Fatal North: Murder and Survival on the First North Pole Expedition

Sponsored by the United States government, the Polaris expedition of 1871 was intended to be the first to reach the North Pole. By its end, the ship was sunk, Captain Charles Hall was dead under suspicious circumstances, and thirty-three men, women, and children were struggling to survive while stranded on the polar ice for six months.

News of the disastrous expedition and accusations of murder lead to a national scandal, an official investigation, and a government cover-up. The true cause of the captain’s death remained unknown for nearly 100 years, until Charles Hall’s grave was found by a search party and opened.

#1 New York Times bestselling author Bruce Henderson combines the transcripts of the U.S. Navy’s original inquest, the personal papers of Captain Hall, as well as his autopsy and forensic reports relating to his death, the ship’s log, and personal journals of the crew to tell the complete story of this mysterious tragedy.

“Rewardingly suspenseful…Rousing sea adventure.” —Seattle Weekly

“A factual historical mystery written by a gifted storyteller.” —Library Journal