April 11, 2025 • 15 mins
The Bell's Books and Blog Podcast, hosted by Jane M. Bell, explores the captivating lives and legends of three significant individuals from the American frontier. The episode dissects the real-life narratives of 'Grizzly Adams,' the pioneer icon whose dark backstory contrasts sharply with his popular folk hero image. It also unfurls the survival tale of trapper John Colter, celebrated for his daring escape from Blackfeet warriors, and the incredible exploits of Peter Freuchen, a robust adventurer famed for braving Arctic extremes and opposing Nazi ideology. In addition to these historical explorations, Jane also engages with reader emails, discusses her latest book releases, and shares other exciting news.
- Jane M. Bell, Author - Website
- Email - news@janembell.com
- Yesteryear's Ruin by Jane M. Bell
- Yesteryear's Echo by Jane M. Bell
- Mystery at Sea Edge by J. Margaret Bell
- Author Jane M Bell - Author Jane M Bell
- Bell's Books and Blog Podcast
- Jane M. Bell on Facebook:
- Jane M. Bell on Instagram:
- Jane M. Bell on Twitter/X:
- Jane M. Bell on Goodreads:
- Jane M. Bell on Bookbub:
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:04):
Welcome to The Bell's Books and Blog podcast, the place
where history, mystery, and suspense converge. I'm your host, author
Jane M. Bell. In today's episode, we're getting into the
rugged legends of some true Grit frontiersmen. We'll be uncovering
the truths and myths behind three larger than life men
who personified the wilderness of the American West and beyond. First,
(00:25):
we'll delve into the dark truth behind Grizzly Adams, the
California icon who became a pop culture folk hero. Then
will follow the footsteps of John Colter, the mountain man
who outran death, barefoot and naked across the Montana Plains. Finally,
we'll journey across oceans and ice fields with Peter Freuschen,
the towering Viking of the twentieth century who defied Nazis,
(00:48):
carved his way out of an ice cave, and more.
Alongside these fascinating stories, we'll also dive into some of
your reader emails, look at upcoming book releases, and share
some exciting announcements. So stay tuned and let's get started.
Let's start with Grizzly Adams. When most people hear the
(01:08):
name grizzly Adams. They picture a bearded mountain man living
in peace with wild animals. Popular films and TV shows
from the nineteen seventies helped cement that image, painting him
as a gentle soul who tamed bears and roamed the
Sierra Nevada in harmony with nature. But the real story
of John Cappin Adams as he was born is far
from that legend. Born on October twenty second, eighteen twelve,
(01:31):
in Medway, Massachusetts, John Cappin Adams was the eldest of
seven children in a working class family of farmers and shoemakers.
He never attended school. Instead, he learned his father's trade
as a teenager and worked as an apprentice cobbler. Adams
always had a fascination with animals. At twenty one, he
briefly managed a small troop of African animals that toured
(01:52):
the US, but the job nearly killed him. A royal
Bengal tiger mauled him, leaving him bedridden for months. A covering,
he returned to Boston, resumed shoemaking, and married Selina Drury,
with whom he had two daughters. Life was stable for
a while until disaster struck. In eighteen forty nine, a
fire destroyed the family business and wiped out Adams and
(02:14):
his father's life savings. Overwhelmed by the loss, his father
died by suicide, leaving Adams grieving and broke. Abandoning his family,
he headed west to California during the gold rush, hoping
to strike it rich. He promised to send money home,
but as he reinvented himself as Grizzly Adams, he left
his wife and daughters out of his story. In California,
(02:36):
Adams tried a little of everything, gold mining, ranchwork, real estate.
He eventually saved enough to launch his own business, again,
employing men to run a sluice operation, but con artists
and shady partners stole from him, and by eighteen fifty
two he had enough. At age forty, Adams packed a
cart with supplies and journeyed two hundred miles into the
(02:57):
Sierra Nevada wilderness. At this point, the legend of Grizzly
Adams began to take shape. Adams grew a thick beard,
donned animal skins, and survived on nuts, berries, and wild game.
