A harrowing Arctic adventure of imperial rivalries at the frozen edge of the world.

One man's lust for empire sent fifteen people into the Arctic - only one came back.

1913, the Arctic circle. Charismatic explorer Vilhjalmur Stefansson is obsessed with a frozen speck of land in the Siberian Arctic: Wrangel Island. Believing that whoever possesses it would control the future - air routes, resources, even the balance of power in the northern hemisphere, he takes an impossible gamble. Dispatching a small, ill-equipped venture to stake a frozen colony in Britain's name, it is a triumph brilliance, ego and breathtaking hubris.

What follows is a catastrophe of starvation, madness, and geopolitical risk. As winter seals the island in ice, relief ships fail to arrive and tensions among the colonists spiral toward despair. While diplomats spar and warships steam north, the settlers are left to endure scurvy, polar bears, and the terror of abandonment. At the centre of it all stands one unlikely survivor - a young Inuit seamstress who can outlast them all...

Sweeping, chilling and stranger than fiction, Empire at the Edge of the World is a story of greed and justice at the edge of the world.

Details

ISBN13: 9781399822732
Format: Paperback / softback
Number of Pages: 384
Edition:
Publication Date: 22 Sep 2026
Publisher: John Murray Press
Publication City, Country: United Kingdom
Dimensions (cm): 23.2(H)x15(L)x3(W)500
Weight (gm): 500

Author Biography

Giles Milton is the million-copy, internationally bestselling author of a dozen works of narrative history. His books have been translated into twenty-five languages. One of Milton's previous works, Nathaniel's Nutmeg, is currently being developed into a major screen project. Milton is the writer and narrator of the acclaimed narrative podcast series, Ministry of Secrets, produced by Sony and available on all platforms. He lives in London and Burgundy.

Reviews

Thrillingly compelling * Daily Telegraph *
A compelling combination of betrayal, catastrophe, starvation, madness, mutiny, murder and revenge * The Spectator *
An extraordinary portrait * The Times *
A killer, page-turning narrative, full of thrilling twists and turns . . . The kind of book which reminds me why I love history -- Alice Loxton, author of EIGHTEEN
With his characteristic deep scholarship and literary verve, Milton has thrust back into the limelight someone who once was never far from it, but today is virtually unknown -- Andrew Roberts, author of CHURCHILL: WALKING WITH DESTINY
Giles Milton sheds light on a part of the world that has become suddenly and urgently relevant, telling a cracking adventure story from the past with verve, panache - and a twist worthy of Hollywood -- Jonathan Freedland, bestselling author of THE TRAITORS CIRCLE
An astonishing piece of work and research: my fingernails are bitten to the quick. It's thrilling, humbling and awe-inspiring . . . Eye-stretching in its ghastliness, bravery and cruelty. A fabulous true story brought to life -- Joanna Lumley
No one is better than Giles Milton at recovering the great forgotten dramas of history and bringing them to vivid life. Giles has become one of our most beloved narrative historians and here he excels in his craft. A fabulous tale of ambition, madness and catastrophe that combines dogged research with wonderful storytelling -- William Dalrymple, author of THE ANARCHY
An eye-opening, twist-filled epic of heroism, hardship and weapons-grade narcissism -- Ed Potton, commissioning editor, The Times