
Against the Ice
The Classic Arctic Survival Story
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Narrated by:
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Tristan Wright
About this listen
Now a major Netflix film co-written by and starring Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Game of Thrones)
The harrowing, amazing, and often amusing personal account of two mismatched Arctic explorers who banded together to keep themselves sane on an historic expedition gone horribly wrong
Ejnar Mikkelsen was devoted to Arctic exploration. In 1910 he decided to search for the diaries of the ill-fated Mylius-Erichsen expedition, which had set out to prove that Robert Peary’s outline of the East Greenland coast was a myth, erroneous and presumably self-serving. Iver Iversen was a mechanic who joined Mikkelsen in Iceland when the expedition’s boat needed repair.
Several months later, Mikkelsen and Iversen embarked on an incredible journey during which they would suffer every imaginable Arctic travail: implacable cold, scurvy, starvation, frostbite, snow blindness, plunges into icy seawater, impossible sledding conditions, Vitamin A poisoning, debilitated dogs, apocalyptic storms, gaping crevasses, and assorted mortifications of the flesh. Mikkelsen’s diary was even eaten by a bear.
Three years of this, coupled with seemingly no hope of rescue, would drive most crazy, yet the two retained both their sanity as well as their humor.
Indeed, what may have saved them was their refusal to become as desolate as their surroundings…
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, who co-adapted the book into a screenplay, provides the foreword to this new edition of the classic exploration memoir, which was one of The Explorer's Club’s 100 Best Books of the 20th Century.
Originally published as Two Against the Ice: A Classic Arctic Survival Story and a Remarkable Account of Companionship in the Face of Adversity. Translated from the Danish by Maurice Michael.
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Critic reviews
"One of the Hundred Best Books of Twentieth-Century Exploration"—The Explorer's Club
"Readers will be amazed and amused by the way the two explorers keep their spirits about them and downplay the terrifying dangers as though it were all in good fun. Fascinating and fun reading."—Booklist
"Mikkelsen is an artisan of cold places, and if his labors are mighty and consuming, they are also of love."—Kirkus Reviews
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- Unabridged
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The small ship making the Liverpool-to-New York trip in the early months of 1856 carried mail, crates of dry goods, and more than 100 passengers, mostly Irish emigrants. Suddenly, an iceberg tore the ship asunder, and five lifeboats were lowered. As four lifeboats drifted into the fog and icy water, never to be heard from again, the last boat wrenched away from the sinking ship with a few blankets, some water and biscuits, and 13 souls. Only one would survive. This is his story.
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Engrossing
- By Trish on 04-20-22
By: Brian Murphy, and others
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Left for Dead
- Shipwreck, Treachery, and Survival at the Edge of the World
- By: Eric Jay Dolin
- Narrated by: L.J. Ganser
- Length: 7 hrs and 59 mins
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The best-selling author of Black Flags, Blue Waters tells the story of a wild encounter between an American sealing vessel, a shipwrecked British brig, and a British warship in the Falkland Islands during the War of 1812. Fraught with misunderstandings and mistrust, the incident left three British sailors and two Americans including the captain of the sealer, Charles H. Barnard abandoned in the Falklands for eighteen months.
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Great history
- By Pullman on 07-31-24
By: Eric Jay Dolin
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Alone on the Ice
- The Greatest Survival Story in the History of Exploration
- By: David Roberts
- Narrated by: Matthew Brenher
- Length: 11 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
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On January 17, 1913, alone and near starvation, Douglas Mawson, leader of the Australasian Antarctic Expedition, was hauling a sledge to get back to base camp - the dogs were gone. Mawson plunged through a snow bridge, dangling over an abyss by the sledge harness. A line of poetry gave him the will to haul himself back to the surface. On February 8, when he staggered back to base, his features unrecognizable, the first teammate to reach him blurted out, "Which one are you?"
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Put Another Log on the Fire
- By Mel on 02-07-13
By: David Roberts
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Race for the South Pole
- The Expedition Diaries of Scott and Amundsen
- By: Roland Huntford
- Narrated by: Bronson Pinchot
- Length: 14 hrs and 38 mins
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For the first time ever Roland Huntford presents each man's account of the race to the South Pole in their own words. In 1910, Robert Falcon Scott and Roald Amundsen set sail for Antarctica, each from his own starting point, and the epic race for the South Pole was on. 2010 marks the centenary of the last great race of terrestrial discovery. For the first time Scott's unedited diary entries run alongside those of Amundsen and Bjaaland, never before translated into English.