He lived off the land and claimed he wanted to
leave society behind. I turned my back upon the society
of my fellows, he later wrote, and made the wilderness
(03:18):
my home and the wild beasts my companions. Unlike other
settlers who hunted Native Americans for bounties, Adams built relationships
with local tribes. He traded with them, and often hired
indigenous boys to help track and handle wild animals. But
while Adams told the public he lived in harmony with nature,
his actions told another story. The darker aspects of Adam's
(03:42):
life come into focus when you look at how he
trained animals for his traveling shows. His most famous bear,
Ben Franklin, came to him under horrific circumstances. Adams killed
the cub's mother before the bear's eyes had opened. Then
he forced a nursing greyhound to feed the bear after
killing the dog's own puppies. His methods were brutal. He
(04:02):
beat his animals when they disobeyed, and admitted he often
got mauled by his bears, beaten to jelly, torn almost
limb from limb, he once wrote, and nearly chewed up
and spit out by these treacherous grizzly bears. Historian John T.
Coleman summed it up best. The spectacle of a bearded
patriarch commanding nature's obedience hid the reality of an insolvent
(04:24):
shoemaker who traded his own flesh and blood for a
California dream. After a few years in the mountains, Adams
returned to society, not as a miner, but as a showman.
He created a traveling animal exhibit and performed stunts with
his bears. But the shows were chaotic and dangerous. Lions
escaped and killed, ponies, grandstance collapsed, animals drowned during transport.
(04:49):
Spectators panicked. Still, Adams kept performing, seeking fame and money
no matter the cost. His time in show business ended
abruptly in eighteen fifty eight after a bear severe nearly
injured his skull during a wrestling act. He kept performing,
but when Ben Franklin died from illness, Adams sold the
rest of his animals to P. T. Barnum and retired
(05:09):
from performing. In eighteen sixty, John Grizzly Adams returned to
Boston to live with his wife and one of his daughters,
but it was too late to heal the wounds, literal
and figurative. Adams died soon after from complications related to
his head injury. He was only forty eight years old.
Grizzly Adams became a folk hero. Biographers like Richard Dillon
(05:32):
praised him as perhaps the greatest individualist California ever produced.
But the real man behind the myth was far more
flawed and far more human. He wasn't a lifelong mountain man.
He didn't befriend his bears. He didn't live in perfect
harmony with nature. He was a desperate man who reinvented
himself in the wilderness, abused the animals he claimed to love,
(05:54):
and edited his own story until the truth was barely visible.
And that's what makes the real story of Grizzly Adams
even more compelling than the legend. All right, now, let's
venture into the life of John Colter, a true wilderness
icon whose adventures read like something out of an action
packed thriller. John Colter was born around seventeen seventy five
(06:15):
in Virginia. His legacy, however, began to take shape in
eighteen o three, when he responded to an intriguing newspaper
ad while in Maysville, Kentucky. The ad called for good
hunter's stout, healthy unmarried men you know, the kind accustomed
to the hardships of the woods. This was for the
famed Lewis and Clark expedition into the uncharted territories of
(06:36):
the newly acquired Louisiana purchase. Colter joined the Corps of
Discovery as a private, earning five dollars a month. While
he did get into some trouble sneaking off to grog shops,
his skills as a woodsman quickly proved invaluable. Over three
crucial years, Colter traversed the Midwest with the expedition, helping
map uncharted territories and making contact with Native American tribes.
(07:00):
His legend only grew from there. After the expedition wound
down in August eighteen o six, Colter made the daring
decision to remain in the wilderness when he joined two
fur trappers headed toward the Yellowstone River. He relished the
adventure and potential profit that life on the frontier promised.
For a year, Colter vanished from any historical record. Then
(07:21):
in eighteen o seven, fur trader Manuel Lisa recruited him
for another expedition up the Yellowstone. He helped build a
fort near what his present day Yellowstone National Park, unaware
that the untamed land he roamed would eventually be recognized
as one of the most spectacular places on Earth. But
what truly sealed Colter's place in frontier mythology was his
(07:41):
famous escape from the Blackfeet Warriors. Some time around eighteen
o eight, while paddling along the Jefferson River in Montana
with fellow explorer John Potts, they encountered Blackfeet Warriors, a
tribe deeply suspicious of trappers. When the Blackfeet appeared, Potts
and Colter tried to escape by canoe. Potts was hit
by an arrow and fell, while Colter, realizing there was
(08:03):
no way out, urged surrender. Potts refused, fatally shooting a
warrior but getting riddled with arrows in return. Left alone
amidst the Blackfeet, Colter listened as they debated his fate.
