Realm of Ice and Sky

Realm of Ice and Sky explores dramatic episodes of Arctic exploration, including early 20th-century attempts to traverse the polar regions by airship and the consequential rescues those efforts prompted.

Buddy Levy combines archival research and field visits to Arctic locales like Svalbard to recreate the experience of explorers confronting extreme cold, shifting sea ice, and polar wildlife.

The book addresses human endurance, the hubris of technology like hydrogen-filled dirigibles, and the cultural interactions with indigenous northern peoples.

Levy situates these polar narratives within broader themes of ambition, risk, and the environmental realities of the high latitudes.

Through vivid description and storytelling, the book illuminates both heroic feats and tragic failures in the history of polar exploration.