A Tragedy of Errors: The Saga of the Disastrous Jeannette Expedition

The story of the Jeannette expedition is one of incredible hardship, two winter ordeals, the crushing of the expedition ship Jeannette, retreat by open boat, a lone journey thousands of miles across Siberia, death after death, insanity, starvation, amputation, and exhuming corpses from the grave.

The Jeannette expedition represents the beginning of a turning point that changed Arctic exploration and Arctic science forever. It was also one of the inspirations for Fridtjof Nansen’s expedition in Fram (1893-96).

This book is illustrated with original hand-coloured lantern slides, maps, letters, and reports from the crew members written during and in the aftermath of the expedition.