One suggested using him for target practice, but an elder
proposed a more sinister idea, a man hunt. Stripped naked,
(08:24):
Colter was given a brief head start before the warriors
released their arrows. He sprinted six miles barefoot over rough,
cold terrain, bleeding and desperate. When he glanced back, only
one warrior had kept pace. In a split second decision,
Colter stopped and turned. The stunned warrior stumbled while trying
to throw his spear, which broke upon hitting the ground.
(08:45):
Colter seized the broken spear and killed the warrior without
wasting a second. Colter ran towards the river, dove in
and hid beneath a pile of driftwood or inside a
beaver dam, depending on which version of the story you believe.
The blackfeets are all night, but failed to find him.
At dawn, Colter emerged battered, bloodied, but alive. He was
(09:06):
still hundreds of miles from safety, with no food, no clothes,
and no weapons. Yet, by surviving on wild roots and
pure grit, he made it back to Manuel Lisa's fort.
After recovering, Colter continued to explore, roamed the tetons, and
became the first non native to witness the geysers and
surreal landscapes of Yellowstone. Locals scoffed at his stories, dubbing
(09:28):
the region Colter's hell, but time vindicated his accounts. Colter's
final chapter saw him stepping away from the mountains in
eighteen ten. He married and attempted a quieter life, but
died around eighteen twelve or eighteen thirteen, likely of jaundice.
He was in his late thirties. Colter's legacy persists as
an emblem of endurance, adventure, and grit. His story, even
(09:51):
the most miraculous aspects, holds a lasting grip on the
American frontier's lore. And now, let's journey with Peter Freuschen,
the adventurer whose life seemed to defy the bounds of reality.
Meet Peter Freuchen, a man whose life was nothing short
of extraordinary, whether battling the Arctic's extreme conditions or standing
(10:12):
up to Nazis, Freuchen's story is one you won't easily forget.
Born in eighteen eighty six in Denmark, Peter Freuchen was
initially set to follow a conventional path, enrolled in medical
school at the University of Copenhagen to satisfy his businessman father.
Freuchen quickly realized his dreams lay elsewhere. Yearning for adventure,
(10:32):
he abandoned his studies and headed into the Arctic. At
just twenty years old, Freuchen joined an expedition to Greenland
with his friend Knud Rasmussen. The duo sailed north until
they could go no farther, and then embarked on a
six hundred mile trek by dogs, led through the frozen wilderness.
They lived with the Inuit, adopting their customs and immersing
(10:53):
themselves fully in a way of life few Europeans had
ever experienced firsthand. Freuchen didn't just observe, he became one
with the environment, even donning a coat made from a
polar bear he had killed himself. By nineteen ten, Freuchen
and Rasmussen established a trading post in Cape York, Greenland,
named Thulah, after the ancient term for the farthest reaches
(11:14):
of the known world. From here, Freuchen launched seven significant
Arctic expeditions between nineteen twelve and nineteen thirty three. These
treacherous journeys took him across thousands of miles of ice,
one of which almost ended fatally, but also solidified his
legendary status. In one harrowing episode, Freuchen was caught in
(11:35):
a brutal blizzard. Seeking shelter under his sledge. He soon
found himself trapped as snow buried him alive. Ingeniously, he
fashioned a makeshift dagger out of his own frozen feces
to carve his way out. Once he managed to free
himself and return to camp, frostbite had claimed his toes
without flinching. He performed the amputation himself, using only basic
(11:56):
tools and no anesthesia. With part of his leg placed
by a wooden peg. He continued his relentless drive towards
new adventures. Freuchen's life wasn't confined to the Arctic. When
he wasn't exploring, he was a prolific writer and editor,
penning accounts of his experiences that captivated audiences. His novel
(12:16):
Esquimaux turned into an Oscar winning film, and he even
assisted in its screenplay and production. World War II saw
Freuchen turn from polar explorer to fierce anti fascist. An
outspoken critic of Nazi ideology, he joined the Danish resistance
and defied Nazi oppression. Remarkably, he often declared I am
a Jew, despite this being a falsehood. Just to antagonize
(12:39):
Nazi supporters. Captured and sentenced to death, Freuchen orchestrated a
daring escape, finding refuge in Sweden. In his personal life,
Freuchen married three times. His first wife, Macupluk, was an
Inuit woman and they had two children. After she died
during the Spanish flu pandemic of nineteen twenty one, Freuken
(13:00):
married Magdalen vang Lorensen and later dagmar Coone, a Danish
Jewish fashion illustrator. Settling in New York, Freuchen joined the
New York Explorers Club, where his portrait still hangs today,
surrounded by taxidermied animals from his hunts. He continued writing
and inspiring others until his death in nineteen fifty seven.
