Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC.

Brilliantly written. This is an intriguing true story about the harrowing survival of a ship and its shipmates exploring the then uncharted Antarctic.

I was slightly disappointed with this book. The stories were good however too many of them focus the murderers in WW1 not the Traitors and spies.
But it's well written, interesting and we'll be of interest to anybody who loves reading history especially about world war 1.

Intrigued by the synopsis on Netgalley I accepted an ARC on my kindle. It languished there for a couple of months but, come the Christmas weekend and appalling weather on the other side of the window I started to read. I couldn’t put it down.

De Gerlache had been obsessed with exploring Antarctica and finding the Magnetic South since he was a young boy, and became determined to achieve this lifelong ambition. It’s the late 1890’s and he eventually managed to raise funds, find a suitable ship and crew ,and set sail. That crew includes Belgians and Norwegians who don’t always get along, but also on board are Roald Amundsen, a strapping Norwegian, and Dr Frederick Cook, the only American. What follows is like something out of “Ripping Yarns” or “Boys Own”. After wrestling the Belgica throgh fierce storms, they arrive, but then the decision whether or not to sail just a little bt further south is ut to the vote. Doing so will inevitably mean the ship will be locked in oce for the winter. Not doing so will mean de Gaelache will lose face with not only his backers but the Belgian people who have such faith in him. The crew vote no, but de Gerlach steams ahead anyway and the inevitable happens. What follows has to be read to be believed….months unable to move in thick ice, months without a nutritious diet leading to scurvy, weeks in total darkness.

Will they recover? Will they break free of the Ice? Will they get home? I’m not telling. You really will have to read this most amazing tale.

I’ve heard of Shackleton and his ill-fated expedition to Antarctica which resulted in the loss of his ship Endeavour But how come I’ve never heard of Adrien de Gerlache and his expedition to Antarctica in the Belgica? This is one of the most nail-biting, gripping, hair-raising accounts I’ve ever read – and it’s not my usual sort of “thing”.

Meticulously researched there is an extensive bibliography and an index, and aforementioned maps. My only disappointment is with the maps which don’t show up well on a kindle, but maybe one day I’ll treat myself to a “proper” book because I definitely want to read this again.

Fascinating story about an early expedition to the antarctic that went very wrong and the ship with it's crew, were all frozen in the ice for the entire winter.
I found it fascinating when the onset of scurvy started that they realised eating raw meat for vitamins (penguin and seal meat), getting fresh air and standing in front of the fire would all help.
It seems that we all need to eat well, exercise and get some light/fresh air to keep us well balanced and avoid SAD disease

I knew nothing about the Belgica expedition or polar exploration in general before reading Madhouse at the End of the Earth, so I went into this blind and not sure what to expect. As it turns out, I’m very glad I requested this book on Netgalley because it was one of my highlights of the year.

The first part of the book dealt with the period before the expedition set off, such as administrative issues in Belgium. I found it to be a bit of a slow start, but once the expedition set off things picked up pace quickly. By the time the ship becomes stuck in the Antarctic sea ice, the narrative was extremely compelling and felt almost more like a thriller than a work of nonfiction. It was also surprisingly funny at times, e.g:

“On February 4, they decided to make another attempt at the higher peak that had so far eluded them, not so much to meet the demands of science or cartography (they wouldn’t bother to bring a theodolite) as to satisfy an urge some men have to reach the top of things.”

As someone from a health related background, I found the section on scurvy particularly interesting, and I was fascinated by Cook - he was an incredibly complex character, both flawed and heroic. I also appreciated the section towards the end where Sanction suggested possible medical explanations for the symptoms the men experience while trapped in the ice. But even for those not interested in health or polar exploration, I'd still recommend this book on the basis of Sanction's expert storytelling.

A fascinating account of the Belgica polar expedition, the book is clearly well-researched and tells a true story while reading like a novel. I thoroughly enjoyed the first part of the book. It's a gripping story and so well-written that I actually felt cold reading about the icy conditions the men endured. If the book had ended with the Belgica returning to Belgium, it would have been a solid four-star read. The last third of the book details what became of the crew after they returned to dry land and it all felt a bit rushed and unnecessary.

A intriguing true story about the harrowing survival of a ship exploring the then uncharted Antarctic.

The writing was incredibly engaging and made it read as though it were a work of fiction. The finale chapters also explore my the aftermath of the sailors who survived was a welcome addition.

Well, this is the most interesting read I've delved into for a while.
It's scary to think everything you read in this book is true. The voyage pretty much doomed from the beginning and you then live through the horror of being stuck in the antarctic. It's been researched incredibly well and something I want to look even further into.
The beginning is a bit of a slow burn but soon picks up pace and you feel you are part of the story.

