Race for the South Pole: The Expedition Diaries of Scott and Amundsen by Roland Huntford (PDF)

Description

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. 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.

User’s Reviews

Editorial Reviews: Review ‘Crucially, [Huntford] reads Norwegian, and the translations are his own. Decades of experience allow him to dilate on the idiosyncrasies of fur in the polar environment; on the workings of the anemometers and on the ‘meridian sight method of finding latitude’ … This work is brilliant, and well executed.’ (The Times)’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)BBC History Magazine’s Pick of the Month, November 2010’Reading the journals of Scott and Amundsen together has the advantage of highlighting the relative pace and position of the two expeditions on a daily basis. It also draws attention to the contrasting literary styles of their authors. Of interest here are not simply the celebrated set-pieces, most notably Scott’s powerful final ‘message to the public’, but also more routine matters of format and function.’ (BBC History Magazine)”Side by side, day by day, Huntford lets Scott and Admundsen speak for themselves, placing the original diary entries of each man on facing pages. He includes superb original maps and photographs, and the never-before-translated diary of Admundsen’s charismatic lead skier.”-Longitude’The knowledge and research of this 83-year-old author is magnetic and forces the reader to reassess one’s understanding of Amundsen’s organisation and the amateurish approach of Scott… This is more than just a good book – you make the journey.’ (guardian.co.uk (Readers Recommendations))’This is a valuable book, and Huntford enriches the fascinating diary entries with his own expert analysis and insight into polar history.’ (The Geographical magazine)There is gratitude for the translations he had provided which have enabled non-Norwegian speakers to read two previously unavailable texts. [Huntford] has given factual insights into subjects as varied as skiing, marine engines and the relationship of Amundsen’s expedition to the International Date Line… [he] makes some fascinating points. (The Journal of Polar Record, Volume 47)’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.’ (Sanford Lakoff)BBC History Magazine’s Pick of the Month, November 2010’Reading the journals of Scott and Amundsen together has the advantage of highlighting the relative pace and position of the two expeditions on a daily basis. It also draws attention to the contrasting literary styles of their authors. Of interest here are not simply the celebrated set-pieces, most notably Scott’s powerful final ‘message to the public’, but also more routine matters of format and function.’ (Sanford Lakoff)”Side by side, day by day, Huntford lets Scott and Admundsen speak for themselves, placing the original diary entries of each man on facing pages. He includes superb original maps and photographs, and the never-before-translated diary of Admundsen’s charismatic lead skier.”-Longitude’The knowledge and research of this 83-year-old author is magnetic and forces the reader to reassess one’s understanding of Amundsen’s organisation and the amateurish approach of Scott… This is more than just a good book – you make the journey.’ (Sanford Lakoff)’This is a valuable book, and Huntford enriches the fascinating diary entries with his own expert analysis and insight into polar history.’ (Sanford Lakoff)Race for the South Pole, while allowing the reader to savour the contrasts between the expedition diaries of Scott, Amundsen and Bjaaland, also shows Huntford in continued argument with his sources. (Sanford Lakoff) About the Author Roland Huntford is the world’s foremost authority on the polar expeditions and their protagonists. He is the author of the award-winning Two Planks and a Passion: The Dramatic History of Skiing, Scott and Amundsen: Last Place on Earth and biographies of Shackleton and Nansen. He was the Scandinavian correspondent on the Observer for many years. He is a Senior Member of Wolfson College, Cambridge, and a former Alistair Horne Fellow at St. Antony’s College, Oxford. He is also a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.

