Disaster at the Pole: The Crash of the Airship Italia-A Harrowing True Tale of Arctic Endurance and Survival - Softcover

Wilbur Cross

Softcover

ISBN 10: 144018674X ISBN 13: 9781440186745

Publisher: iUniverse, 2010

Synopsis

In 1928, defying Italy's Mussolini and the entire fascist party, aviator Umberto Nobile, undertook a daring expedition to the North Pole in Italia, one of several successful airships he had designed. The tragic crash of the airship on the ice and search for survivors was the most extensive in Arctic history, involving seven nations. Although Nobile and eight crew members survived, those lost included not only their tragic companions but searchers, including the famous explorer, Roald Amundsen. The Italia tragedy was described by The New York Times as "one of the most astonishing episodes in the history of aviation."

About this title

From the Back Cover:

In 1926, General Umberto Nobile, one of Italy's premier aeronautical engineers, gained acclaim by crossing the North Pole in a dirigible, accompanied by the famous Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen. Encouraged by his success, Nobile decided in 1928 to lead another airship expedition to the Pole.
But on the Italia's return flight, disaster struck. The ship crashed down hundreds of miles from help. The survivors, including the injured Nobile, were stranded on an unstable ice floe, desperately trying to make radio contact with the outside world. Their disappearance inspired one of the most far-reaching rescue missions ever undertaken, and many of the searchers met disaster themselves - Amundsen among them.
Drawing on interviews he conducted with Nobile and other survivors, Wilbur Cross brings to life the struggles of the crewmen during their nearly two months on the ice, including the fate of three men who set off on a doomed trek to reach help. Cross also reveals the truth of the controversy surrounding Nobile, who was vilified by Italy's fascist government. Filled with intrigue, heroics and cruel twists of fate, Disaster at the Pole recounts one of the most fascinating and bizarre polar tragedies.

About the Author:

Wilbur Cross, author of more than 50 non-fiction books and several hundred magazine articles, considers his coverage of the Italia the most stimulating and exciting subject he has ever researched and written about in his long career. It has all the elements of humanity and drama that make it ideal for presentation in this or any other medium.

About this edition

• Publisher: iUniverse
• Publication date: 2010
• ISBN 10: 144018674X
• ISBN 13: 9781440186745
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 348