Frozen in Time: An Epic Story of Survival and a Modern Quest for Lost Heroes of World War II

Two harrowing crashes . . . A vanished rescue plane . . . A desperate fight for life in a frozen, hostile land . . . The quest to solve a seventy-year-old mystery

The author of the smash New York Times bestseller Lost in Shangri-La delivers a gripping true story of endurance, bravery, ingenuity, and honor set in the vast Arctic wilderness of World War II and today.

On November 5, 1942, a U.S. cargo plane on a routine flight slammed into the Greenland ice cap. Four days later, a B-17 on the search-and-rescue mission became lost in a blinding storm and also crashed. Miraculously, all nine men on the B-17 survived. The U.S. military launched a second daring rescue operation, but the Grumman Duck amphibious plane sent to find the men flew into a severe storm and vanished.

In this thrilling adventure, Mitchell Zuckoff offers a spellbinding account of these harrowing disasters and the fate of the survivors and their would-be saviors. Frozen in Time places us at the center of a group of valiant airmen fighting to stay alive through 148 days of a brutal Arctic winter by sheltering from subzero temperatures and vicious blizzards in the tail section of the broken B-17 until an expedition headed by famed Arctic explorer Bernt Balchen attempts to bring them to safety.

But that is only part of the story that unfolds in Frozen in Time. In present-day Greenland, Zuckoff joins the U.S. Coast Guard and North South Polar—a company led by the indefatigable dreamer Lou Sapienza, who worked for years to solve the mystery of the Duck’s last flight—on a dangerous expedition to recover the remains of the lost plane’s crew.

Drawing on intensive research and Zuckoff ’s firsthand account of the dramatic 2012 expedition, Frozen in Time is a breathtaking blend of mystery, adventure, heroism, and survival. It is also a poignant reminder of the sacrifices of our military personnel and their families—and a tribute to the important, perilous, and often-overlooked work of the U.S. Coast Guard.

“'Zuckoff's gripping narrative unfolds with immediacy and verve as men in fetid snow caves and sputtering aircraft pit their dogged camaraderie and desperate, white-knuckle improvisations against the fury of an Arctic winter.' ( Publishers Weekly (starred review))”

"The events Mr. Zuckoff relates are terrifying, horrible, remarkable and, sometimes, thrilling. ... He is a skilled writer, reporter and researcher, but what gives his latest book its power is his poignant, persuasive depiction of men under arms." -- Howard Schneider, Wall Street Journal

"This is not a genre known for literary style, but Zuckoff's clear-eyed prose does just what it needs to do.... He even manages to add a contemporary story...and stitch it into the historical narrative so deftly that one feeds the other." -- Washington Post

"Frozen in Time makes WWII history seem fresh.... [I]t's non-fiction that reads like a page-turner of a mystery. It's filled with heroism, tragedy and remarkable persistence, in the past and present. It's a descriptive slice of World War II.... Zuckoff is a good writer and rigorous researcher. In a dramatic story that easily could be hyped, he writes that 'no liberties were taken with facts, dialogue, characters, or chronology'." -- USA Today

"Mitchell Zuckoff has a nose for the classic adventure story.... As he details the bomber crew's odyssey...weeks stretch into months, but the pages fly by as you eagerly read on. Will they ever get home safely? Zuckoff's mastery keeps readers wondering all the way to the end." -- Boston Globe

"The gripping story of a WWII-era plane crash, the survivors who braved subzero conditions, and the modern-day quest for answers." -- People

"A true-life nail-biter--as nimbly paced as a novel. Grade: A." -- Entertainment Weekly

"Once again, Mitchell Zuckoff has uncovered a thrilling historical tale and told it masterfully. Seamlessly interweaving the past and the present, Frozen in Time is one of those epic adventure stories that will hold you in its grip from beginning to end." -- David Grann, author of The Lost City of Z

"If Lost in Shangri-La was a prize-winning page-turner, Frozen in Time is even more enthralling... a must-read." -- Austin American-Statesman

"This stunningly immersive true-life account of a U.S. military search-and-rescue operation...reads like a stellar adventure novel." -- Entertainment Weekly

"Zuckoff has produced a wonderful book that combines telling details, thoughtful background and vivid storytelling into a fascinating tale of courage, war and perseverance." -- David Williams, Seattle Times