(13:21):
Just three days after completing his final book, Freuchen's ashes
were scattered over Thulah, the place where his astonishing journey began.
His incredible life serves as a testament to human resilience, adventure,
and the spirit of exploration. The hero draws inspiration from
the wilderness, not the city. These are the sage words
(13:42):
of Joseph Campbell and Jack London. Once remarked the wild
still lingered in him, and the wolf in him merely slept.
These words seem well suited to this week's discussion. And
now it is your turn, my friends. What's the most
extreme or adventurous thing you've ever done? Last week I
received a response from a reader named c V. In
(14:03):
regards to last week's question about pharmaceutical advertising, c V wrote,
in a way, yes, modern pharmaceutical advertising does have things
in common with old school snake oil salesmen. They advertise
the good side and tell the bad side under their breath,
so to speak. Thank you for that, c V. It's
a thought provoking comparison for sure. I love hearing from you,
(14:24):
so keep those emails coming. Whether you've braved the wild
outdoors or navigated the complexities of everyday life, your experiences
add so much depth to our understanding of human adventure
and resilience. If you have more tales to share or
thoughts on any topic, please don't hesitate to send me
a message. That's it for this episode, folks. Before we
wrap up, I have some exciting announcements for you. First,
(14:47):
I'm thrilled to share that my latest book, Yesteryear's Echo,
is now available. This gripping psychological thriller is perfect for
fans of The Silent Patient and Shutter Island. You won't
want to miss it. For those of you with young
readers at home, Mystery at s Edge, a Monterey adventure,
is also out now. It's a historical mystery for fourth
(15:08):
grade level readers, full of exciting journeys and rich history.
Based in Monterey, California, be sure to check the show
notes for any links or articles mentioned in today's episode.
Thank you so much for tuning in to the Bells
Books and Blog podcast. I hope you enjoyed exploring these
incredible tales with me. I'd love to hear your thoughts
and comments, so send me a message and share your stories.
(15:30):
Until next time, keep questioning, keep exploring, keep reading, and
most importantly, keep the past alive. I'm your host, author
Jane M. Bell, and I'll see you next week
Welcome to The Bell's Books and Blog podcast, the place
where history, mystery, and suspense converge. I'm your host, author
Jane M. Bell. In today's episode, we're getting into the
rugged legends of some true Grit frontiersmen. We'll be uncovering
the truths and myths behind three larger than life men
who personified the wilderness of the American West and beyond. First,
(00:25):
we'll delve into the dark truth behind Grizzly Adams, the
California icon who became a pop culture folk hero. Then
will follow the footsteps of John Colter, the mountain man
who outran death, barefoot and naked across the Montana Plains. Finally,
we'll journey across oceans and ice fields with Peter Freuschen,
the towering Viking of the twentieth century who defied Nazis,
(00:48):
carved his way out of an ice cave, and more.
Alongside these fascinating stories, we'll also dive into some of
your reader emails, look at upcoming book releases, and share
some exciting announcements. So stay tuned and let's get started.
Let's start with Grizzly Adams. When most people hear the
(01:08):
name grizzly Adams. They picture a bearded mountain man living
in peace with wild animals. Popular films and TV shows
from the nineteen seventies helped cement that image, painting him
as a gentle soul who tamed bears and roamed the
Sierra Nevada in harmony with nature. But the real story
of John Cappin Adams as he was born is far
from that legend. Born on October twenty second, eighteen twelve,
(01:31):
in Medway, Massachusetts, John Cappin Adams was the eldest of
seven children in a working class family of farmers and shoemakers.
