In the early 20th century, the Arctic remained one of the last great unexplored regions of the world. When the celebrity explorer Vilhjalmur Stefansson sets out to chart its unknown territory, the expedition’s flagship, the Karluk, becomes trapped in the ice, leaving its crew, scientists and Indigenous members facing an extraordinary struggle for survival.
In this week's episode of the podcast, bestselling historian Giles Milton joins Zeb Baker-Smith, Editor of Aspects of History, to discuss his new book, Empire at the Edge of the World, including the Karluk disaster, Captain Robert Bartlett’s remarkable journey to raise the alarm, and the ill-fated attempt to establish a colony on Wrangel Island. They explore the realities of Arctic exploration, from temperatures of minus 50 degrees to starvation, contaminated food and the treacherous sea ice.
Giles also discusses Ada Blackjack, the Indigenous seamstress who found herself stranded on Wrangel Island, and the diaries and accounts that reveal what happened there. From Stefansson’s vision of the Arctic as the future of the world to his eventual fall from celebrity to disgrace, the conversation also considers Wrangel Island’s continuing geopolitical importance a century later.
Episode Links
Empire at the Edge of the World: Endurance and Madness in the High Arctic
Giles Milton Links
Giles online
Giles on Twitter/X
Giles on Instagram
Giles on Facebook
Aspects of History Links
AoH online
AoH on Twitter /X
AoH on Instagram
AoH on Substack
Zeb Links
Zeb on Twitter /X
Zeb on Instagram
Zeb on Substack
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
