Madhouse at the End of the Earth by Julian Sancton

I love a good adventure!

Madhouse at the End of the Earth: The Belgica's Journey into the Dark Antarctic Night is the story of The Belgica's journey from Belgium to Antarctica, in the hopes of finding the magnetic South Pole. The dream of Commander Andrien de Gerlache, the crew includes a young Roald Amundsen, who will later lead expeditions to the North Pole and the infamous Dr. Frederick Cook, while celebrated for work on the Belgica expedition he later goes to jail for a Ponzi scheme.

The expedition is plagued from the beginning with delays, quarrelsome crew members, and lack of strong leadership from de Gerlache. After spending time among the ice bergs and sea ice close to Antarctica, de Gerlache decides to continue south, trying to at least reach the Antarctic coast. Unbeknownst to all but de Gerlache and the ship’s captain, this decision likely means wintering in the icy world of the Antarctic.

Over the winter, the crew suffers from a series of illnesses including scurvy and what Dr. Cook calls 'polar malaise,' which include psychiatric issues of depression and paranoia.

Thanks to multiple crew members journals and extensive research, the author shares this story of isolation in a desolate, dark, unforgiving frozen sea. And the heroic measures these men took to survive.