He never attended school. Instead, he learned his father's trade
as a teenager and worked as an apprentice cobbler. Adams
always had a fascination with animals. At twenty one, he
briefly managed a small troop of African animals that toured
(01:52):
the US, but the job nearly killed him. A royal
Bengal tiger mauled him, leaving him bedridden for months. A covering,
he returned to Boston, resumed shoemaking, and married Selina Drury,
with whom he had two daughters. Life was stable for
a while until disaster struck. In eighteen forty nine, a
fire destroyed the family business and wiped out Adams and
(02:14):
his father's life savings. Overwhelmed by the loss, his father
died by suicide, leaving Adams grieving and broke. Abandoning his family,
he headed west to California during the gold rush, hoping
to strike it rich. He promised to send money home,
but as he reinvented himself as Grizzly Adams, he left
his wife and daughters out of his story. In California,
(02:36):
Adams tried a little of everything, gold mining, ranchwork, real estate.
He eventually saved enough to launch his own business, again,
employing men to run a sluice operation, but con artists
and shady partners stole from him, and by eighteen fifty
two he had enough. At age forty, Adams packed a
cart with supplies and journeyed two hundred miles into the
(02:57):
Sierra Nevada wilderness. At this point, the legend of Grizzly
Adams began to take shape. Adams grew a thick beard,
donned animal skins, and survived on nuts, berries, and wild game.
He lived off the land and claimed he wanted to
leave society behind. I turned my back upon the society
of my fellows, he later wrote, and made the wilderness
(03:18):
my home and the wild beasts my companions. Unlike other
settlers who hunted Native Americans for bounties, Adams built relationships
with local tribes. He traded with them, and often hired
indigenous boys to help track and handle wild animals. But
while Adams told the public he lived in harmony with nature,
his actions told another story. The darker aspects of Adam's
(03:42):
life come into focus when you look at how he
trained animals for his traveling shows. His most famous bear,
Ben Franklin, came to him under horrific circumstances. Adams killed
the cub's mother before the bear's eyes had opened. Then
he forced a nursing greyhound to feed the bear after
killing the dog's own puppies. His methods were brutal. He
(04:02):
beat his animals when they disobeyed, and admitted he often
got mauled by his bears, beaten to jelly, torn almost
limb from limb, he once wrote, and nearly chewed up
and spit out by these treacherous grizzly bears. Historian John T.
Coleman summed it up best. The spectacle of a bearded
patriarch commanding nature's obedience hid the reality of an insolvent
(04:24):
shoemaker who traded his own flesh and blood for a
California dream. After a few years in the mountains, Adams
returned to society, not as a miner, but as a showman.
He created a traveling animal exhibit and performed stunts with
his bears. But the shows were chaotic and dangerous. Lions
escaped and killed, ponies, grandstance collapsed, animals drowned during transport.
(04:49):
Spectators panicked. Still, Adams kept performing, seeking fame and money
no matter the cost. His time in show business ended
abruptly in eighteen fifty eight after a bear severe nearly
injured his skull during a wrestling act. He kept performing,
but when Ben Franklin died from illness, Adams sold the
rest of his animals to P. T. Barnum and retired
(05:09):
from performing. In eighteen sixty, John Grizzly Adams returned to
Boston to live with his wife and one of his daughters,
but it was too late to heal the wounds, literal
and figurative. Adams died soon after from complications related to
his head injury. He was only forty eight years old.
Grizzly Adams became a folk hero. Biographers like Richard Dillon
(05:32):
praised him as perhaps the greatest individualist California ever produced.
But the real man behind the myth was far more
flawed and far more human. He wasn't a lifelong mountain man.
He didn't befriend his bears. He didn't live in perfect
harmony with nature. He was a desperate man who reinvented
himself in the wilderness, abused the animals he claimed to love,
(05:54):
and edited his own story until the truth was barely visible.
And that's what makes the real story of Grizzly Adams
even more compelling than the legend. All right, now, let's
venture into the life of John Colter, a true wilderness
icon whose adventures read like something out of an action
packed thriller. John Colter was born around seventeen seventy five
(06:15):
in Virginia. His legacy, however, began to take shape in
eighteen o three, when he responded to an intriguing newspaper
ad while in Maysville, Kentucky. The ad called for good
hunter's stout, healthy unmarried men you know, the kind accustomed
to the hardships of the woods. This was for the
famed Lewis and Clark expedition into the uncharted territories of
(06:36):
the newly acquired Louisiana purchase. Colter joined the Corps of
Discovery as a private, earning five dollars a month. While
he did get into some trouble sneaking off to grog shops,
his skills as a woodsman quickly proved invaluable. Over three
crucial years, Colter traversed the Midwest with the expedition, helping
map uncharted territories and making contact with Native American tribes.