"Mitchell Zuckoff has done it again--he's found another amazing World War II story that everyone else somehow missed. Much like his acclaimed Lost in Shangri-La, this is a story about brave aviators fighting for their lives in a back-theater of the war. Only this time Zuckoff isn't just chronicling the adventure--he's part of it. Frozen in Time is a beautifully-written war yarn, but at its heart, it's a non-fiction mystery--the tale of a group of heroes united in a desire to solve a riddle buried in the Arctic ice." -- Hampton Sides, author of Ghost Soldiers and Hellhound on His Trail

"Zuckoff's gripping narrative unfolds with immediacy and verve as men in fetid snow caves and sputtering aircraft pit their dogged camaraderie and desperate, white-knuckle improvisations against the fury of an Arctic winter." -- Publishers Weekly(starred review)

"An . . . exciting account involving characters of enormous courage and stamina." -- Kirkus Reviews

"This tale of true heroism, human ingenuity, and sacrifice by ordinary people in the face of a bitter enemy is for anyone interested not only in World War II aviation or modern scientific techniques for locating missing aircraft, but in popular histories of real adventure." -- Library Journal (starred review)

"[A]n engaging testimony to perseverance, ingenuity and monumental self-sacrifice.... [Zuckoff is] astoundingly thorough in his research." -- BookPage

"You would think that all the World War II stories have been told by now. But Mitchell Zuckoff has a remarkable knack for finding new ones, and he has done it again, with a gripping, moving tale, suspensefully told--whose final act takes place today." -- Adam Hochschild, author of To End All Wars: A Story of Loyalty and Rebellion, 1914-1918

"Fierce. . . . A harrowing tale of survival in Greenland during World War II. . . .The detailed reporting culminates in an intense account of survival under such intolerable conditions. Rising from a hypothermic stupor to stumble out into vicious winds to retrieve supplies becomes a heroic act. The pages of Frozen in Time are crowded with such heroes -- as well as those not just willing, but eager, to put their lives on the line to save them." -- Daily News

"[H]arrowing.... Zuckoff...[has] earned his literary reputation uncovering forgotten adventure stories." -- New York Post

"When it comes to riveting nonfiction, author Mitchell Zuckoff has a knack for finding fascinating but forgotten stories from World War II.... This is a truly suspenseful and thrilling American story of perseverance with a worthwhile payoff in the final pages.... [A] must-read." -- CNN Online

"First-rate.... His dual narrative is a welcome change of pace from so many other World War II books. It is well-researched and superbly written." -- Steve Weinberg, Dallas Morning News

Mitchell Zuckoff is a professor of journalism at Boston University. He is the author of 'Robert Altman: An Oral Biography,' 'Ponzi's Scheme: The True Story of a Financial Legend', 'Judgment Ridge: The True Story of the Dartmouth Murders', with Dick Lehr and 'Choosing Naia: A Family's Journey'. He was a finalist for a Pulitzer Prize in investigative reporting, and the winner of numerous national awards as a reporter for The Boston Globe. He lives outside Boston.

Two harrowing crashes . . . A vanished rescue plane . . . A desperate fight for life in a frozen, hostile land . . . The quest to solve a seventy-year-old mystery The author of the smash New York Times bestseller Lost in Shangri-La delivers a gripping true story of endurance, bravery, ingenuity, and honor set in the vast Arctic wilderness of World War II and today. On November 5, 1942, a U.S. cargo plane on a routine flight slammed into the Greenland ice cap. Four days later, a B-17 on the search-and-rescue mission became lost in a blinding storm and also crashed. Miraculously, all nine men on the B-17 survived. The U.S. military launched a second daring rescue operation, but the Grumman Duck amphibious plane sent to find the men flew into a severe storm and vanished. In this thrilling adventure, Mitchell Zuckoff offers a spellbinding account of these harrowing disasters and the fate of the survivors and their would-be saviors. Frozen in Time places us at the center of a group of valiant airmen fighting to stay alive through 148 days of a brutal Arctic winter by sheltering from subzero temperatures and vicious blizzards in the tail section of the broken B-17 until an expedition headed by famed Arctic explorer Bernt Balchen attempts to bring them to safety. But that is only part of the story that unfolds in Frozen in Time. In present-day Greenland, Zuckoff joins the U.S. Coast Guard and North South Polar--a company led by the indefatigable dreamer Lou Sapienza, who worked for years to solve the mystery of the Duck's last flight--on a dangerous expedition to recover the remains of the lost plane's crew. Drawing on intensive research and Zuckoff 's firsthand account of the dramatic 2012 expedition, Frozen in Time is a breathtaking blend of mystery, adventure, heroism, and survival. It is also a poignant reminder of the sacrifices of our military personnel and their families--and a tribute to the important, perilous, and often-overlooked work of the U.S. Coast Guard.

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