The Lost Patrol
This Book is Currently in the Wild!
2 journalers for this copy...
The white was everywhere,
and the cold was a bone
pressed against the warmest place.
and the cold was a bone
pressed against the warmest place.
This lucky little book has become part of a mini-trade! :)
May it provide some fun and entertainment with it's new reader! ;)
May it provide some fun and entertainment with it's new reader! ;)
The box of trade books arrived today - many thanks for knocking off so many of my wishlist books at once! I read another book about this event, Death Wins in the Arctic, which cited this book among its sources, and am glad to have this copy (which I see is inscribed by the author to a previous owner, circa 1987!).
Later: An enjoyable and informative account of a tragedy that shouldn't have happened: the loss of a four-man patrol on a winter patrol from Fort McPherson to Dawson City in the Yukon Territory. Simply put, the patrol missed a key turnoff on their way out, had to backtrack repeatedly in an attempt to find the right trail, ran low on supplies and determined to head back to the fort - only to perish from starvation and exposure within 35 miles of their starting point. (All this is included in the introduction, btw.)
How things went so wrong and why the men weren't able to find a way out make up the majority of the account, with explanations of how the winter patrols worked, what life was like in the Yukon wilderness in winter, and the psychological makeup of the patrol's leader. Relations with the indigenous peoples were a key factor as well; the book includes examples of their aid to other groups, and strongly suggests that the lack of a native guide on the Fitzgerald patrol made all the difference.
While mistakes were made, the story also touches on the perseverance of the men under increasingly difficult circumstances, and highlights the indications of how they continued to support each other until the end.
Later: An enjoyable and informative account of a tragedy that shouldn't have happened: the loss of a four-man patrol on a winter patrol from Fort McPherson to Dawson City in the Yukon Territory. Simply put, the patrol missed a key turnoff on their way out, had to backtrack repeatedly in an attempt to find the right trail, ran low on supplies and determined to head back to the fort - only to perish from starvation and exposure within 35 miles of their starting point. (All this is included in the introduction, btw.)
How things went so wrong and why the men weren't able to find a way out make up the majority of the account, with explanations of how the winter patrols worked, what life was like in the Yukon wilderness in winter, and the psychological makeup of the patrol's leader. Relations with the indigenous peoples were a key factor as well; the book includes examples of their aid to other groups, and strongly suggests that the lack of a native guide on the Fitzgerald patrol made all the difference.
While mistakes were made, the story also touches on the perseverance of the men under increasingly difficult circumstances, and highlights the indications of how they continued to support each other until the end.
Journal Entry 4 by 
GoryDetails
at Little Free Library - 54 Hovey St. in Quincy, Massachusetts USA on Saturday, November 20, 2021
GoryDetails at Little Free Library - 54 Hovey St. in Quincy, Massachusetts USA on Saturday, November 20, 2021
Released 2 yrs ago (11/20/2021 UTC) at Little Free Library - 54 Hovey St. in Quincy, Massachusetts USA
WILD RELEASE NOTES:
Guidelines for safely visiting and stocking Little Free Libraries during the COVID-19 pandemic, from the LFL site here.I left this book in this new-to-me Little Free Library that overlooks Quincy Bay; hope someone enjoys it!
[See other recent releases in MA here.]
*** Released for the 2021 e-less challenge. ***
*** Released for the 2021 The The challenge. ***
*** Released for the 2021 52 Towns in 52 Weeks challenge. ***
*** Released for the 2021 Keep Them Moving challenge. ***