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Great account, might be better in hard copy
- By Error9312 on 05-24-22
By: Roland Huntford
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Madhouse at the End of the Earth
- The Belgica's Journey into the Dark Antarctic Night
- By: Julian Sancton
- Narrated by: Vikas Adam
- Length: 13 hrs and 28 mins
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In August 1897, the young Belgian commandant Adrien de Gerlache set sail for a three-year expedition aboard the good ship Belgica with dreams of glory. His destination was the uncharted end of the earth: the icy continent of Antarctica. But de Gerlache’s plans to be first to the magnetic South Pole would swiftly go awry. After a series of costly setbacks, the commandant faced two bad options: turn back in defeat and spare his men the devastating Antarctic winter, or recklessly chase fame by sailing deeper into the freezing waters.
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Excellent story
- By Ginger 3701 on 05-23-21
By: Julian Sancton
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438 Days
- An Extraordinary True Story of Survival at Sea
- By: Jonathan Franklin
- Narrated by: George Newbern
- Length: 7 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
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438 Days is the miraculous account of the man who survived alone and adrift at sea longer than anyone in recorded history - as told to journalist Jonathan Franklin in dozens of exclusive interviews.
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Excellent use of my credit!
- By SGL on 12-13-15
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Empire of Ice and Stone
- The Disastrous and Heroic Voyage of the Karluk
- By: Buddy Levy
- Narrated by: Will Damron
- Length: 14 hrs and 40 mins
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In the summer of 1913, the wooden-hulled brigantine Karluk departed Canada for the Arctic Ocean. At the helm was Captain Bob Bartlett, considered the world’s greatest living ice navigator. The expedition’s visionary leader was a flamboyant impresario named Vilhjalmur Stefansson hungry for fame. Just six weeks after the Karluk departed, giant ice floes closed in around her. As the ship became icebound, Stefansson disembarked with five companions and struck out on what he claimed was a 10-day caribou hunting trip. Most on board would never see him again.
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My Second Favorite Polar Exploration Book
- By Than on 02-23-24
By: Buddy Levy
What listeners say about Against the Ice
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Susan rhodes
- 05-03-25
Going to the Arctic myself today
Well written first account of a true explorer. I marvel at the courage of these men. I also watched the movie based on the book which was accurate and brutal. Greenland belongs to Denmark and our current President is an idiot.
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- Smorse
- 01-07-23
Great survival story!
I thoroughly enjoyed this book as well as the movie. The performance was spot on!!
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- j s good
- 06-12-22
Just like Being There
I couldn’t stop listening. The narrator made me feel like I was listening to the explorers themselves.
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1 person found this helpful
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- amina sadler
- 01-02-23
Amazing and beautiful
Incredible story. Beautiful writing. Excellent narrator. I'm happy I selected it to listen to.
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- Bob Barker
- 06-24-23
Favorite
This is my favorite survival adventure story of all time. I love the relationship between the two and hearing about some of their most trying times and the moments of joy they have together. I will probably listen to this one several times.
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- Ishraf
- 09-04-22
superb book, about adventure and mental strength
amazing book, first saw the movie on Netflix and this audiobook is a gripping tale in the age of antarctic exploration..about mental strength, progress, goal achievement in a beautiful unexplored territory setting
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1 person found this helpful
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- Lori J
- 01-22-22
FABULOUS.
I had trouble enjoying this at the beginning as I am a dog lover. However, the story gripped me in my guts and occupied my mind. There is no way to describe the struggle and isolation these men survived- you must hear it in their words. I often listen to audios while 'doing other things' but not with this one.
I have finished it and want to say that I feel a profound gratitude for all the comforts of life that I enjoy.
And a happy ending. What more could a history/adventure buff desire?
Shelve it beside Shakleton's Endurance.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Sarabeth
- 03-03-22
Accent
wow that accent is rough. Just find a danish guy or a decent impersonation. Think I'll read this one
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2 people found this helpful
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- Jeff Sirocki
- 11-24-22
Very good
Highly recommend this audible. An excellent story of survival and sledging in Greenland against the odds.
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