Hampton Sides loves to tell stories of people fighting against impossible odds.

The story of the Jeannette's voyage is right in that vein. His book is called In the Kingdom of Ice and the subtitle sums it up - the Grand and Terrible Polar Voyage of the USS Jeannette.

Look forward to hearing about US naval officer George de Long's polar expedition of 1879, including:

• a rich and eccentric newspaper owner
• a syphilitic navigator
• a mentally unbalanced German cartographer
• a wonderful love story

and courage and endurance beyond all belief.