N-4 Down

“A meticulously researched and utterly gripping account of adventure, airships and adversity, Mark Piesing’s N-4 Down is a brilliant book. Packed with a cast of vivid characters, magnificent flying machines, political machinations and tales of survival against all imaginable odds, it depicts one of the most extraordinary stories of not just aviation and exploration, but the twentieth century as a whole. You will never forget General Nobile, the airship and the endless ice they faced.” — Michael Bhaskar, author of Human Frontiers: The Future of Big Ideas in an Age of Small Thinking”On May 24, 1928, the famed exploration airship Italia—code-named “N-4”—crashed in a terrible storm somewhere near the North Pole, triggering a massive search that enlisted the great explorer Roald Amundsen. Alas, he lost his life in that search, his body never found, but that is only one of the dramatic strands in this compelling tale of what happened when the romance of the zeppelin age clashed with bad weather.” — AirMail”A century ago, men came north equipped with aircraft and radio, thinking the Arctic would finally be easy. It wasn’t. “N-4 Down” is the unforgettable story of why.” — David James, Anchorage Daily News”For readers who enjoy a compelling story of man against the elements and himself, and for those who want insights about the limits of any new technology when pushed to the edge, N-4 Down provides both. The author does a masterful job of weaving a story that combines the race to be the first man to successfully fly and land on the North Pole, 1920s aviation technologies, and the geopolitical situation in Europe following WWI. The lessons learned from N-4 Down may provide important insights for another generation of men and women pushing the boundaries of new space technology.” — COL Jayson A. Altieri (Ret.), United States Army’s Aviation Digest”One of the greatest polar rescue efforts ever mounted, a saga that journalist Mark Piesing retells in N-4 Down. … Gripping. … This is a book with much to enjoy and a good illustration of what human curiosity, determination and courage—and sometimes a healthy dollop of vanity—can achieve.” — Wall Street Journal“Takes readers on a thrilling, nail-biting adventure of the largest arctic rescue operation in history as famed Norwegian explorer, Roald Amundsen, rushed to save the surviving crew of the airship Italia, which crashed during its attempt to land men at the North Pole in 1928. The history and aeronautical buffs on your holiday shopping list are going to absolutely love it.” — Engadget“N-4 Down is the work of a real writer, who can create a difficult balance among facts, characters and history coming from so many sources, also daring ‘to nose’ into situations of which he tries to see what is behind and beyond appearances. Besides, the book is the testimony that the true hero’s feats never have an end, especially in our times where we rarely witness such examples.” — Antonio Ventre, Director of Umberto Nobile Museum”N-4 Down is a gripping Boy’s Own adventure. If you like your books splashed with derring-do, Arctic blizzards, gigantic egos and Italian fascists, then it will tick all the right boxes.” — Giles Milton, best-selling author of Nathaniel’s Nutmeg and Churchill’s Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare”A tale of courage, hubris, and determination in the unforgiving polar environment.” — John J. Geoghegan, author of When Giants Ruled The Sky“N-4 Down is a gripping, detailed tale of exploration, betrayal and rescue. Mark Piesing has crafted a fascinating recounting of a liminal time when flying and polar expeditions were equally risky, so of course people tried to combine them. Think The Terror, but with airships.” — Charles Arthur, author of Social Warming and Digital Wars, former technology editor at The Guardian”Mark Piesing evocatively brings to life a lesser-known tale in the ill-fated history of polar exploration. Like the stories of Franklin and Shackleton, it combines triumph, disaster, heroism, hubris and mystery—but unlike them it features dashing aviators in airships and seaplanes. It is an epic tale that deserves to be far more widely known.” — Tom Standage, New York Times bestselling author of A History of The World in 6 Glasses”In compelling prose, Piesing draws us into the feverish efforts to conquer the Arctic by air. … Refreshingly well-written. … Piesing deserves credit for bringing this forgotten bit of aerospace history back to light.” — Forbes”A gripping telling of the story of the crash of N-4 Italia and the deadly attempt at rescue.. … N-4 Down is an engrossing read.” — New York Journal of Books”One of the joys of reading accounts of events a century ago is that authors gain access to letters, diaries, journals and other handwritten material that provide so much texture to narratives. Consequently, the stories are rich in detail. Piesing provides great context about the aviation era. … A fine book.” — Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star“The author has visited the places about which he writes, and his sketches of remote locales make for interesting reading. He also offers useful insights on the strange blend of competition and cooperation that characterized Arctic exploration. … Of interest to would-be Arctic explorers and armchair adventurers.” — Kirkus Reviews

Mark Piesing writes for the Guardian, FT, Economist and Wired, among other publications. He lives in Oxford, England. This is his first book.

This item is eligible for free returns within 30 days of delivery. See our returns policy for further details.