"Absolutely gripping… a perfectly splendid read—I highly, highly recommend it” -- Douglas Preston, author of The Lost City of the Monkey God. This narrative chronicles a sixty-year saga of frostbite and fake news, centered on the fierce rivalry between explorers Robert Peary and Frederick Cook, both claiming to have reached the North Pole in 1909. Their feud captivated the world and ignited a fierce battle between two influential New York newspapers—the Herald and the Times—each backing a different explorer and fighting to uphold their reputations. The Herald, led by the flamboyant James Gordon Bennett, Jr., was known for its sensationalism, while the Times, under the stewardship of Adolph Ochs, transformed from near extinction into a formidable force in journalism. The conflict between Cook and Peary not only influenced the fate of both newspapers but also shaped the future of corporate media. This account offers a candid look at the Arctic explorers, who both inspired and misled the public, alongside the newspapers that documented their journeys, often distorting the truth. It explores themes of class, celebrity, and the rapid news cycle, highlighting the complex interplay of personality and publicity in American culture as the Gilded Age transitioned into the twentieth century.
