The internationally famous exploratory airship N-4, otherwise named the Italia, was making a celebrated and triumphant return from an expedition to the North Pole, when disaster struck, it became the victim of a severe and devastating storm, forcing it to crash somewhere on the Arctic ice.
This triggered what became the largest polar rescue mission ever.
In charge of the search and rescue operation was famed arctic explorer Roald Amundsen. However, Amundsen himself went missing in the Arctic wastes. As of 2022, his body has yet to be found.
The background is that Norwegian Amundsen and Italian airship designer General Umberto Nobile went into partnership in 1926.
Sadly by 1928 the relationship between the two men had soured very badly.
Nobile, his pet dog and a crew consisting of fourteen Italians, a Swede and a Czech set off to search for new lands in the Arctic Circle and to be the first airship to land men at the North Pole.
But close to the North Pole they were hit by a severe storm that forced the Italia to crash on the ice.
Six crew members immediately disappeared never to be seen again. The injured subscribers, including Nobile, sought refuge on ice flows. They were not prepared for the dreadful conditions and had little hope of survival.
By chance there was a meeting in Oslo, the capital city of Norway, of famed Arctic explorers, assembling to celebrate the first successful flight from Alaska to Norway.
On hearing of the dreadful crash Amundsen decided to strike out by himself to launch a desperate attempt to locate Nobile and any potential survivors.
With the passing weeks the situation became more and more desperate with the survivors struggling with severe weather and marauding polar bears.
When they were eventually discovered the search plane landed. But in a dreadful twist, the pilot told the survivors that he only had room for one passenger.
Piesing's book is a very well researched work that is exceptionally well written and profusely illustrated with a good range of photographs.
It's a "must buy" Christmas gift for those in your life who love reading about real life adventures, Arctic exploration and biographical stories.
It is published by Custom House in hardback and paperback, £22.00 hardback and £12.99 in paperback, though it is discounted on Amazon.
