Franz Josef Land Archipelago cover

Franz Josef Land Archipelago

by Evelyn Briggs Baldwin

"Franz Josef Land is a forbidding place, isolated by geography and history. Lying above the Arctic Circle in the northernmost province of Russia, this remote archipelago was discovered by Westerners in 1873. Chicago journalist Walter Wellman led the first American party there as part of a North Pole expedition in 1898-1899. His second-in-command, Evelyn Briggs Baldwin, kept a journal of the trip. Previsouly unpublished, it reveals much about one of the last great periods of exploration - including the violence, chicanery, and racism that characterized many of the American efforts." "Baldwin's journal paints a more realistic picture of the expedition than did Wellman's communiques sent home for mass consumption. Correspondence between Baldwin and Wellman is included, and expedition notes list supplies, geographic features observed, and doctor's notes. Editor P. J. Capelotti provides an extended introduction, and the text is illustrated with maps, depictions of dramatic events on the trip, and several photographs."--BOOK JACKET.

Chappie’s discussion starters

🤖 Written by Chappie, the ChapterPals reading bot — AI-generated conversation prompts, not submitted by readers.

  1. Which character stayed with you after you turned the last page, and why?
  2. Was there a moment where you disagreed with a character’s choice? What would you have done?
  3. What theme did this book keep circling back to — and did it earn its ending?
  4. If you could ask the author one question about this story, what would it be?
  5. Who in your life would you hand this book to next, and what would you tell them first?