- Hardcover: 302 pages
- Publisher: Mountaineers Books; 1st Us edition (Feb 2002)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 089886870X
- ISBN-13: 978-0898868708
- Product Dimensions: 23.8 x 15.6 x 2.9 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 1,506,774 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I do recommend this book. This is another worthwhile account of the "Heroic Age" explorers' battle with Antarctica. It is ostensibly about Tom Crean's experience. Crean was on 3 Antarctic expeditions (Scott's Discovery, Scott's ill-fated South Pole trek and Shackleton's "Endurance"). Unfortunately, Crean was not a great note-taker, so "his" accounts are usually as recorded by other members of the respective expeditions. The book does borrow heavily (and acknowledges it) from many of the previous titles about this incredible period of exploration in the last undiscovered continent. I think it is worth reading for a number of reasons: the story is told well, and these expeditions are true and gripping adventure stories; it is told (by Michael Smith) from the point of view of a man who was not an officer, and had expressed no ambitition to explore but turned out to be one of the most respected and reliable men to have in an expedition team; it gently but persistently points out key areas where Scott (probably influenced by Markham) stubbornly adhered to out-dated modes of polar exploration - and unfortuately he paid the ultimate price, whilst Amundsen gained the prize.
I have read "The World's Worst Journey" by Cherry-Gerrard and "South" by Shackleton. These are very good books, but Michael Smith's account reveals some important extra detail which addressed some of my unanswered questions after reading the two first-hand stories. Incidentally, I was on holiday in Ireland (October 2003) when I bought the book so had a chance to visit Crean's "South Pole Inn" public house, and visited the Antarctic/Crean exhibition at the Tralee museum in County Kerry. It added an unexpected interest to my holiday.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I enjoyed this book about Tom Crean, because you get the story of 3 great British exploratory travels in the Antarctic in one book :) Although I think that the author draws a lot from previous books, the character of Tom Crean makes him really attaching and the book made for an interesting read.Too bad I could not stop in his native village of Anascaul to drink a pint in the South Pole inn!
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I first came across the name of Tom Crean whilst reading the story about Endurance. Unsung Hero tells us about Crean's life, his upbringing, his career in the navy and how he managed to become the hero he is.
I found it an astonishing read and to think of Crean's exploits really does single this man out to have been someone, although down to earth, extraordinary. His contribution, on the Polar Expedition's he accompanied, cannot be ignored. The fact that he was brought so far by Scott, on the ill-fated expedition, and marched on to the base to save his colleagues lives is legendary. As if this wasn't enough for Crean, we also have the renowned crossing to South Georgia with Shackleton.
Michael Smith does a good job with the life and times of Crean. While some of the book borrows from other titles (this being acknowledged), it still makes for a facinating read. Enjoyable and heartening to know that when times got tough, Crean was to be found with his pipe.
I would recommend this book to anyone who has even the slightest interest in the Antartctic and of the heroics of those men who set out to conquer.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Amazing story of Artic adventure
Always been interested in arctic exploration, but came across this book when on the Dingle Pennisula in Ireland (although later discovered cheaper on Amazon), Tom's birth place and... Read more
Published on 12 Nov 2004 by "dccfarr"
Wonderful hero, amazing stories
Tom Crean was an Irish hero without being a rebel, unlike his many contemporary Irishmen. All I ever read about in school was Pearse, et al. Read more
Published on 23 Mar 2004
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