Author own story is told much more than the sailors stuck on the island. ( )

Roberts explores the 18th century tale of four Russian seamen who were marooned on a desolate island in the Arctic for more than six years with almost nothing. The tale was little known and Roberts was determined to bring it to light. Throughout the book Roberts recounts his extensive research efforts. In fact, after reading the book you almost get the feeling that it is a primer on original source research. Interesting, but sometimes dry. ( )

Well-written book about four Russian sailors forced to overwinter in one of the most remote islands in the Arctic -- for six years. The story of the sailors themselves is fascinating, although not enough is known about their tale to fill out a book, so "Four against the Arctic" becomes as much about Russian red tape, the glory of research libraries, and travels to Svalbard and far northern Russia as about the overwintering. Roberts is an excellent writer, though, and keeps you with him the whole way. ( )

I agree with the reviews of nbmars and theselkie - way too much about his search for information, and next to nothing about the actual "four against the arctic". ( )

This book would have been more aptly named “Who Moved My Cheese In the Arctic?” The author, along with three companions, goes on a quest to uncover the details of a story he heard about four Russian walrus hunters who, in 1743, got stranded for six years in the Arctic and lived to tell the tale.

After long and frustrating attempts to research the story in libraries and museums, the author determined he had to go to the Arctic Circle himself and see if he could find the sailors hut, and/or their remains, and/or any other evidence of how they survived. He took with him his French publisher and friend Michel, his wilderness guide friend Vaughn, and a Swedish guide Mats, who had previously run shore excursions to the target island of Svalbard. The four take up close quarters in a small hut on Halfmoon Island in the Arctic, and alas, pretty soon we’re deeply involved in the peccadillos and irritations of the guys in 24/7 interaction. Roberts gets a deeper understanding not only of how tough physical survival is in the Arctic, but how easy it is to go ballistic over little things when you’re snowbound in a little hut with others.

I was hoping for an adventure story about the four guys “shipwrecked for six years at the top of the world.” Instead, it’s a story about four contemporary guys spending a couple of weeks up there, getting very irritated with one another. And the preparatory build-up seemed as long and frustrating to this reader as it was for the author. “In the end,” the author states in his epilogue, “the value of my wild-goose chase was simply to bear witness to the sailors’ feat of survival.” Okay, but couldn’t you have done that in just a magazine article, and left out all the sniping and griping about your own research experience? ( )