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Arctic and Antarctic: A Modern Geographical Synthesis
David E. Sugden
Manufacturer: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0389202983 |
Book Description
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Book Description
Before Sir Ernest Shackleton's exploration of the Antarctic waters in 1914, Captain Roald Amundsen led a courageous team through ice-chocked waters to become the first expedition to reach the South Pole in 1911. Read the fascinating account of his journey in The South Pole.
"Roald Amundsen planted the Norwegian flag on the South Pole on December 14, 1911: a full month before Robert Falcon Scott arrived onthe same spot. Amundsen's 'The South Pole' is less well-known than his rival's, in part because he is less of a literary stylist, but also, perhaps, because he survived the journey.His book is a riveting first-hand account of a truly professionalexpedition; Amundsen's heroism is understated, but it is heroismnonetheless."
--The Times of London, 23 June 2001
At the beginning of the twentieth century, the South Pole was the most coveted prize in the fiercely nationalistic modern age of exploration. In the spring of 1911 two separate expeditions left their respective camps in Antarctica in a desperate bid to achieve the glory of being first to reach the South Pole: a British party, led by Captain R. F. Scott, and a Norwegian one under Captain Roald Amundsen.
The South Pole,— Amundsen's first-hand account of the expedition,— is a fascinating and highly readable history of the tenacity and perseverance of the age.
"The last of the Vikings," Roald Engebreth Gravning Amundsen was a powerfully built man of over six feet in height, born into a family of merchant sea captains in 1872. In 1903 he navigated the Northwest Passage in a 70-foot fishing boat. Soon afterwards he learned that Ernest Shackleton was setting out on an attempt to reach the South Pole. Shackleton abandoned his quest a mere 97 miles short of the Pole, but Amundsen began preparing his own expedition. Although this was the age of the amateur explorer, Amundsen was a professional: he left little to chance, apprenticed with Inuits, and obsessed over every detail.
On October 18, 1911 Amundsen's party set out from the Bay of Whales, on Antarctica's Ross Ice Shelf, for their final drive toward the pole. His British counterpart, Robert Falcon Scott, dependent on Siberian ponies rather than on dogs, began his trip three weeks later. While Scott clung fast to the British rule of "No skis, no dogs," Amundsen understood that both were vital to survival. Aided by exceptionally cooperative weather conditions, Amundsen's men passed the point where Shackleton was forced to turn back on December 7, and at approximately 3pm on December 14, 1911, Roald Amundsen raised the flag of Norway at the South Pole, one month before Scott's party would arrive.
A polar masterpiece of history and adventure,
The South Pole is the stunning first-hand account of one of the greatest success stories in the annals of exploration. Most skillfully Amundsen constructs the expedition's character through its personalities
the cast of veteran explorers, scientists, and crew
providing insight not only into Amundsen's philosophy of exploration, but into the classical age of polar explorers.
Download Description
World-renowned polar explorer Captain Roald Amundsen's (1872-1928) conversational, candid, and engrossing account of his Norwegian expedition's successful race, first aboard the Fram and then by dogsled, to be the first to reach the South Pole. Setting out from Norway in August, 1910, the Fram arrived in Antarctica in January, 1911. After months of preparation by the members of the expedition operating out of their Bay of Whales base on the Ross Ice Shelf, Amundsen and four of his companions set out for the South Pole on October 20, 1911, with four sledges, each pulled by 13 dogs. On December 14 the five reached their goal, arriving a full month before the rival British expedition led by Captain Robert F. Scott. "I cannot say -though I know it would sound much more effective - that the object of my life was attained. That would be romancing rather too bare-facedly. . . . Of course, there was a festivity in the tent that evening - not that champagne corks were popping and wine flowing - no, we contented ourselves with a little piece of seal meat each, and it tasted well and did us good," Amundsen wrote afterward.
Customer Reviews:
MasterPiece. .......2007-06-07
Wonderful. Strong. Beautiful. It is a great book. You end up thinking that the five hundred pages are not enought. Amundsen is the project management himself. It is a pleasure to read such an adventure in a such complete edition, with all maps, photos, cientific info, etc. Highly recommended.
Disappointed with the Indy Publishing edition........2007-01-16
Don't waste your money on the Indy Publishing edition of this book. No pictures, no maps, no dust jacket. It is no fun to read a full paragraph description by the author of an incident that was recorded with a photograph that is not in the book. A better investment would be the paper back edition.
Amundsen was funny!.......2006-02-22
This book was a lot of fun, in a geeky documentary sort of way.
Amundsen had a dry sense of humor, kind of like Tolkien. You know, polite and proper but every once in a while you can picture an arched eyebrow. Like Gandalf cracking a subtle joke. If you are not paying attention, you will miss it... but if you *are* paying attention, it'll make you chuckle.
I laughed out loud several times when reading this book, which is something I never did when reading other Antarctica books.
So if you are worried about this book being "dry" and "boring", well, did you like Lord of the Rings? If so, Amundsen's writing might "click" with you too.