Reviews from Amazon users which were colected at the time this book was published on the website:

⭐I, like many of you, had refused to buy the edited version of Robert F. Scott’s expedition diary. The unedited version may have been available somewhere, but I discontinued searching for it a long time ago. Finally, we have Scott’s unedited expedition diary {edited words are bold and italicized} as well as Roald Amundsen’s and Olav Bjaaland’s expedition diaries competently translated into English. For those less familiar, Bjaaland was the ski champion on Amundsen’s team of five that went to the South Pole. He was also the only one of Amundsen’s group that was not specifically a trained navigator, yet expertly proved his ‘intuitive mountain sense’ throughout the journey.This is a personality revealing book as well as for logistics. For those interested in logistics, all latitude/longitude,temperatures, nautical miles, etc. are covered on a day to day basis. For those interested in personalities, have at it.Just read the expedition diaries alone, and you can decide for yourself.I’ll not cover the specifics in this review, let it suffice that there are some formidable players in both parties. The diaries for each day and for each man are side by side.If you have accumulated a small library on the discovery of the South Pole, this book will answer many questions and ensurea solid knowledge about specific characters, time line of events, and of events on a day to day basis. Each depot, location, contents, many useful maps of different scales, illustrations and dozens of photograghs are also here.For the casual reader on this subject, possibly for the first time, a clear chronological story will evolve full of facts and curiously intricate characters. In their own words, ofcoarse.

⭐good book. I grew up in Minnesota and can relate to Amundsen and the way he accomplished his goal. Scott complains and complains about people, horses, snow, wind, food, fuel and eye problems. It was his responsibility to prepare for all. It is like someone from the southern US coming to Minnesota to camp for the winter. Best way to prepare is to ask the people who live in cold climate on the best way to do things. Was he smarter than the Eskimo.

⭐Anyone who has read about the race for the south pole is aware of the different camps in favor of Scott or Amundsen. The real facts show that both men were strong courageous leaders. Amundsen’s sole purpose was to reach the pole. Reaching the pole for Scott, while important, was not the end all of the exploration trip. This is the first book which has both of the leaders journals. For that fact alone, it is worth having. But……..Huntford’s extreme bias against Scott almost makes the book unreadable. I have read just about every book on these men. Both had great strengths and both had their faults. But in Huntford’s eyes, Amundsen could never do anything wrong, and Scott could never do anything right. This comes through in page after page and blemishes what should be a nice addition to the books on this era. One would do well to read the diaries on their own and skip Huntford’s narration. He continually finds hidden meanings in the writings of both men 100 years after the fact, at times with very thin backup or correlation. Both men should be praised. Huntford’s bias is not just against Scott but the entire British Empire. It’s too bad that what should be an important book is ruined by Huntford’s obsession with ruining the reputation of Scott and glorifying that of Amundsen. For that reason, it is wise to avoid this book and read other much better and historically accurate descriptions of this time in history.

⭐Just returned from Norway and visited a museum regarding these explorations and adventurers. Good book.

⭐For me, the diaries were the best part. Yes, we all know that Scott was ill-prepared and sometimes almost delusional. Still, the author’s constant bashing of Scott (and of Britain) wore thin quickly. I began to skip his nagging commentary and just read the diaries. I mean, how many times do we have to hear that Scott was stupid?

⭐This book contain original diaries of great explorers Amundsen, his assistant Bjaaland and Scott, that conveniently listed in parallel dates. They show why one expedition ended in full success and other in loss of lives of all members of Polar party.

⭐very satisfied

⭐Of the great stories about the last great journey with out radio and airplanes. A case study in two types of management.

⭐I thought that his book: “Scott and Amundsen” was superb. It blew apart nearly a century of rubbish about Scott, and placed Amundsen in his proper place, as the better Antarctic Explorer. Huntford’s newer work: “The Race For The Pole”, reinforces this message. Through the medium of their journals, Amundsen is presented as a master planner. He is a man who is determined to be first to the South Pole, but not through the exposure of his men to unnecessary risk. Scott is shown to be a “chancer”. He is lacking in the vital skills, prone to changing the plan, at short notice, and unable to rid himself of the shadow of Shackleton, and his achievements. They were all brave men, but Amundsen knew what he was up against, and equipped for it. Scott thought that the exaggerated concept of the British Amateur would seem him through. Tragically, for Scott and his men, he was wrong ! Huntford’s book, fully maintains the standards expected of him.

