{"product_id":"empire-at-the-edge-of-the-world-endurance-and-madness-in-the-high-arctic-9781399822732","title":"Empire at the Edge of the World: Endurance and Madness in the High Arctic","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA harrowing Arctic adventure of imperial rivalries at the frozen edge of the world.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003eOne man's lust for empire sent fifteen people into the Arctic - only one came back.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e1913, the Arctic circle.\u003c\/i\u003e 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.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003eWhat 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...\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003eSweeping, chilling and stranger than fiction, \u003ci\u003eEmpire at the Edge of the World\u003c\/i\u003e is a story of greed and justice at the edge of the world.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003ch4\u003eDetails\u003c\/h4\u003e\u003cp\u003eISBN13: 9781399822732\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFormat: Paperback \/ softback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eNumber of Pages: 384\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eEdition: \u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePublication Date: 22 Sep 2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePublisher: John Murray Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePublication City, Country: United Kingdom\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDimensions (cm): 23.2(H)x15(L)x3(W)500\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWeight (gm): 500\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch4\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h4\u003e\u003cb\u003eGiles Milton\u003c\/b\u003e 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, \u003ci\u003eNathaniel's Nutmeg\u003c\/i\u003e, is currently being developed into a major screen project. Milton is the writer and narrator of the acclaimed narrative podcast series, \u003ci\u003eMinistry of Secrets\u003c\/i\u003e, produced by Sony and available on all platforms. He lives in London and Burgundy.\u003ch4\u003eReviews\u003c\/h4\u003eThrillingly compelling * Daily Telegraph *\u003cbr\u003eA compelling combination of betrayal, catastrophe, starvation, madness, mutiny, murder and revenge * The Spectator *\u003cbr\u003eAn extraordinary portrait * The Times *\u003cbr\u003eA 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\u003cbr\u003eWith 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\u003cbr\u003eGiles 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\u003cbr\u003eAn 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\u003cbr\u003eNo 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\u003cbr\u003eAn eye-opening, twist-filled epic of heroism, hardship and weapons-grade narcissism -- Ed Potton, commissioning editor, The Times","brand":"Giles Milton","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50735563145433,"sku":"9781399822732","price":34.99,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0502\/9530\/8441\/files\/9781399822732.jpg?v=1792168761","url":"https:\/\/www.arielbooks.com.au\/products\/empire-at-the-edge-of-the-world-endurance-and-madness-in-the-high-arctic-9781399822732","provider":"Ariel","version":"1.0","type":"link"}