Ahoy there me mateys! Though this log’s focus is on sci-fi, fantasy, and young adult, this Captain does have broader reading tastes. So occasionally I will share some novels that I enjoyed that are off the charts (a non sci-fi, fantasy, or young adult novel), as it were. I received this non-fiction eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. So here be me honest musings . . .

This novel was recommended by stephanie @ adventuresofabibliophile. The title and cover immediately captured me fancy. Stowaways and a ship! Arrr! It takes place in the 1920s which is a bonus. Also me adventurous ma is currently on a ship heading for Antarctica and penguins and cold! So it seemed appropriate to read about previous Antarctic explorers.

While I prefer sunnier climes, I have always had a fascination for exploration stories of all kinds be it mountain climbin', island hoppin', or south pole ice scramblin'. As a younger lass I read about Shackleton, Darwin, and Cook's true life adventures. National Geographic magazine was a much loved publication. Equally beloved were the fictional survival stories like White Fang, Robinson Crusoe, and the Count of Monte Cristo. I continue to love these types of stories like recent reads castle of water and feel me fall (highly recommended).

So I began to read this book about Billy Gawronski who was so obsessed with being a member of Byrd's crew that he was a stowaway on Byrd's ships not once but three times! His tenaciousness and pure grit to make it to Antarctica was endearing and fun. He wasn't the only one trying to secure a place on this expedition. Byrd was a crafty man and had thousands of candidates trying to obtain a non-paying berth on the voyage attempting to make American history.

Overall I found this to be a more a story about the facts surrounding getting to and from Antarctica rather than what happened on Antarctica. It is a seemingly well-researched book. Much like in real life, Byrd really is the center of the story with Billy's portions as the more humanistic filler. The beginning of the book up until the establishment of Little America is the best part of the book though the story loses steam after that. In any case I found many of the tangential facts to be fascinating. Like how President Coolidge had a pancake breakfast with actresses in an attempt to bolster his election campaign. This book was a quick read that I enjoyed even if I thought it would be more about Billy's adventures in Antarctica.

So lastly . . .

Thank you Simon & Schuster!

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