(07:00):
His legend only grew from there. After the expedition wound
down in August eighteen o six, Colter made the daring
decision to remain in the wilderness when he joined two
fur trappers headed toward the Yellowstone River. He relished the
adventure and potential profit that life on the frontier promised.
For a year, Colter vanished from any historical record. Then
(07:21):
in eighteen o seven, fur trader Manuel Lisa recruited him
for another expedition up the Yellowstone. He helped build a
fort near what his present day Yellowstone National Park, unaware
that the untamed land he roamed would eventually be recognized
as one of the most spectacular places on Earth. But
what truly sealed Colter's place in frontier mythology was his
(07:41):
famous escape from the Blackfeet Warriors. Some time around eighteen
o eight, while paddling along the Jefferson River in Montana
with fellow explorer John Potts, they encountered Blackfeet Warriors, a
tribe deeply suspicious of trappers. When the Blackfeet appeared, Potts
and Colter tried to escape by canoe. Potts was hit
by an arrow and fell, while Colter, realizing there was
(08:03):
no way out, urged surrender. Potts refused, fatally shooting a
warrior but getting riddled with arrows in return. Left alone
amidst the Blackfeet, Colter listened as they debated his fate.
One suggested using him for target practice, but an elder
proposed a more sinister idea, a man hunt. Stripped naked,
(08:24):
Colter was given a brief head start before the warriors
released their arrows. He sprinted six miles barefoot over rough,
cold terrain, bleeding and desperate. When he glanced back, only
one warrior had kept pace. In a split second decision,
Colter stopped and turned. The stunned warrior stumbled while trying
to throw his spear, which broke upon hitting the ground.
(08:45):
Colter seized the broken spear and killed the warrior without
wasting a second. Colter ran towards the river, dove in
and hid beneath a pile of driftwood or inside a
beaver dam, depending on which version of the story you believe.
The blackfeets are all night, but failed to find him.
At dawn, Colter emerged battered, bloodied, but alive. He was
(09:06):
still hundreds of miles from safety, with no food, no clothes,
and no weapons. Yet, by surviving on wild roots and
pure grit, he made it back to Manuel Lisa's fort.
After recovering, Colter continued to explore, roamed the tetons, and
became the first non native to witness the geysers and
surreal landscapes of Yellowstone. Locals scoffed at his stories, dubbing
(09:28):
the region Colter's hell, but time vindicated his accounts. Colter's
final chapter saw him stepping away from the mountains in
eighteen ten. He married and attempted a quieter life, but
died around eighteen twelve or eighteen thirteen, likely of jaundice.
He was in his late thirties. Colter's legacy persists as
an emblem of endurance, adventure, and grit. His story, even
(09:51):
the most miraculous aspects, holds a lasting grip on the
American frontier's lore. And now, let's journey with Peter Freuschen,
the adventurer whose life seemed to defy the bounds of reality.
Meet Peter Freuchen, a man whose life was nothing short
of extraordinary, whether battling the Arctic's extreme conditions or standing
(10:12):
up to Nazis, Freuchen's story is one you won't easily forget.
Born in eighteen eighty six in Denmark, Peter Freuchen was
initially set to follow a conventional path, enrolled in medical
school at the University of Copenhagen to satisfy his businessman father.
Freuchen quickly realized his dreams lay elsewhere. Yearning for adventure,
(10:32):
he abandoned his studies and headed into the Arctic. At
just twenty years old, Freuchen joined an expedition to Greenland
with his friend Knud Rasmussen. The duo sailed north until
they could go no farther, and then embarked on a
six hundred mile trek by dogs, led through the frozen wilderness.