The Norwegian Method.......2006-02-12
Roald Amundsen's "The South Pole" is a detailed, even exhaustive account of his successful 1910-1912 expedition to the South Pole. Amundsen's expedition was the first to reach the South Pole, after failures by other expeditions.
Amundsen was relentlessly methodical and practical in planning and executing the expedition. He identified a practical method of travel for the long haul to the South Pole from the Antarctic coast: dog sleds and skiis. He and his crew experimented and tested all their equipment and supplies in the Antarctic while patiently waiting for the right weather to travel. In striking contrast to his British competitor, Robert Falcon Scott, Amundsen correctly estimated the amount of food that would be consumed by physically active men operating for weeks in sub-zero temperatures. Amundsen's preparation is so complete that the actual expedition sometimes has all the drama of a weekend fishing trip. Amundsen was apparently a modest man, and it falls to Roland Huntford in an introduction to draw the obvious comparison with the catastrophic failure of the Scott expedition.
Amundsen's account provides all the detail necessary for anyone who might wish to duplicate his feat. Unfortunately, his writing style is very dry and even dedicated students of polar exploration may find finishing this book a long haul.
This book is highly recommended to students of the history of polar travel.
Preparedness Leads To Success.......2003-05-27
In the Foreword, Roland Huntford describes Amundsen's narrative as "all that Scott's is not". How right he is! This a very large book, but nonetheless an easy read. Amundsen relates a fascinating tale of fortune, misfortune, hardship, and ultimately - success. The narrative is detailed, but not overly so. In many places, a dose of humor is weaved in. Complete with numerous photos, maps, and scientific data, this book should be considered one of the great narratives of exploration. The great moral lesson of this tale is that preparedness ultimately leads to success. Is it any wonder that Roald Amundsen and his comrades won the race to the South Pole?
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- Almost the definitive work on Antarctica.
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WILD ICE
Ron Naveen ,
Colin Monteath ,
Tui De Roy , and
Mark Jones
Manufacturer: Smithsonian
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Waiting to Fly: My Escapades With the Penguins of Antarctica
ASIN: 0874743958 |
Customer Reviews:
Almost the definitive work on Antarctica........2004-12-25
If ever you have considered visiting Antarctica - for whatever reasons, this is the one book which will answer those questions which we, until now, unanswered.
It says much for this work - which is described as a voyage of images and reflections by four explorers and photographers, that the final copyright of the book itself is shown as belonging to the Smithsonian Institute. A sign of quality in itself. It would be easy to describe those images as "Outstanding" or "Stunning" - and so they are, but those words are too frequently used for lesser photographs.
This is a book which explains the Antarctic in a way in which it has not been explained before. It does so with an excellent mix of text and photography which, as I have said, answers those questions that until now remained unanswered.
If all you want is to know something about Antarctica - then stop and pick up this book. You will not be disappointed.
NM
Book Description
THE DEFINITIVE AND SPELLBINDING RECORD OF SHACKLETON'S LEGENDARY ANTARCTIC EXPEDITION, IMMORTALIZED ON FILM BY PIONEERING PHOTOGRAPHER FRANK HURLEY
Sir Ernest Shackleton's trans-Antarctic expedition of 1914-1917 was one of the great feats of human endurance -- one vividly captured in the powerful and dramatic pictures taken by Frank Hurley, the expedition's official photographer. These images, appearing together here for the first time in print, constitute an amazing body of photojournalism created under the most adverse circumstances imaginable. As this book reveals, however, they are far more than visual reportage; they also are images of great artistry that capture the life-and-death drama that was played out against an arctic landscape of magnificent and terrible beauty.
The story told here through Frank Hurley's lens began in the summer of 1914, when Shackleton and his crew set sail from England with the intention of being the first to cross Antarctica from one coast to the other, passing through the South Pole on the way. After five months they reached the freezing Weddell Sea and were within sight of land when the Endurance became trapped in the ice pack. Nine months later, the ship was finally crushed, leaving the crew stranded on drifting ice floes at the end of the earth.
What followed is one of the most remarkable survival stories in the history of human exploration. Shackleton's men camped on the ice floes for five months before they escaped in their lifeboats and, after a harrowing five-day voyage, reached Elephant Island, a barren outcrop too remote for any hope of rescue. From there, Shackleton and five other volunteers set out for South Georgia Island and miraculously reached their destination after traversing 850 miles of the fiercest seas on the face of the planet in an open lifeboat. There they raised help, and three months later, after three failed attempts, Shackleton made it back to Elephant Island with a rescue ship.
Incredibly, every single one of his men survived. Almost as incredible is the fact that so much of this drama was captured on film by Frank Hurley, and that so many of these pictures survived. South with Endurance is the first book to reproduce a total of nearly 500 extant photographs, including many remarkable color images that have never been published before. It is also the first to reproduce the photos to a standard and size that display Hurley's work as the art that it is. Drawn from the archives of the Royal Geographical Society in London, the State Library of New South Wales in Sydney, and the Scott Polar Research Institute in Cambridge, the photographs are complemented by excerpts from Hurley's diary, a chapter about the expedition itself, a biographical essay, and commentary about Hurley's photographic techniques.
