Antarctic Tears: Determination, Adversity, and the Pursuit of a Dream at the Bottom of the World (Other)

Emotions run high in this true polar adventure. It's a story of triumph, harrowing danger, and outright adventure. Leaving an engineering career, Aaron Linsdau pursues a dream to do something no other American had ever accomplished. He wanted to be the first to ski from the coast of Antarctica to the South Pole and back without aid or support. Alone. The journey covers over 1,400 miles through the most forbidding frozen terrain on the planet. The temperature is always below zero and gale force winds routinely roar across the ice. The polar plateau is devoid of life. There are no plants, animals, insects or anything else. It provides no shelter, no protection, and is unforgiving of the most minor mistakes. Previous expeditions have lost tents, helplessly watching them blow over the horizon. Many explorers have quit or been rescued. What began as a brave adventure into the unknown turned into a battle for survival. In this compelling narrative, Linsdau brings the reader along on his expedition across Antarctica, sharing the experience of surviving incredible storms, skiing blind through whiteouts, crossing invisible crevasses, and skirting disaster. The air is cold enough to freeze water in seconds and cause frostbite in minutes. Only outer space is less hospitable. Driven by passion, he sacrifices nearly everything to make his dream come true. This is a story about personal discovery, testing the limits of human endurance, total dedication to achieving a goal, and never giving up even when both body and equipment fail.