Locked in Ice

Peter Lourie has written a fantastic book “Locked in Ice” that has been my pleasure to review.  Fridtjof Nansen was a fascinating man whose curious mind and determined spirit made him an important Norseman.   This book tells us about his life and particularly about his journey to the Arctic.

From the cover

An explorer who many adventurers argue ranks alongside polar celebrity Ernest Shackleton.  Fridtjof Nansen contributed tremendous amounts of new information to our knowledge about the Polar Arctic.  At a time when the North Pole was still undiscovered territory, he attempted the journey in a way most experts thought was mad: Nansen purposefully locked his ship in ice for two years in order to float northward along the currents. 

What you get

Peter Lourie writes non-fiction books that appeal to younger readers.  Locked in Ice is one such book, in it he tells the fascinating story of Fridjof Nansen’s trip through the Arctic.  Can you imagine, willfully locking your ship in ice so you can slowly be transported to the North Pole, by the waters of Arctic itself?   THIS is the daring story of a man who did just that!

Numerous pictures dot the pages of this tome, bringing life and history right in front of the reader.   14 sections walk us through Mr. Nansen’s journey from idea til closing.   It’s such an interesting journey too.

Mr. Nansen was such a curious-minded fellow and intensely interested in everything around him.   Zoology, geography, skiing, inventions, and more filled his mind and days.  He was a meticulous planner and very determined to work out any kinks in his thinking.   Once he worked out a plan he didn’t let negative talk stop him.   Determination and planning would always win through for him. 

Peter Lourie gave an excellent accounting of the life of Mr. Hansen sharing with us his excellent character qualities and skills.  A timeline is included at close detailing his life beyond his Arctic exploration.  He went on to write books, work in politics, help with international needs, and more.  A skilled diplomat and inventor, he was an active, involved man throughout his entire life. 

My Thoughts

You may recall that I reviewed another Peter Lourie book about Jack London.   Just as I found that book really well done, so I found this book just fascinating.  Mr. Hansen was such an interesting individual and he advanced, through his journey, the knowledge of the Arctic.

• Locked in Ice: Nansen’s Daring quest for the North Pole
• Peter Lourie
• Christy Ottaviano Books
• 336 pages, middle school
• History, Arctic, North Pole, Norway
• Reviewed for Raincoast Books.