Customer Reviews:
Superb.......2007-07-17
I found this book to be a wonderful companion to "Endurance" by Alfred Lansing. It includes plenty of material about the Endurance expedition as well as all of the surviving photgraphs of the expedition taken by Frank Hurley. The photographs are excellent (including a few taken in color), and we find out plenty about what equipment Hurley used at the time.
Not only are the photos impressive in their own right, they are also very informative about how the Antarctic looks and what life in that region can be like.
I like this book very much and I'm happy to recommend it to everyone.
The Definitive Pictorial Account of the 'Endurance'.......2004-03-28
This mammoth book is the definitive pictorial account of the voyage of Ernest Shackleton and the crew of the 'Endurance', on their death defying journey to Antarctica between 1914 and 1917 as told through the camera lens of master photographer Frank Hurley. The book is approximately twelve inches square, and can easily be mistaken for a (very large and heavy) coffee table book from afar. Once it is opened, though, it is obvious that this in no trifling work. It contains background and narrative on Shackleton and the expedition and all of the surviving Hurley photographs (almost 500 of them total) and in scope is the most complete and amazing account of the expedition I have ever seen.
The text is enlightening and wonderful, but the photographs are the unmistakable stars of the book. Hurley was taken along to document the expedition, and document it he did, despite the fact that it turned out completely differently than any of the men would have ever wanted or imagined. The photographs range from breathtakingly beautiful pictures of water and ice, to fascinating character studies, particularly of life aboard the ship, to poignant photos that are impossible to view without being choked up, of which I place the photos of the dogs and cat at the top, realizing that all the animals, their most faithful of friends, were ultimately killed on Shackleton's orders to conserve food (many of the dogs were eaten.) It is truly fortunate that Hurley was along to document the voyage; mere words alone could never do justice to one of the greatest survival stories ever told, and certainly the most harrowing that I can imagine.
The book is a timeless masterpiece and belongs on the bookshelf of anyone with an interest in the Antarctic, polar exploration, or man's ability to endure untold hardships yet emerge victorious over the elements.
Excellent.......2002-04-09
I was fortunate that I could follow Shakelton on T.V. while reading and viewing these excellent pictures. This book is outstanding and I would urge anyone interested in either Shakelton or photography to get it. I could not help but think that every member of this expedition had story to tell. We have heard only a few. Amazing the limits of human endurance and to think that they had a photographer with them who realized what he was filming, and did so for all of us to see.To Hurley was far ahead of his time, and I am inclined to think that Ansel Adams had probably learned from Mr. Hurley.
A real treasure.......2002-04-04
This is the most defenitive retelling of Shackleton's adventure in pictures. Frank Hurley was an exceptional photographer who just happened to take pictures of a journey that without them would be simply unbelievable. Any Hurley's picture of the Endurance expedition is a treasure, and in this book are all of them!
You've read the book(s) now see the film.......2002-01-16
Frank Hurley's book is a mastepiece of photographic art. Having read many Antarctic books already, particularly "South" the story of the endurance expedition, I devoured this book to see the whole story in detail.
The book is a work of technical genius and without artistic equal among work of that era, particularly when you realise what awful conditions he worked under.
The notes accompanying the pictures relate the epic tale in only slightly less detail than the South book, but you still fully appreciate the efforts which went into it's production.
Other members of the crew could have been more resentful of Hurley, due to the time he spent in his darkroon (he was not part of the ship's crew, therefore was not obliged to stand watch) and shooting film. Instead they regarded him with great respect, especially the numerous occasions he risked his life for the best shots. The true measure of the respect he engendered from the crew is the book itself. When the ship went down and the crew faced an uncertain future, all personal possesions bar a few photos and each man's personal journal were lost. Shackleton still insisted that many heavy glass plates be preserved dragged across the ice and sailed to South Georgia via Elephant Island. Still more were smashed by Hurley, once prints were taken (see "Green Collection" in Scott Polar research Library Cambridge UK) as he could not bear them to be left behind.
This book would form an essential addition to any Antarctic library. The faces all became attached to the names I already knew so well, seeing them at the start of the voyage then lost and forlorn next to the upturned boat on Elephant Island tells it's own harrowing story.
This bleak tale is uplifted by the magnificent images, which match the joy felt by all when Shackleton, "The Boss", returned to collect them safe and well. Even as a first foray into Antarctic literature.
(NB earlier reviewer incorrectly stated that Shackleton went back to UK after South Georgia returning to rescue the crew from Elephant Island. In fact He could not rest knowing the men expected his return and after only a few days rest, when his crew from the "James Caird" were ill in bed he took a whaler and eventually got the men safely off the Island several weeks later, after two unsuccessful attempts.)
