The atlas of the mid 1800's was covered in blank spaces. In the mid 19th century, people decided to discover what lay at the top of the world. Ninety Degrees North chronicles this race for the North Pole & examines what it was that people expected to discover when they got there. Fleming expertly details the eclectic mix of characters that sailed, walked, skied, sledged & ballooned their way towards this polar grail. Legandary figures such as Kane, Hayes, Hall, the Duke of Abruzzi, Cook & Peary are brought to life animatedly. Accounts of their quests are playfully & incisively related as they battle storms, scurvy, the interminable arctic winter, accidents & the regular loss of fingers & toes, guaranteeing that the book is elevated above simply being a list of extraodinary expeditions.