Empire at the Edge of the World
Endurance and Madness in the High Arctic
Will be published approx. on 24. September 2026
Book
Hardback
384 pages
978-1-3998-2272-5 (ISBN)
Description
One man's lust for empire sent fifteen people into the Arctic - only one came back.
1913, the Arctic circle. 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 of brilliance, ego and breathtaking hubris.
What 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...
Sweeping, chilling and stranger than fiction, Empire at the Edge of the World is a story of greed and justice at the edge of the world.
1913, the Arctic circle. 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 of brilliance, ego and breathtaking hubris.
What 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...
Sweeping, chilling and stranger than fiction, Empire at the Edge of the World is a story of greed and justice at the edge of the world.
Reviews / Votes
A killer, page-turning narrative, full of thrilling twists and turns . . . The kind of book which reminds me why I love history -- Alice Loxton With 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 Giles 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 CIRCLEMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
United Kingdom
Publishing group
John Murray Press
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
Trade binding
Illustrations
N/A
Dimensions
Height: 240 mm
Width: 156 mm
ISBN-13
978-1-3998-2272-5 (9781399822725)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
approx. 09/2026
John Murray
€8.49
Not yet available
Person
Giles Milton 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, Nathaniel's Nutmeg, is currently being developed into a major screen project. Milton is the writer and narrator of the acclaimed narrative podcast series, Ministry of Secrets, produced by Sony and available on all platforms. He lives in London and Burgundy.