They lived with the Inuit, adopting their customs and immersing
(10:53):
themselves fully in a way of life few Europeans had
ever experienced firsthand. Freuchen didn't just observe, he became one
with the environment, even donning a coat made from a
polar bear he had killed himself. By nineteen ten, Freuchen
and Rasmussen established a trading post in Cape York, Greenland,
named Thulah, after the ancient term for the farthest reaches
(11:14):
of the known world. From here, Freuchen launched seven significant
Arctic expeditions between nineteen twelve and nineteen thirty three. These
treacherous journeys took him across thousands of miles of ice,
one of which almost ended fatally, but also solidified his
legendary status. In one harrowing episode, Freuchen was caught in
(11:35):
a brutal blizzard. Seeking shelter under his sledge. He soon
found himself trapped as snow buried him alive. Ingeniously, he
fashioned a makeshift dagger out of his own frozen feces
to carve his way out. Once he managed to free
himself and return to camp, frostbite had claimed his toes
without flinching. He performed the amputation himself, using only basic
(11:56):
tools and no anesthesia. With part of his leg placed
by a wooden peg. He continued his relentless drive towards
new adventures. Freuchen's life wasn't confined to the Arctic. When
he wasn't exploring, he was a prolific writer and editor,
penning accounts of his experiences that captivated audiences. His novel
(12:16):
Esquimaux turned into an Oscar winning film, and he even
assisted in its screenplay and production. World War II saw
Freuchen turn from polar explorer to fierce anti fascist. An
outspoken critic of Nazi ideology, he joined the Danish resistance
and defied Nazi oppression. Remarkably, he often declared I am
a Jew, despite this being a falsehood. Just to antagonize
(12:39):
Nazi supporters. Captured and sentenced to death, Freuchen orchestrated a
daring escape, finding refuge in Sweden. In his personal life,
Freuchen married three times. His first wife, Macupluk, was an
Inuit woman and they had two children. After she died
during the Spanish flu pandemic of nineteen twenty one, Freuken
(13:00):
married Magdalen vang Lorensen and later dagmar Coone, a Danish
Jewish fashion illustrator. Settling in New York, Freuchen joined the
New York Explorers Club, where his portrait still hangs today,
surrounded by taxidermied animals from his hunts. He continued writing
and inspiring others until his death in nineteen fifty seven.
(13:21):
Just three days after completing his final book, Freuchen's ashes
were scattered over Thulah, the place where his astonishing journey began.
His incredible life serves as a testament to human resilience, adventure,
and the spirit of exploration. The hero draws inspiration from
the wilderness, not the city. These are the sage words
(13:42):
of Joseph Campbell and Jack London. Once remarked the wild
still lingered in him, and the wolf in him merely slept.
These words seem well suited to this week's discussion. And
now it is your turn, my friends. What's the most
extreme or adventurous thing you've ever done? Last week I
received a response from a reader named c V. In
(14:03):
regards to last week's question about pharmaceutical advertising, c V wrote,
in a way, yes, modern pharmaceutical advertising does have things
in common with old school snake oil salesmen. They advertise
the good side and tell the bad side under their breath,
so to speak. Thank you for that, c V. It's
a thought provoking comparison for sure. I love hearing from you,
(14:24):
so keep those emails coming. Whether you've braved the wild
outdoors or navigated the complexities of everyday life, your experiences
add so much depth to our understanding of human adventure
and resilience. If you have more tales to share or
thoughts on any topic, please don't hesitate to send me
a message. That's it for this episode, folks. Before we
wrap up, I have some exciting announcements for you. First,
(14:47):
I'm thrilled to share that my latest book, Yesteryear's Echo,
is now available. This gripping psychological thriller is perfect for
fans of The Silent Patient and Shutter Island. You won't
want to miss it. For those of you with young
readers at home, Mystery at s Edge, a Monterey adventure,
is also out now. It's a historical mystery for fourth
(15:08):
grade level readers, full of exciting journeys and rich history.
Based in Monterey, California, be sure to check the show
notes for any links or articles mentioned in today's episode.
Thank you so much for tuning in to the Bells
Books and Blog podcast. I hope you enjoyed exploring these
incredible tales with me. I'd love to hear your thoughts
and comments, so send me a message and share your stories.
(15:30):
Until next time, keep questioning, keep exploring, keep reading, and
most importantly, keep the past alive. I'm your host, author
Jane M. Bell, and I'll see you next week
Popular Podcasts
CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist
It’s 1996 in rural North Carolina, and an oddball crew makes history when they pull off America’s third largest cash heist. But it’s all downhill from there. Join host Johnny Knoxville as he unspools a wild and woolly tale about a group of regular ‘ol folks who risked it all for a chance at a better life. CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist answers the question: what would you do with 17.3 million dollars? The answer includes diamond rings, mansions, velvet Elvis paintings, plus a run for the border, murder-for-hire-plots, and FBI busts.
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.