X-Book

Empire at the Edge of the World

Already purchased

Click to open directly in the xigxag app.

Click Buy to Log in and see personalised pricing.

Send as a gift Get in the xigxag app

Added to cart

Continue shopping or head to checkout

View cart
How does xigxag pricing work?

Listen to a sample

What to expect

One man's lust for empire sent a team of adventurers 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 will 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 jeopardy. 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 miraculously outlasts them all . . .

Sweeping, chilling and stranger than fiction, Empire at the Edge of the World is a true story of greed and justice at the edge of the world.

Critics Review

A killer, page-turning narrative, full of thrilling twists and turns . . . The kind of book which reminds me why I love history
Alice Loxton, author of EIGHTEEN
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 CIRCLE
An astonishing piece of work and research: my fingernails are bitten to the quick. It's thrilling, humbling and awe-inspiring . . . Eye-stretching in its ghastliness, bravery and cruelty. A fabulous true story brought to life
Joanna Lumley
Author Giles Milton
Narrator Giles Milton
Duration 10 hours
Release Date
ISBN 9781399822763
Format Audiobook
Publisher John Murray Press
Genre Geography, Geopolitics, History: specific events and topics
Availability AU, GB, IE

More from the same

Author

Narrator

About xigxag

Experience the best audiobooks with xigxag, an innovative and user-friendly audiobook platform designed for seamless discovery, purchase, and enjoyment of your favorite titles. Our flexible pricing model offers bestselling audiobooks for less, providing affordable prices and the best audiobook deals without requiring a subscription. Perfect for gifting, xigxag also features convenient audiobook gift cards and in-app audiobook gifting options.

 

Beyond the listening experience, xigxag stands as an exciting alternative to big tech, embodying a strong commitment to sustainability and ethical practices. As the only B Corp certified UK audiobook service, we ensure a guilt-free listening experience from a leader in audiobook innovation.

 

Effortlessly search audiobooks, access honest audiobook reviews that evaluate both the content and narration, and easily discover hidden gems. Whether you prefer to download or stream top audiobook titles, xigxag provides the best possible listening experience anytime, anywhere, on the UK’s best independent audiobook app. Discover the future of audiobooks today.

{{ toast.text }}