This week On Tales we travel back to 1871, to take a journey to the top of the world. Our intrepid hero, Charles Francis Hall has dreams of becoming the first man to stand on the North Pole - but dreams can sometimes go horribly awry. Just what happened to the Polaris Expedition? 

This is part one of a two parter (part two will follow after we take a brief intermission for a Halloween special episode.) 

Content warnings: Death. Gun violence.    

Sources Include:

Fatal North by Bruce Henderson.

Arctic Experiences… by Euphemia Blake 

The Arctic Grail by Pierre Berton

This New York Times article on John Torrington (that, shockingly, was not behind a paywall) by Leanne Shapton

Support Tales on Patreon for $2 US a month and get access to exclusive content, or Try our 7 Day Free Trial. 

Please leave Tales a like and a review wherever you listen. The best way you can support us is to share an episode with a friend - Creative works grow best by word of mouth. I post episodes fortnightly, Wednesdays.

Tales of History and Imagination can be found on…

| Facebook |TikTok | Threads | YouTube | Bluesky |