Picture an American storyteller who spins history into heart-pounding adventures—meet Hampton Sides! With bestsellers like Ghost Soldiers and In the Kingdom of Ice, Sides has mastered literary non-fiction, weaving meticulous research with vivid tales of human grit. His knack for uncovering forgotten epics has captivated readers, making history feel as thrilling as a blockbuster.
Born in Memphis, Tennessee, Sides brings a journalist’s eye and a novelist’s flair to his work. As an editor-at-large for Outside Magazine, he’s explored everything from polar expeditions to wartime heroics, earning a loyal following. Ready to dive into his world of courage and discovery?
The Making of Hampton Sides
Wade Hampton Sides, born in 1962 in Memphis, grew up steeped in Southern storytelling. A Yale graduate with a history degree, he honed his craft under war correspondent John Hersey, who inspired his love for narrative depth. Sides kicked off his career as a journalist, writing for outlets like National Geographic and The New Yorker. His work at Outside Magazine, where he’s editor-at-large, sharpened his focus on adventure and survival, setting the stage for his bestselling books.
His Memphis roots and Yale education gave him a unique lens—blending gritty realism with scholarly precision. Early on, Sides knew he wanted to tell stories that didn’t just inform but transported readers to the edge of human endurance.
Hampton Sides’s Unforgettable Stories
Sides’s books are page-turners that bring history to life. Ghost Soldiers (2001) chronicles the daring 1945 rescue of Bataan Death March survivors in the Philippines. Hailed as “the greatest World War II story never told” by Esquire, it won the PEN USA Award and inspired the 2005 film The Great Raid. With over a million copies sold, it’s a testament to Sides’s ability to humanize epic missions.
In the Kingdom of Ice (2014) dives into the harrowing 1879 voyage of the USS Jeannette, America’s first stab at the North Pole. Sides’s vivid prose captures the crew’s battle against Arctic ice and starvation, earning praise as a “marvelous nonfiction thriller” from The Wall Street Journal. Other hits like Blood and Thunder (2006), about frontiersman Kit Carson, and Hellhound on His Trail (2010), tracing Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassin, showcase his range—tackling the American West, civil rights, and beyond.
His style? Think cinematic storytelling meets archival detective work. Sides visits the places he writes about, from Siberian coasts to Philippine jungles, to capture details like weather and terrain. His themes—resilience, exploration, and moral complexity—resonate with readers who crave history that feels alive.
Why Hampton Sides Matters
Sides has redefined literary non-fiction, making history accessible and electrifying. His books don’t just recount events; they honor the human spirit, from POWs defying torture to explorers facing frozen wastelands. Through the Ghost Soldiers Endowment Fund, he preserves the legacy of Bataan veterans, funding archives and memorials. His lectures at Yale, Stanford, and Google inspire aspiring writers to blend rigor with storytelling.
As a frequent National Geographic contributor and Colorado College educator, Sides shapes how we see adventure and history. His work reminds us that the past is full of unsung heroes whose stories deserve to be told. In a world of fleeting headlines, Sides’s narratives endure, urging us to look deeper.
- Born: 1962, Memphis, Tennessee
- Key Works: Ghost Soldiers, In the Kingdom of Ice, Blood and Thunder, Hellhound on His Trail
- Awards: PEN USA Award (2002), Barnes & Noble Discover Award
- Fun Fact: He’s a Yale grad who teaches narrative non-fiction at Colorado College.
Snag Ghost Soldiers or In the Kingdom of Ice and dive into Hampton Sides’s thrilling world of history and heroism!