Book Description
From her first glimpse of Alaska as a young girl, Margaret "Mardy" Murie has a special connection to the Northland. After her Yukon wedding to naturalist Olaus Murie, Mardy joined her husband for years of wilderness adventure, becoming his partner in lifetime of conversation efforts. For more than seventy years, Mardy Murie tireless championed the environment. Her work led to the founding of The Wilderness Society and the establishment of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. She has been known for years as "the mother of the conversation movementt," and recently received the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Based on the critically acclaimed documentary film, ARTIC DANCE: THE MARDY MURIE STORY tells the story of one ordinary woman who accomplished extraordinary things. This remarkable biographic photo-essay features photos from Muries' personal collection, excerpts from her letters and journals, along with a concise essay detailing her life story.
Customer Reviews:
Arctic Dance.......2007-02-15
This is a excellent book, makes a lovely coffee table book
A Story to Inspire All Interested in Wild Places and Beyond.......2002-07-05
A great deal of thanks should go to Bonnie Kreps and Charlie Craighead for there many years of work dedicated to the life of Mardy Murie. Their double-barreled presentation, first the wonderful film "Arctic Dance, The Mardy Murie Story", and now this fantastic book, tell the story of Margaret "Mardy" Murie like nobody else could.
More like a scrapbook, Arctic Dance brings readers on a journey as rich as any trip to the Brooks Range. Mardy, known by many as the Grandmother of American Conservation movement, has been an inspiration to several generations or activists, policy-makers and wilderness afficionandos. Her experiences and deeds as a child in Alaska, a lover and wife, a wilderness adventurer, an advocate for wild places, and a mentor to so many, give us all an example for how to live life to its fullest with meaning, and grit. Her times with husband Olaus Murie are a testiment to the power of love and partnership and how determination and humility can bring anybody far. Without her, our lives and the state of wilderness would be very different.
Craighead and Kreps bring you on this journey through stories, letters, vivid photographs and telling testimonials from those who knew Mardy best. Reading this book is the next best thing to having tea and cookies with Mardy at her log house in Moose, Wyoming.
Amazon.com
The icy deaths of Robert Falcon Scott and his companions on their return from the South Pole in 1912 made them English icons of courage and sacrifice. Soon, however, Scott's judgments and decisions were questioned, and his reputation became one of inept bungler rather than heroic pioneer. Susan Solomon, senior scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in Colorado, approaches Scott's story from a meteorologist's point of view. She shows that the three weeks from February 27 to March 19, during which the explorers fell further and further behind the daily distances they had to cover in order to survive, were far colder than normal. Unusual blizzards of wet snow had already slowed the party and depleted their provisions and strength. Without these once-in-a-decade phenomena, Solomon believes the party would have returned to its base on the Ross Sea--second after Roald Amundsen in the race to the Pole, but safely. She opens each chapter with comments from a hypothetical modern visitor to Antarctica, presumably to give a wider context to the human drama of the last century, though this reviewer finds them inappropriate. She enriches her narratives of Scott's two Antarctic expeditions with vintage photographs and tables of meteorological data that highlight the explorers' achievements. Their determination was pitted against the worst weather in the world. Scott's story has been told many times before, but its weather information makes The Coldest March a useful addition to the literature. --John Stevenson
Book Description
"Had we lived, I should have had a tale to tell of the hardihood, endurance, and courage of my companions which would have stirred the heart of every Englishman. These rough notes and our dead bodies must tell the tale."--R. Scott, written after traveling for weeks of daily temperatures below minus 35 F. This riveting book tells the tragic story of Captain Robert Falcon Scott and his British team who in November 1911 began a trek across the snows of Antarctica, striving to be the first to reach the South Pole. After marching and skiing more than nine hundred miles, the men reached the Pole in January 1912, only to suffer the terrible realization that a group of five Norwegians had been there almost a month earlier. On their return journey, Scott and his four companions perished, and their legacy--as courageous heroes or tragic incompetents--has been debated ever since. Susan Solomon brings a scientific perspective to understanding the men of the expedition, their staggering struggle, and the reasons for their deaths. Drawing on extensive meteorological data and on her own personal knowledge of the Antarctic, she depicts in detail the sights, sounds, legends, and ferocious weather of this singular place. And she reaches the startling conclusion that Scott's polar party was struck down by exceptionally frigid weather--a rare misfortune that thwarted the men's meticulous predictions of what to expect. Solomon describes the many adventures and challenges faced by Scott and his men on their journey, and she also discusses each one's life, contributions, and death. Her poignant and beautifully written book restores them to the place of honor they deserve.
Customer Reviews:
Focus on weather doesn't tell the whole story.......2007-02-12
I've read several books on this subject. This one doesn't add quite enough.
What's important to note is that Scott's expedition was not considered a failure at the time. His primary goal, unlike Amundsen, was to gather scientific data, not reach the pole first. Amundsen traveled fast and light; Scott put scientific discovery first. Among other achievements, the rock fossils his men gathered later contributed to proving plate tectonics.
