Product Description: Now in paperback, the real story of Captain Robert Scott’s legendary Antarctic quest, told by the man whom the Guinness Book of World Records has proclaimed "the world’s greatest living explorer"
In 1911, Captain Robert Scott and his competitor Roald Amundsen conquered the unconquerable: Antarctica. This perilous race to the South Pole claimed the life of Scott and became the stuff of legend, as well as scrutiny. This compelling, meticulously researched history of Captain Scott and his fatal journey, by renowned modern-day explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes, holder of 10 expeditionary records, is the definitive account of this hotly debated quest.
Fiennes offers an account of Scott’s motivations and aspirations for the Pole, and his historic clash with Amundsen over goals and approaches. He also reveals the unpredictably disastrous weather patterns that led to the extreme cold that ultimately doomed Scott’s return trip. Infused with the intensity of fiction and exhibiting an exhaustive eye for detail found in the greatest historical biographies, Race to the Pole is a prodigious achievement and certain to become a classic in the literature of exploration.
Resurrection of a Reputation Fiennes set out to rehabilitate Scott from the shadow to which he had been relegated. My sense of Scott derived from some (maybe BBC) television dramatization comparing him to Amundsen. The image I retained is of a stiff-upper-lipped Englishman stubbornly mistreating his working class underlings, a kind of Franklin dragging his sea chests across the ice and assuming his gentleman's entitlement would somehow overcome the impious arctic conditions. Feinnnes shows that Scott was nothing of the sort but a fairly equitable and thorough man maybe more interested in the scientific results of his expeditions than merely achieving the record of being first to the pole. Although Fiennes doesn't explore Amundsen's personality thoroughly, Amundsen's desire to be first and the fact that he hides his intent from both Scott and the world makes him a lesser man than Scott. Also his use of dogs versus Scott's manhauling is not evidence of the humble explorer more connected to the environment. As the author shows both strategies have their advantages and disadvantages. And Scott abhorred both the working of ponies and dogs to death and their killing for food, although he did do it.
At first I found the author's interjecting of his own formidable experiences irritating, especially when he discussed personal dynamics. Later in the book when Scott makes his fatal trek to the pole, the author's comparison of the limitations and risks of various actions comparing them to his own experiences gave a better understanding of the events leading to Scott's and his companions death: that it was due to unusual weather rather than foolishness or misjudgment. In fact this portion of the book was very exciting. On the whole the book is valuable to those of us intrigued with exploration. While these sorts of explorations are usually sponsored to demonstrate the power of empire, it is extraordinary what humans can do when put in a punishing environment. It is a bit like extreme sports but as the author points out when he and a companion were rescued from inevitable death while manhauling across the Antarctic, they had available communications and planes which plucked them out of danger. Scott on the other hand, without such technologies, had to pay the existential consequences. This is a good read.
Charlie Fisher, author of Dismantling Discontent: Buddha's Way Through Darwin's World
Well, he DOES know of what he speaks Clearly, as has been stated, there is a de-constructive zeal that's been applied to almost all of our traditional heroes for decades, a trend I find deplorable and, I think, based on the most obvious of politically correct motives. At the end Fiennes identifies the national self-loathing and malaise that Britain has allowed itself to slide into, and into which America has been sliding for some time. A society and culture that despises itself can not have the will to defend itself. Fortunately in this case, Fiennes is one of the few on this planet that can speak with authority and from experience on the subject of polar man-hauling and general survival in those regions. Fiennes's de-construction of Huntford and subsequent biographers has changed my mind about Scott, a man about whom I had a most negative opinion since I read Huntford's "Scott & Amundsen" in 1990. Scott has been de-debunked and rehabilitated for me.
The Authoritative Anti-Huntford Speaks After reading Roland Huntford's The Last Place On Earth, it's difficult not to wonder whether any book sympathetic to Robert Falcon Scott is equally biased in the opposite direction. However, the beauty of Ranulph Fiennes' perspective is that he's actually HAD decades of experience in polar exploration and travel, unlike the armchair-critic, Brit-loathing Huntford. Overall, I found this book very informative (if perhaps slightly too critical of Roald Amundsen), especially its emphasis on the freak weather Scott's polar party encountered, en route to Cape Evans from the South Pole, as the primary cause of the disaster that ensued. However, the last chapter is absolutely priceless for its utter dismantling of Huntford and his various excesses and pretenses, and for that reason alone the book is a valuable addition to the history of polar exploration.
Mildly informative, but ultimately far too biased Having read "Last Place on Earth", this book, and the journals of Scott, Wilson, Bowers, Evans, and Cherry-Garrard, I can safely say that this book carefully cultivates on the most positive aspects of Scott, while hiding almost all of the negative; the little that was mentioned was casually dismissed as no fault of his own.
Fiennes, a seemingly obsessive fan of Scott himself, has gone to great lengths to recreate Scott's manhauling techniques (albeit with modern clothing, gear, and expedition food) in his own transarctic expedition, if only to show that it can be done today. He completely wallpapers over the mistakes in Scott's assessment of dogs, skis, clothing, nutrition, and caloric intake, as well as Scott's poor judgement in setting cairns, preventing fuel loss, staying in tents during moderately bad weather, navigating, and stopping for scientific samples when his time and supplies were running short. This clearly shows this work to be more propaganda than a neutral look at the evidence.
However, Fiennes brings out important background information on Scott not found in print today that proves helpful in better understanding Scott. For that, I bump up my rating to 2 stars.
Awe Inspiring Story This is a great book. Scott and his men are true heroes. Their fortitude in the face of severe privation, relentless bone chilling cold and unimaginable pain and suffering is nothing short of awesome. Like the soldiers mentioned in the book who found inspiration in Scott's story, I too can now tap into an inner strength I didn't know I had. Thank you Sir Fiennes!
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