MADHOUSE is a page-turning survival horror true story in the grand tradition of Alfred Lansing's ENDURANCE or Guttridge's GHOSTS OF CAPE SABINE. Sancton takes the historical events and - without varnishing - manages to weave them into a compulsive narrative that reads like the very best adventure fiction, teasing out the characters of the men through their absurd, heroic, and all-too-human actions. A real masterpiece.

A very engaging narrative history, largely drawn from the personal accounts of those involved, about the Belgica and the lesser-known Belgian Antarctic Expedition of 1897. The main characters, Adrien de Gerlache, Roald Amundsen and Frederick Cook are very well drawn. Readers familiar with polar explorations will already know Amundsen and Cook. It is their fortitude and ingenuity in such trying circumstances that drives this book. Toward the end, Sancton offers a quick zip through the extraordinary lives of Amundsen and Cook after the Belgica expedition. Two remarkable characters, and we are left with the feeling that the Belgica expedition was a formative experience but by no means the most interesting part of their lives.

This is a fascinating and very well written book. Although it is obviously deeply and meticulously researched, it reads like a novel. The story is so incredible that it’s amazing anyone survived the experience, never mind went on to succeed greatly in future polar exploration.

Mr Sancton tells of a treacherous journey into Antarctica in 1897. The question of turn back or drive on is barely considered before The Belgica is trapped in ice in a polar winter. But it isn’t a case of sitting it out as the shifting ice can break the hull. And it isn’t a case of go for a walk and come back because when you return from your survey, the ship isn’t where you left it. No wonder the men were suffering and experienced episodes of "madness".

"After skiing for about ten minutes, Cook, Amundsen, and Tollefsen were enveloped by a dense fog. The Belgica vanished from sight. To find their way back, the men had to follow their ski tracks in reverse. But soon those tracks led straight into the sea. In the hours since they’d crossed it, this area of the pack had been transformed beyond recognition."

Compasses weren’t particularly reliable because of the changing magnetic system…

"Polar exploration, to Amundsen, was not a job but an almost chivalric calling. He had volunteered to serve without pay because money was secondary to glory."

These were driven men with ambitions I admire though I will never understand. A book about the human condition and why we do what we do. Recommended.

I was given a copy of this book by Netgalley

Unfortunately this book was not for me. Other readers may enjoy it more, but I could not get into it and ultimately did not finish it.

I have a fascination for the Antarctic & when I saw this book I was really keen to read it. However, although I have dipped in & out of it for a while, at 25% I am going to have to admit defeat. Many have really enjoyed this one & although I can appreciate the work & research that has gone into it I just can't get involved with it so I'm giving up. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me try & read this book.

I loved this book so much that I've now bought three copies to gift to people! It was engaging from the very first and absolutely gripping. The deep analysis and first-hand accounts showing the sailors' fraught mental state was perfectly interwoven with the narrative. Madhouse at the End of the Earth was absolutely captivating and is probably going to be my most recommended nonfiction title for 2022!

This tells the tale of the Belgica, which set sail to the South Pole in August 1897, hoping to be the first to get to the white wilderness of the south. The ship became stuck in the Bellinghausen sea, and as the crew overwintered in Antarctica in months of polar night, madness descended. Two of the crew, Frederic Cook and Roald Amundsen, both to become very famous later in life, struck out with a plan to save the crew from a hideous fate. The story is bolstered by access to the ship's log, crew diaries and journals. A true story to make you shiver, and a testament to the strength of the explorers who set off into the great, terrifying unknown.

Madhouse at the End of the Earth is a brilliant retelling from Julian Sancton. Taken from accounts of those that lived onboard and survived the trip, from their written accounts and log entries, Sancton weaves a literary tale that puts us right their on the ship, in among the ice. It's such a talent to be able to pluck this story from history and put it down on paper re-imagined to try and give the reader the full story of what happened to these men. Their detailed accounts allowed for this book to be written and the level of detail is brilliant.
A very enjoyable book about a true event in history.
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Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and Julian Sancton for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

DNF, found the style hard to read and very uninteresting. Struggled through a third of the book and had to admit defeat.

This book almost reads like a fiction novel, the story is so interesting and the people so fascinating! I think this will be a hit at our store by the sea and I can't wait to spend the summer recommending it!!

This was somewhat of a dense read for me. Bizzarly I think I would have enjoyed this book more if it was fiction. It was interesting but unfortunately didn’t hold my attention as much as I wanted it to, ultimately leaving me disappointed.

Although it took me a while to finish this book, it is a fascinating story of hardship and survival. I am not a non-fiction reader at all, but am interested in Arctic and Antarctic exploration. The good thing about this book is it’s in novel form, but is actually non-fiction, so much more engrossing, in my opinion. Good read for exploration lovers.