While Solomon's weather information is fascinating, the book "Captain Scott" by Ranulph Fiennes covers absolutely everything that was a factor, including the hellish weather. Fiennes even crossed the Antarctic using Scott's methods.
Fiennes was moved to undertake his dangerous mission by "The Last Place on Earth," which he viewed as a slander of Scott's achievements. A British court agreed; the author of "The Last Place on Earth" was ordered to pay damages to Scott's son.
Fiennes gives detailed background on all of Scott's decisions, including what is seen as one of his greatest errors, using ponies instead of dogs.
Although the book "The Last Place on Earth" was found to be slander, the drama by the same name, available on DVD, is a fine piece of film making with excellent performances. Don't take it as gospel, though.
Cold, yes, but..........2006-03-23
Solomon's is a well-written book that begs the question: How many ways are there to say that it is cold in winter at Antarctica?
Solomon builds a molehill of meteorological data that pales in comparison to mountains of other evidence. Scott's lack of provisions, inadequate marking of depots, splitting of teams, depoting of ski and evaporation of stored fuel are not the only problems with his journey.
Scott apologists lay the journey's failure and death of the party on the bad weather encountered at the end. They fail to note that 2 companions had already died by the last encampment and the last (Evans) party barely made it back 3 weeks earlier (for the same reasons listed above).
The sheer fact of the matter is, that on a journey of over FOUR MONTHS, Scott had barely FOUR DAYS of extra rations for a job requiring 5000 calories per man per day.
A 3% margin of error in the coldest, windiest, least hospitable corner of the globe is hoping on more than luck...
This is not the place to take chances.......2006-02-12
Susan Solomon's book on the ill-fated Scott expedition of 1911-1912 tries to refute the Scott bashing in Roland Huntford's superior book, "The Last Place on Earth." Huntford carefully explains why the lesser-known Amundsen deserves praise while Scott pretty much kills himself. Solomon describes Scott as a "bumbler"- someone who makes mistakes because of incompetence. But her title and thesis is- it was the weather's fault. Inspector Clouseau was a bumbler. Scott's "preparation and leadership" cost him and all his men their lives.
The best part of Solomon's book is her make-believe Antarctic visitor. One evening he watches the television serial "The Last Place on Earth" based on Huntford's book. She even quotes from it, "Any man who sits in his tent in the Antarctic and whines about the weather is not fit to lead." She then explains it was very cold. She should have kept quoting the film because it has many great quotes she didn't use; allow me to recite just a few. "Men die; cattle die; I thyself shall die; one thing I know shall never die- Judgment over the Dead". Hello Susan.
In Scott's group, Meares says, "I took a trip across Siberia a journey of 2,000 miles, taught me many things, but chiefly I learned the narrowness of the line that man walks in nature between farce and tragedy, a lesson the Norwegians have learned on sea, on ice and mountain; it is a lesson Scott and his kind will never learn." I don't know if Mr. Meares said this but his case is stronger than Solomon's.
Finally, the most eloquent for last. Amundsen warns his men to lay out markers an additional 2 miles in both directions of a depot. "Two miles?" they ask. "Yes" replies Amundsen, "This is not the place to take chances."
If Susan Solomon wants to blame the weather, okay, but perhaps she has been breathing the ozone too long.
An unforgiving land.......2005-10-17
Primarily a scientific investigation and a good one at that, with the human interest aspect secondary but significant. Solomon is very informative. Being in the Antartic may mean not just reckoning with the cold but also with low humidiity and high elevation. What being severely frostbitten is like. Considerations of what to bring on an Antartic expedition. The impact on bodies and minds as the temperature drops lower and lower.
Diary fragments are used heavily to reveal what Scott and his team were thinking. Solomon's tone is more descriptive than dramatic. One page the team has reached the South Pole and not many pages later, with little buildup, they are dead. Much of the human interest comes from Solomon's speculations after that as to why the team died as they did.
For a polar story told with less science but more drama, try also "Mawson's Will" by Leonard Bickel. They complement each other well. That Mawson, alone of his team, escaped the fate of Scott and his team is incredible. The PBS video based on "The Coldest March", an episode of the "Secrets of the Dead" series entititled "Tragedy at the Pole" is excellent.
"The worst weather in the world".......2005-07-17
The Coldest March (referring to the month as well as the verb) is about British explorer Robert Falcon Scott and his team of explorers and scientists who raced a Norwegian team led by Roald Amundsen to the South Pole in 1911-12. Amundsen was the first ever to reach the Pole. Scott and four of his crew (hand-chosen by Scott) reached the Pole a month later. Amundsen's team made it back but Scott's did not. Many books and reports have been written since trying to explain why Scott failed to return. Many critics site several bad decisions on the part of Scott leading to the legend that he was a bumbler. Scott kept a journal right to the end and sometimes his self-effacing entries fueled the criticism.
