First published 1977
The Swedish scientist checks his instruments one final time as the enormous red and white balloon strains against its moorings. July 1897 marks the beginning of an ambitious polar expedition that will test the limits of both technology and human endurance. Alongside him stand his two companions: an American journalist documenting their historic attempt and a young French-speaking adventurer whose skills may prove crucial in the frozen wilderness ahead. The three men climb into the basket beneath their massive balloon, bound for the North Pole across thousands of miles of uncharted Arctic territory. Their journey will carry them over ice fields and frozen seas where no rescue is possible. The balloon becomes their entire world, a fragile bubble of warmth and hope suspended above the most hostile environment on Earth. Each man must confront not only the brutal cold and isolation but also the growing tension between survival and their dream of reaching the pole.
Genres: science-fiction, historical-fiction, 20th-century, adventure, 19th-century
Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, suspenseful
Tropes: adventure, exploration, survival
Setting: Arctic, North Pole
Period: 1897
Paperback · Avon