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"'Breaks new ground by letting both men live and die side by side in their own words... The Race for the South Pole represents Huntford's final attempt to get Scott and Amundsen's legacies restored to what he believes should be their proper balance. There is simply no more evidence left to find.' (Guardian G2)"
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For the first time ever Roland Huntford presents each man's full account of the race to the South Pole in their own words. In 1910 Robert Falcon Scott and Roald Amundsen set sail for Antarctica, each from his own starting point, and the epic race for the South Pole was on. December 2011 marks the centenary of the conclusion to the last great race of terrestrial discovery. For the first time Scott's unedited diaries run alongside those of both Amundsen and Olav Bjaaland, never before translated into English. Cutting through the welter of controversy to the events at the heart of the story, Huntford weaves the narrative from the protagonists' accounts of their own fate. What emerges is a whole new understanding of what really happened on the ice and the definitive account of the Race for the South Pole.
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5 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Veteran polar expert Roland Huntford's idea of putting the expedition diaries of Scott and Amundsen side by side is, quite simply, inspired. Here for the first time we have the two men's accounts juxtaposed, day by day. Huntford's commentary is sparse but always to the point, interpolating expert knowledge to explain when necessary what the entries actually reveal. The true reasons for Amundsen's success and Scott's failure become, by the end, almost self-evident. Amundsen executed his task with meticulous planning, leaving nothing to chance. Scott on the other hand is woefully unprepared. His failure is not so much a tragedy caused by the elements and bad luck, but his poor organisation. Had he and his men learned to ski before setting off for the Antarctic, and had they had adequate clothing (Huntford quotes an old saying 'there is no bad weather, only bad clothing') they would almost certainly have survived. Had they used dogs instead of attempting to man haul their supply sledges, they might even have given Amundsen a run for his money. Scott ran out of food because he failed to plan adequately or give clear orders to those left at base camp to top up his food depots along the route home. The other thing that shines through the diary entries is the difference in character of the two men. Scott is autocratic, pessimistic and illogical, constantly looking to blame the weather, bad luck and his men. Amundsen on the other hand is relaxed, involves his team in all his decisions, and does not believe in luck. Facing the same conditions as Scott with equilibrium, he triumphs over difficulties with weather and terrain.
Once the two journeys for the Pole are actually underway, the book becomes increasingly gripping, and unputdownable for the last 100 pages or so. For the first part I was willing Amundsen to win and, when he had, hoping against hope Scott would survive, quite something considering I was well aware of both outcomes! Can't recommend this book highly enough - and even if you don't think you're interested in polar exploration, believe me, by the time you're halfway through this book, you will be.
Once the two journeys for the Pole are actually underway, the book becomes increasingly gripping, and unputdownable for the last 100 pages or so. For the first part I was willing Amundsen to win and, when he had, hoping against hope Scott would survive, quite something considering I was well aware of both outcomes! Can't recommend this book highly enough - and even if you don't think you're interested in polar exploration, believe me, by the time you're halfway through this book, you will be.
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