Susan Solomon may seem to have an agenda. Throughout the book, Solomon attempts to defend many of Scott's decisions and actions. She has tremendous expertise in the subject. Solomon studied the Ozone layer in the Antarctic. She is a senior scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in Boulder, Colorado. When considering the legend of Scott, Solomon admits that she assumed the Brit explorer foolishly disregarded the power of Mother Nature until she studied the data and diaries left by Scott and his crew (xvii). While Solomon often defends Scott against highly critical historical accounts like Huntford's The Last Place on Earth, she is no apologist. She also points out Scott's errors and baffling decisions.
At the beginning of each chapter, Solomon includes part of the experiences of a modern-day Antarctic visitor. This visitor is not a specific person but a conglomeration of typical visitors. At first I was confused as, while reading about this modern experience, the story would shift gears to 1911-12. Soon, I figured out the pattern. The modern stories are at the beginning of each chapter (only about 2-3 pages each) and are in bold print. These stories are able to demonstrate clearly the issues or problems surrounding the Scott legend: i.e. comparing the huge stock of frozen vegetables at the warehouse there today and the comfortable living conditions against what Scott and his him men faced (pp. 71-2), the importance of drinking plenty of water in higher elevations versus the meager cups of tea Scott and company could drink each day with the scarce fuel they had, (p. 209), how much a visitor suffers in just a short period in extreme conditions (p. 286), etc. These stories, especially one explaining the need to risk snowblindness to better see crevasses (p. 183) helped me, as a reader who will never experience anything remotely close to the Antarctic, better understand the issues people face there.
Solomon clearly refutes points of criticism of Scott: i.e. that his men suffered from scurvy because they refused to eat seal meat or their ponies (pp. 3, 176), that the final five men who journeyed to the Pole did not have enough to eat because they only prepared food for four (p. 213), etc. She does point out Scott's weaknesses and mistakes. For example, he put too much faith in the opinions of some of his men (p. 86) and, even more importantly, he planned by the margins, putting too much stock in past experiences and not preparing for the possibility of worse case scenarios as did Amundsen. The inferior sleeping bags and faulty fuel cans were significant problems stemming from a lack of proper testing and preparation. Solomon is no sycophant and makes a fair assessment based on Scott's and his men's diaries and other primary sources.
What makes this work a fresh approach is the information on weather conditions taken from stations set up near Scott's path. They provided data for several decades demonstrating that the conditions Scott faced during the last month of their lives (March 1912) were extremely rare and perhaps unprecedented. What is puzzling is Solomon's conclusions which are contradictory. She discusses the rarity of the blizzard they faced in March 1912 and then shifts to explain that a 10-day blizzard noted in Scott's diary probably did not occur and that the men stayed in their tent for other reasons; one possibly being Scott's frost-bitten foot. Then, out-of-the-blue, Solomon mentions a suicide plan Scott wrote in his diary on March 11 involving opium tablets (p. 322). They decided not to take them but it seems odd to only mention such an entry briefly towards the end of the book. They probably lived another 18 or more days. Her confusing and inconclusive ending is the only criticism I have of this well-written and fascinating book. It is extremely well-researched and, on a historical level, offers fresh ideas and approaches. She also discusses the men on Scott's team (Edward Wilson, Lawrence Oates, Henry Bowers, Edgar Evans, Lt. Edward Evans, Apsely Cherry-Garrard, etc.) describing some of their backgrounds, characters, and personalities which added a lot to the human side of the story.
Average customer rating:
- Thank You!
- This is a must for little ones who love to draw.
- Wonderful!
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Draw Write Now, Book 4: The Polar Regions, Arctic, Antarctic (Draw-Write-Now)
Marie Hablitzel , and
Kim Stitzer
Manufacturer: Barker Creek Publishing
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Draw Write Now, Book 8: Animals of the World, Dry Land Animals (Draw-Write-Now)
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Draw Write Now, Book 7: Animals of the World, Forest Animals (Draw Write Now, 7)
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Draw Write Now, Book 6: Animals Habitats -- On Land, Pond & Rivers, Oceans (Draw-Write-Now)
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Draw Write Now, Book 5: The United States, from Sea to Sea, Moving Forward (Draw-Write-Now)
ASIN: 0963930745 |
Book Description
Beginning drawing and writing lessons for children ages five to ten. BOOK 4 focuses on the Polar Regions -- Arctic and Antarctic. The books are simple enough for a young child to do independently, but a teacher or parent may present the lessons. Each drawing lesson includes a colorful picture and step-by-step instructions, while the writing lesson includes four simple handwritten sentences. The teacher or parent may introduce letter formation or have the children copy the sentences for handwriting practice, or use the lessons as a springboard for creative writing or report writing. Developed by an elementary school teacher and co-authored by her daughter. A brief list of the 21 lessons in the book includes Blue Whale, auroras, Arctic people, polar bear, igloo, tundra, wolf, penguin, krill, scientists.
Customer Reviews:
Thank You!.......2001-09-27
This is a special Thank you to the authors of this book. My 6 yr. old daughter and I have tremendesly enjoyed this book together. She is a great artist and loves to read. The drawing lessons both help to improve on her reading ability, while giving her great tools for drawing the beautiful and fun pictures displyed. We are both looking forward to more great "Draw Write Now" books.
