't I know about this author before? This was my first Levy book and I loved it! Can't wait to read his other works. This story was well researched
and beautifully written. Levy managed to keep this book very interesting and avoided the text book feeling I get from a lot of these types of stories. The topic of the Karluk expedition is also not over done. It's
refreshing to read about something new and interesting!

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I really enjoyed reading this book. I was completely enthralled from the first even though I went into this book with no previous knowledge of the event. I found it extremely well written and informative and I am now thinking I haven’t read enough Arctic expedition books. I definitely have to look up more of this authors books. Thank you for the ebook ARC I truly appreciate this opportunity.

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Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for offering me an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

Last year I read The Terror by Dan Simmons and ever since I have been OBSESSED with the Arctic discovery missions from the 1800s and 1900s. When I came across this book I was excited to dive in! I have not read any other books by Buddy Levy but what I can say is he is an amazing author. I respect him for the research he did for this book, the time and effort he went into learning everything he could about this Arctic exploration mission in order to write this story CORRECT.

The story itself follows the early 1900s launch of the Karluk and her crew up in the cold waters of the Arctic. Like most of these stories, things go wrong and now people have to fight to survive. It is an incredible story on its own about how far we as humans will go to adapt and survive in harsh conditions. Buddy Levy took that TRUE story though, and turned it into an absolute masterpiece.

This book is incredibly written. The story is so enticing and the amount of detail and research pushed into it leaves you as a reader wanting MORE. I could not put this book down, I was so worried for every character...you truly do laugh when they laugh, cry when they cry; your heart breaks and leaps in joy all within this one story. I cannot express enough how amazing of a job Buddy Levy did...the details make you FEEL like you're there, and it is incredible to think this actually happened!

I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a great adventure story, history buffs will also devour this text! A wonderful book to read to truly see what human beings are made of!

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Without a doubt, the best part of this story (for me) was the development of characters and the interactions between them. Just some random thoughts:

Stefansson is an awful person- callous and selfish, with no concern for his fellow explorers.

Bartlett is an excellent leader- always thinking ahead and doing what needs to be done, not only for his own survival but also for everyone else around him.

I love that Auntie is a willing participant, seemingly as hardy as any of the men, even with her little girls to look after.

Their diet is appalling to me. It simply goes to show that we will do anything to survive, but it’s hard to imagine having to eat (drink?) blood soup and chew and blubber for survival.

I don’t like to give away the ending to any book, but big kudos to this story for bringing both sadness and joy. It’s a true testament to the resilience of people.

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Big thanks to St. Martin's Press, as well as NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review an early copy of Empire of Ice and Stone.

This is the first book I've read by Mr. Levy and his mastery of storytelling was as remarkable as it was harrowing! I'm not sure an expedition could have been planned more quickly, or with less preparation, than this one. Nor could it have been the brainchild of a worse man than Stefansson, who was more hungry for fame than for the safety of those he was signing on for the expedition. At times I had to put the book down as I read the details of the doomed ship and the catastrophes the crew repeatedly endured. I had been concerned the book might read like a dry list of what happened and when, but the absolute opposite happened. I felt like I truly KNEW the survivors, and I cared about them with my whole heart. That any of them survived was an absolute miracle. The losses were heartbreaking.

The amount of research this author did boggles my mind but the end result was truly fascinating. After reading Empire of Ice and Stone, I'm going to think long and hard before I ever complain about anything again!!

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I received this book as an ARC and this is my review. This amazing story chronicles the hardships and heartbreak of the 1914 attempt to explore the Arctic Circle. The explorers and their efforts provide a gripping tale that is unputdownable. I totally recommend this book to any reader who appreciates a slice of history that is uncompromising and captures details so realistic frostbite seems inevitable.

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I love a good disaster and survival story. I was excited to receive a copy of this book and it did not disappoint. As others note, you feel as if you are experiencing it with the people from the past. Absolutely well worth the read and I’ll be keeping an eye out for more of Levy’s work!

