Where Hell Freezes Over: A Story of Amazing Bravery and Survival

In combat it's said no plan survives contact with the enemy. For the men of the George 1, many of them combat veterans from the recently ended Second World War, contact with a different kind of enemy killed three of their crew and threatened the lives of all of them when their seaplane crashed in Antarctica. David Kearns' book is not the first telling of this survival story, but it may well be the most dramatic. As the son of one of the surviving crew members, naval aviator Bill Kearns--who was twenty-two at the time, the author had unique access to the members of that ill-fated mission who are still alive. His story is rich in detail, and those details are revealed in a narrative that is compelling. I've been meaning to write this review for a while. I bought the book when it was first released. So I won't rehash what has already been said about it. If you like survival stories, you will enjoy this one. Frankly, the most surprising thing to me about "Where Hell Freezes Over" is that no Hollywood producer has snapped up the movie rights yet. For America has some unfinished business that would practically guarantee the film's success. The remains of three Americans were left behind in that frozen world, trapped by fate and their own bad luck. I can see a movie producer underwriting an expedition--I'm sure the Navy would be interested in helping--to bring them home. Imagine the scenes: the opening shot of the wing still buried deep in the ice, the names barely visible; the narrative of the crash and those desperate days on the ice, interspersed with film of the recovery effort; the rescue of the survivors, and finally a memorial service with any of the surviving members of the crew and their descendants as Lopez, Hendersin and Williams are returned to their homeland one last time. Read the book to understand. This recounting of the crash of the George 1 is written with candor and passion. It's a difficult thing for any son to write a book about his father. David Kearns has met the challenge admirably.

This is an important story about a period our history that few people (myself included) know relatively little about. Kearns does an outstanding job bringing the hardship and courage of the men of the George I to life. Thoroughly researched and supurbly written, the book delivers extensive detail without becomming bogged down or slow. It is an absolute wonder that any of these men survived their ordeal on the ice. After reading this work, I'll think twice about complaining about dealing with New England winters again. I only hope that someday the three men left in that nearly nameless place can be recovered - and that Mr.Kearns wil be there to document and tell the final chapter of their story. If you are familiar with the works of Stephen Ambrose or James Bradley, this is a must-read.

In late 1946 a survey crew photographing Antarctica from the air crashed. The co-pilot Lt. (jg) William H. Kearns, Jr. was the father of the auther. After the crash, it was a truly harrowing experience. Three men were dead, others injured, there was little chance of rescue. In 1946 there was very little activity in the antarctic at all. as the elder Kearns said, "Our biggest fear, with no one else on the continent at the time, was being left alone in six million square miles of ice and snow." Eventually the Navy got another plane landed in a lake some 12 miles from the crash site. The survivors walked, crawled, and pulled their compatriots along to reach the rescue plane. Except for the three killed in the crash, they all made it. One minor technical complaint. The plane was a PBM-5 Mariner. At one point the author calls it a 'Ventura' which is a different plane altogether. Other than this I found the book well written and a very interesting read. But I have to say that it didn't make me want to go to Antarctica at all.

This is one book that you won't be able to put down once you start reading it. The author does a tremendous job of showing us how difficult it was for these men to survive such tragedy. An unforgettable tale!

I have enjoyed reading Stephen Ambrose books because of their historic settings and excellent story telling. This book had the same feel to me. It's a great story about early exploration of the South Pole, a subject I've not seen covered in the same way. The story is so good, I sat in my chair and read it in two days. The writing also includes excellent technical detail. As an airplane geek myself, the descriptions of the aircraft, flying, and the Naval settings were accurate enough to satisfy me. And, most importantly, it is an exciting story of survival. The conditions were unbelievable, and you almost felt as though you were there! So, overall, I really enjoyed reading this book.