This is a must for little ones who love to draw........1998-12-03
My son (eight years old) (very good artist) ate this book up. He copied every page in just three days then he was mixing scenes. His drawings took on a superb quality that he had not reached before. The bonus is, he practices his handwriting while learning interesting facts that are good to know. We'll be buying each edition for Christmas for him.
Wonderful!.......1998-08-11
This book is brightly illustrated and well priced for the high quality. It is a wonderful resourse for parents as well as children. The subject matter covers a broad range of interesting information. Bravo!
Book Description
Discover the icy wastes of the polar regions and the remarkable plants and animals that survive in such hostile conditions.
Here is an exciting and informative guide to the vast, icy wastes at the ends of the earth. Superb color photographs of snowy mountains and frozen seas, rare animals and plants, and the teeming life on and under the ice offer a unique "eyewitness" view of our planet's polar wilderness. See a seal with a "trunk", a bear in a burrow, icebergs bigger than skyscrapers, 200-year-old snow goggles, and a pony's snowshoe. Learn about the northern and southern lights, the crushing power of ice, why Amundsen beat Scott to the South Pole, how penguins keep warm, and what reindeer eat. Discover why layers of clothing retain body heat, which birds are known as "pirates of the air", which mammals live farthest north, how long a walrus feeds on its mother's milk, whether lemmings commit mass suicide or not, and much, much more!
Customer Reviews:
Excellent Choice.......2001-03-04
I'm a teacher and I find the Eyewitness books highly educational. I like the way the concepts are presented in a form without backgrounds. This gives clear facts to the reader without over taxing the attention span. The books are highly informative, presenting difficult concepts in comprehendable chunks that stimulate interest. I have almost the whole collection for my own children and they LOVE them!
Book Description
The harsh beauty of the polar regions has long fascinated explorers and armchair adventurers alike. The forbidding terrain and exotic life-forms appeal to our sense of wonder, and while we may think of them as similar, the Arctic and Antarctic are as unlike as Kansas and Kenya. In Poles Apart, Galen Rowell takes us on an exhilarating visual journey to the top and the bottom of the world, using his camera to reveal the fascinating differences in these polar opposites.
In Part I, Rowell's side-by-side photographs highlight the contrasts between North and South. The photo essays of Part II continue the comparisons, developing such themes as Arctic and Antarctic science, polar bears and penguins, and visits to the North and South Poles. Part III provides detailed information on the story behind each photograph as well as technical data of interest to photographers.
Galen Rowell is known for choosing subjects that, while beautiful, are unfamiliar to much of his audience. Yet his books enjoy wide appeal because he accurately focuses--in images and words--on the essential spirit that sets his subjects apart from the rest of the world. So it is with the distant lands and seas of the polar regions, which hold valuable lessons for all of us concerning evolution, geology, history, human endeavor, and the impact of human greed. No other vast areas of the earth remain as pristine, and for Rowell, the Arctic and Antarctic have become metaphors for those intangible elements that define the earth's wild places. In a world fast becoming a theme park of artificial experience, his book is an invitation to understand and appreciate what is real.
Customer Reviews:
North Pole - South Pole - Brilliant concept, better execution.......2007-01-05
If you are a fan of Galen's work you will certainly enjoy this book. The concept, comparing and contrasting the two poles, is brilliant.
The photographs are typical Galen - beautiful, engaging, illuminating. The accompanying text provides context and insight.
There is an essay section at the back that provides some insight into how Galen thought about the photos that appear in this book. Very interesting reading and a great teaching aid for amateur photographers and photojournalists.
A MUST-HAVE picture volume.......2003-09-26
Wow, what a great and such awesome picture volume. This book not only shows you pictures from the Arctic and the Antarctic, it particularly reveals the true differences between the two polar regions...they ARE truly different and fascinating! This book also delivers very-high quality photography, which can easily tempt you into travelling to such exotic destinations.
In the book, you will find 2 pictures side by side-one showing the Arctic, the other showing Antarctic. That way, you will get an idea of its differences. In addition, there is a separate chapter that dedicates to interesting stories regarding these regions, anything from life in Siberia, Inuit life in northern Alaska, to the South Georgia Islands & the South Pole. Last, but not least, there is also a whole section reviewing all the pictures showed in the book, including background information describing each photo, etc.
This is truly an amazing picture volume that is a MUST-HAVE for any polar fanatic. Get prepared for over 180 pages of some superb photography and much info on these fantastic regions. For the money, it was quite worth it...
GREENLAND REVISTED THROUGH A LITTLE DANE'S EYES........1998-12-26
Turning to page 74, my Danish-born wife, Aino, was amazed to discover her little town of Scoresbysund. She spent her fomative years(age 5-12)growing up there, where her father, Dr. Werner Mortensen, served as the sole doctor for the area of 3 villages.
Galen Rowell's photography captures the typical beauty of a Scandinavian mileau, even though it is truly a facade for the garbage that the typical native Greenlander casts no further than his front door!
