THE IMPOSSIBLE RESCUE The True Story of an Amazing Arctic Adventure

Malcolm Hillgartner recounts this astonishing story of a 1,500-mile trek across Alaska in winter to rescue 265 crew members of iced-in whaling ships from certain starvation in 1897. His delivery is characterized by a deep, gravelly voice, a tone of sustained suspense, and an appropriate dash of awe. Hillgartner rolls through the names of native Alaskans and places without hesitation and distinguishes the narrative from the plentiful primary sources of diaries, letters, and reminiscences. The three-man rescue team received indispensable help from the native Alaskans who gave up their reindeer herds (and their livelihoods) to feed the starving whalers without receiving any recognition—or the promised compensation. To appreciate the scores of photographs taken by one of the rescuers, listen with a hard copy of the book in hand. A.B. © AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine [Published: JANUARY 2013]