The novel also depicts the struggle the protagonist Tom Fife has to go through to arrange a rescue operation when they are believed dead.

The novel is described by The Daily Telegraph as "A master of the gripping adventure yarn"[3] The novel is about the disastrous expedition of Commander Adams who dies suddenly.

Only one man can rescue them, the truculent Tom Fife who must respond to the faint radio signals coming from the Arctic shores.

Since the team lost contact everybody in mainland believes them to be dead because nobody will be able to survive a winter in the Arctic unsheltered.

The team manages to survive because they were able to find a shelter, however they are half starved and health and sanity is on the fall.