Andrea Pitzer

In 1584, Dutch navigator William Barents "prepared to sail off the edge of the known world." Many looked for a shortcut to China to the West, but the Dutch sought the solution to the North. The belief was that there was a direct, open polar sea. The fleet makes its first voyage from Amsterdam to Kildin Island, then to the northern tip of Nova Zembla, aptly named Ice Point. The Sami and Russian trappers disappear into the darkness of the far north. They encounter massive glaciers, and winds that surge the ship. At one point an anchor snapped free and one of the ships "ricocheted" but all survived. They are forced to turn back after reaching impassable ice walls.

In 1595, the Dutch burghers authorized a second voyage, one that would go via the southern tip of Nova Zembla. 6 ships, with William in "The Greyhound" joined by Admiral Nay. They are forced to turn back after 4 drown in a ship collision during a storm, 2 are eaten by a polar bear and more ice. Barents last voyage was in 1596, along with former representative Jan Cornelis Rjip, now fellow captain. Upon reaching Spitsbergen Island, Rjip and Barents would separate, Barents heading back to Nova Zembla, and it would be the last time they ever spoke...

"Icebound" is harrowing and Barents didn't have the macho foolishness of a Magellan or conquistador type. But I couldn't give it a 5, because narratively, it could've been more engaging at times and I think adding more personal details about the crew, including Barents, could've helped. These men were smarter and more conscientious with their supplies. They do their best to stay warm, but also clean and preserve their little energy for emptying fox traps, take turns collecting wood and moving supplies. But despite that, the last voyage is one of the wildest I've ever read and was definitely the best part of the book!… (mehr)

I'm always up for a book on polar exploration, so naturally I was keen to read this new book about William Barents (Willem Barentz), namesake of the Barents Sea and one of the earliest Europeans to venture deep into these remote areas. The chronology is what makes this story unique.

Pitzer begins by describing the Dutch political situation in the 1500's. She explains how events, including an ongoing war with Spain, had unfolded such that the new Dutch republic was, at the end of the 16th century, primed and eager to establish themselves on the world stage through international trade. Prior to his three journeys into the arctic Barents had decades of experience sailing the Mediterranean and had, in fact, participated in the production of an atlas of that area. He was committed to the idea, floating around since the Greek explorer Pytheas first broached it, that there was an open sea in the Northern Polar regions.

She then fairly briskly describes his first two voyages, including his disagreements with other captains and navigators as to whether hugging the the Russian coast or venturing directly north made more sense. The chief obstacle to travel eastward in these regions was the large island of Novaya Zemlya (or Nova Zembla). There was much speculation as to whether this was actually an island that could be circumnavigated or a larger land mass that would prohibit the completion of a West to East northern passage and it was Barents’ ambition to resolve that question.


On the third voyage, Barents convinced his captain (his role on these trips was as navigator) to separate from their companion ship to travel east, back to Nova Zembla. It was there that this ship became icebound, with the crew wintering over in a windowless cabin they built from driftwood and pieces of the ship they deemed non-essential.

And it is there that the book becomes most interesting. Using logbooks and diaries of key members of the crew, the author reconstructs events of the long arctic night. She describes rare atmospheric phenomena related to the aurora borealis; the causes, symptoms and treatments for scurvy; seemingly endless attacks by polar bears; and other fascinating experiences and events. And whenever they were on the water, the bergs and other forms of ice that impeded their progress or altered their routes.

I was particularly struck by the polar bear encounters, not something I'd read about in descriptions of expeditions set later in time, and the fact that these sailors, without any concrete understanding of what caused scurvy intuitively knew that eating grasses high in vitamin C, once they stumbled on them, would be helpful.

Most of all I was impressed by the creativity of these men, sailing without navigational tools that were taken for granted in later years and in vessels that were, by comparison, tiny. Barents himself did not survive the trip home, and without his skills the other crew members struggled to find their way. After much travail they did manage to stumble on the Russian coast where they met up with other ships and local residents who provided much needed food and directions.

The book might have been more engaging if Pitzer had focused more on the personalities of the principal players, Barents especially. But since very little is actually known about him, she would have needed to speculate - and we can't know whether her imaginings would have been accurate. The facts alone make this an intriguing story.… (mehr)