DEAD RECKONING: To the Antarctic and Beyond

Now Available for Pre-Order

After decades of requests from shipmates, colleagues, and friends, Ben Koether's extraordinary journey is finally in print.

DEAD RECKONING: To the Antarctic and Beyond chronicles the untold story of the USS Glacier's most dangerous expeditions—and the remarkable life that followed.

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Official Release: January 27,2026

About the Book

At twenty-three, Ensign Ben Koether became the youngest navigator aboard the USS Glacier during Operation Deep Freeze. His mission: chart Antarctic coastlines never before reached by any vessel in human history.

What followed tested every ounce of his navigation skills, courage, and determination.

Inside These Pages:

THE PHANTOM COAST Navigating through sixty-foot waves and crushing sea ice to reach waters no ship had ever penetrated. The Glacier pushed farther south into the Bellingshausen Sea than any vessel before, mapping what had only been blank spaces on the charts.

BESET IN THE ICE The moment every polar navigator fears: trapped 600 miles from open water as Antarctic winter descends. With fuel running low, food supplies dwindling, and darkness closing in, 600 men faced the possibility of becoming permanent residents of the ice.

CLASSIFIED OPERATIONS Cold War missions that have remained secret for decades, including an unbreakable coded message that may have altered the course of history during the Cuban crisis.

BEYOND THE BRIDGE The journey didn't end when Koether left the Navy. From confronting the KKK while integrating a Louisiana factory to pioneering computer technology that revolutionized the fast-food industry, this memoir reveals how the same dead reckoning skills used to navigate polar ice helped navigate the uncharted waters of American business.

THE MISSION TO SAVE THE GLACIER Decades later, Koether led a passionate campaign to save his beloved ship from the scrapyard—a story of dedication, bureaucratic battles, and the fight to preserve maritime history.