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Buddy Levy always knows how to make what should be a fairly run-of-the mill story interesting! After his book, In the Kingdom of Ice, any time I see his name on a book I grab it! A great general non-fiction book with wide crossover appeal

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Fascinating true story of an arctic expedition that ended in triumph and tragedy.

Entwined in this captivating novel are stories of leadership and courage, the ability to endure unspeakable mental and physical hardships, survival, heartbreak and the harsh nature of life in the arctic.

I couldn't put this one down, despite the aggressive size of the book. I also wouldn't have wanted any of it edited out. Couldn't recommend this one highly enough. It will stay with you for a long time after you turn the final page.

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Page turner from page one! Not just another tragic adventure but a truly unbelievable story that Mr. Levy grabs you from the start and never lets you go. Very well written, the book moves along from one obstacle to the next.

You really can feel the cold, the snow and the wind. Book show how very hard life can be and how some rise above and others fall short. Levy does a great job building the different players in the book and you can almost feel their pain, suffering and in some case death.

The book reads like historical fiction with mother nature being the one that no one can control, you can only hope to survive. I could not recommend a book more.

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The tale of the is truly an adventure that seems more fiction then fact. In 1913 a group of explorers left in search of a passage to the Artic Ocean. During this time one of the ships, the Karluk, runs into an unfortunate incident and the crew is left fighting for their lives against the elements.
This story of the crew fighting against the forces of nature both physically and mentally is one you just have to read to believe. The author has used diaries and other ways to create a story that is very hard to put down. The two main characters Bob Bartlett and Vilhjalmur Stefansson show how two different individuals can look at the same situation from two vastly different views.
I received this ARC from Net Galley for an honest review of the book. I highly recommend reading this book for not only the historical knowledge of this event, but how humans can overcome odds with many different backgrounds.

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Book was difficult to read -- not typeset adequately. I had a hard time concentrating on the pages. Did not hold my interest although the subject matter did look interesting, hence my original request.

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This is a fantastic account of the final voyage of the Brigantine Karluk and its protagonists Robert Bartlett (ship’s captain), Vilhjalmur Stefansson (explorer and organizer) plus 22 other crew and scientists, challenging the ice and frigid temperatures of the Canadian Arctic. The timeframe is the early 1900’s, about the time of the start of WW I and the Titanic disaster. Levy’s writing is outstanding and the book reads like a novel. It’s not the first book I’ve read by Mr. Levy and hopefully not the last.

Immersed in the book and its events and characters, I could not help but look inside myself and ask would I have what it takes to embark on a multi year expedition to the Arctic. The potential frostbite, starvation, hopelessness and loss of limb and life are almost guaranteed.

If you enjoy true adventure and edge of the seat reading, this is a book for you. Highly recommended.

Thank you St Martin’s Press, Netgally, and Mr Buddy Levy for the opportunity to read this excellent book in exchange for an impartial review.

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WOW! This book knocked my socks off. I loved the adventure, the stories of survival, and one mans determination to saving those he is in charge of. Captain Bartlett is a man that is a true a leader. He must lead his band of shipmates, scientists, and Eskimos to land after being stranded on the ice. He WALKS to Siberia to get help.
The entire story is one NONSTOP Thrill ride, that left me in disbelief. Yet its all true.
This is a MUST read for ANYONE who loves adventure and survival stories.

The only, and this is small....only critique is that I wished that I had a map to see where the locations were. But it could be that I received an ARC and not the full copy.

OVERALL...READ THIS BOOK! ITs so good!

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The Empire of Ice and Stone by Buddy Levy is a very detailed account of the expedition to the Arctic in the early 1900s led by Vilhjalmur Stefansson for the Canadian Government. He draws from the accounts and diaries of many of the crew including Captain Bartlett who was hired to captain the Karluk and navigate the treacherous Arctic ice flows.  It is also a story of extraordinary leadership by Bartlett and others and crew's incredible resilience and will to survive after the Karluk is stuck in the ice.  There are both heroes and villains in this story and the descriptions of the conditions that they endured in this unforgiving environment are  amazing. I enjoyed this book very much.

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