36. Before Shackleton and the Endurance There Was the Belgica: Madhouse at the End of the Earth, with Julian Sancton

Most listeners of this podcast will be familiar with the epic adventure of Ernest Shackleton and the crew of the Endurance. However, the Endurance does not have a monopoly on being stuck in Antarctic ice, nor does it have precedence. Before the Endurance, Belgian captain Adrien de Gerlache took the Belgica on a southward expedition with the hopes of reaching the magnetic south pole. On the Dogwatch today we are fortunate to be joined by Julian Sancton who recently wrote Madhouse at the End of the Earth, a bestselling book that the New York TImes calls “exquisitely researched and deeply engrossing,” in which he tells the incredible tale of the Belgica, how it became lodged in the Antarctic ice, and how its crew, much to their detriment, became the first to endure the dark Antarctic winter. In our conversation, we get to know Julian’s background in journalism and writing, how he came to tell the tale of the Belgica, and learn more about the characters in the book, including Roald Amundson, who became one of most prominent explorers of all time. If that is not enough, I would think that starting the tale in Leavenworth Penitentiary will  peak the interest of most Dogwatch listeners.