His words portray the many problems of the native Inuits, who have been unable to adapt to the influence of Danish culture and progress. For Rowell to elaborate on the problems of alcholism, violent crime, and the high rate of suicide in a village of only 500, distinguishes him as an author that researchs his subjects quite well! It brought back memories for my wife of the "Grundlander" that beat his wife with the carcass of a frozen seal, only to have his wife bite of his ear.
The large yellow building in the left foreground is the eight bed hospital; the little red house with white trimmed windows that is over to the immediate left is where family Mortensen grew up from 1966-72. This book really takes my wife back,and helps me see things that were only in her mind's eye. It also brings her up to the what the present day Scoresbysund has become. And now that my family will be moving to Fairbanks,Alaska, my wife can get a sneak preview of our future from this marvelous book. Having lived in Alaska myself, I definitely recommend this book for its shear splendid photography and candid commentary. Great job Galen!
Experience the stunning beauty of the Earth's poles!.......1996-05-15
This is much more than a coffee table book, though its unique photographs of the pristine beauty of the Arctic and Antarctic would impress even the most casual of browsers. A short story about each photo is included, along with more general, thoughtful and poignant commentary from someone that is truly in touch with the global environment. Rowell is one of the great nature photographers, and this is a stunning collection
Average customer rating:
- A hit with our local elementary kids!
- Beautiful story, fantastic illustrations, strong positive message!
- Great book!
- Exquisite, no matter what your age
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Big-Enough Anna: The Little Sled Dog Who Braved the Arctic
Pam Flowers , and
Ann Dixon
Manufacturer: Alaska Northwest Books
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ASIN: 0882405802 |
Book Description
Bill Farnsworth, tells of a dog who played a pivotal role in Flowers' expedition in the Arctic.
Customer Reviews:
A hit with our local elementary kids!.......2007-04-15
One of my jobs at our local library is to read stories to young children, sometimes also at elementary schools. I recently read this story to the 1st,2nd, 3rd and 4th graders and it received rave reviews. One teacher had each of her students draw a picture of his or her favorite story, and 25 of the 30 drawings were of Anna , the amazingly brave little sled dog. The illustrations were beautiful and large enough for groups of children to see them , while the text had a good amount of drama that held their interest.
Beautiful story, fantastic illustrations, strong positive message!.......2005-10-03
Big Enough Anna is a winner all around. The message is encouraging without being patronizing or syrupy; the illustrations will draw in even children who might think dogs are a little bit scary; and the story itself is full of a sense of daring and adventure and, most of all, the love between the musher/storyteller and her team of sled dogs. A great classroom unit could be built around this book, using the adult/teen version of the same story (Alone Across the Arctic) for additional background info or activity inspiration. (Both books could be read by a teacher in a weekend.) You will fall in love with Anna and all the dogs, and be cheering for them throughout all 3,000 miles of their expedition!
Great book!.......2003-12-12
I really like this book! It's a kid-friendly story with great pictures and message. Pam Flowers tells the true story of how the smallest dog in her dog-sled team saved the life of her biggest, strongest one...and also made possible the successful finish of her expedition across the American and Canadian Arctic. And she subtly sends the message that each of us can mazimize our strengths and lead useful, productive lives, even if others think we have too many weaknesses. We may even become heroes!
Anna's small; and small dogs aren't usually what mushers want in their teams. But Pam sees Anna has a big spirit and is curious, intelligent, willing to learn and a hard worker. So even though Anna's young, Pam puts her where her exceptionally-good leader, Douggie, can teach Anna the ropes of that critical position. Then things happen; and physically-small Anna is "big enough" to do what needs to be done. She saves not only Douggie but also the expedition.
I'd read "Alone Across the Arctic" (also by Pam Flowers with Ann Dixon,) and admired Pam's own fortitude, intelligence and perseverance. I wanted to know more about the adventure. Here's a gold nugget of a book that does that. And it's well written; both youngsters, and the adults who may share it with them, will read it all the way through...several times.
The great illustrations (paintings) by Bill Farnsworth perfectly capture the story and the attention of young children. I love looking at them each time, too.
This is a great Christmas present. If you've finished your shopping, surprise everyone for Valentine's Day.
Exquisite, no matter what your age.......2003-11-01
This exquisitely illustrated book is based on the true story of a litle sled dog who rose to the occasion and became a hero in her own right. Anna, a small Alaskan Husky female, was judged too small to be of any use when Pam Flowers made her historic journey across the Arctic with a team of sled dogs(chronicled in ALONE ACROSS THE ARCTIC). But when Pam's wise old leader dog disappeared, Pam put little Anna in the front because in spite of her size she was such a hard worker. Douggie, the wise old leader dog, was eventually found, but was so exhausted that little Anna had to take over and take charge of the trip. This lovely book not only teaches an important lesson--- that what matters is how much heart and spirit you have, not how big you are--- it is so beautifully done that I'm giving it to all my adult dog loving friends for Christmas.
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