⭐I have read Mr. Hunterford’s earlier books, and have always been impressed by the fact he had researched original source material, even in Norwegian. This is THE book I’ve been waiting for. Having worked and lived in the Arctic, I know exactly how unforgiving an environment it is, and how much forethought and careful preparation is required just to survive. This book sets down the exact words of the diaries of both Amundsen and Scott’s South Pole Expeditions. It is valuable, but not necessary, to read the 2nd edition of Hunterford’s earlier book, “Scott and Amundsen: The Race to the South Pole” as well as his “Scott and Amundsen: The Last Place on Earth.” If you have to pick just one, I think the former is a great way to familiarize yourself. The Expedition Diaries demonstrates, once and for all, just how painstaking and profession were Amundsen’s preparations, and how disorganized and inept were those of Scott. Hunterford also shows, in stark contrast, the difference in thinking and leadership between the two. He also, once again, demonstrates the heart-stopping audacity and courage of Amundsen’s choice of route, and lays to rest British suggestion that Amundsen “had it easy” when the reverse is in fact the exact truth. Amundsen’s route, unbeknownst to him, was one of the most difficult that could have been used. Scott shows, in his own words, just how ill-fitted he was, both in preparing for and leading his journey. Scott has been portrayed as “heroic”, notably by modern-day British polar voyagers who have had to be rescued from the Arctic ice by the expertise of Canadian arctic bush pilots. Amundsen’s name is today all but forgotten, while Scott is celebrated, This book shows exactly why the reverse should be true: Amundsen is the superb example to which all others may be compared; Scott should be remembered not only for his own death, but for causing the deaths of his companions. He is not heroic, although his journals make clear that he thought very highly of himself, regardless of his actions. There have been other polar explorers, but none as careful, well-prepared, and as audacious as Amundsen, shown here in his own words and those of Olav Bjaland, another of Amundsen’s polar team. Indeed, Amundsen is very reticent to “blow his own horn.” – he minimizes his descriptions of the astonishing difficulties he encountered. Scott in his diaries complains bitterly and at length, and blames everyone except himself for his misfortunes. I feel no pity for Scott, and I think no heroic memorials should be made of his name. Pity, if any, should go to those he dragged with him to his death. Nowhere is this made clearer than in the side-by-side comparison of the diaries of these two explorers – one a painstaking, courageous expert who prepared in every possible way for every possible contingency , and the other a man who was egotistical and self-absorbed to the point that his preparations were totally insufficient and astoundingly inept. Neither the Antarctic nor the High Arctic are places for self-delusion and ill-preparedness – there are no places on Earth where death can as easily result from either. Roland Hunterford has done a great thing – he has laid out, for all to see, the difference between the mindset and attention to detail of the two men. He lays to rest, once and for all, any idea that Scott’s death was the result of misfortune. Scott’s death, in his own words, was caused by Scott – by his poor preparation, his unwillingness to face the facts of the hostile environment he entered, and by a monumental ego coupled with blaming others for his own ineptness. Amundsen is shown, by thought and deed, to have earned his victory honestly and well. He was a man of few words but many actions; someone who learned from his own mistakes and took infinite pains to ensure the success and safety of himself and his companions, a fact too long overlooked. Amundsen was a complex man, and one who had a goodly share of human shortcomings. He was in some circumstances painfully shy, but in other ways vain. One example of his vanity was a refusal to wear spectacles, in spite of his physical short-sightedness. He was subject to episodes of self-doubt, and at times secretive in ways which later gave ammunition to his detractors. He was, however, astonishingly skilled when assessing the skills and personalities of the men he chose to accompany him, and persuasive in obtaining willing and expert companions. He likewise could, and did, obtain the best possible equipment and materials for his expedition, whether sled dogs, specialized rations and clothing, or one of the very first Diesel engines for his ship, Fram. He set out on his South Pole expedition not only broke, but departed without fanfare, divulging his goal to only a handful of men and leaving later-outraged creditors behind. He was extraordinarily secretive about his goal of being first to reach the South Pole, while simultaneously researching and obtaining the very best possible resources to accomplish his goal. He was far from a saint, and was well aware that making his goal public could prevent him from even starting his voyage. He knew this, but consciously prepared and set out while saying nothing publcly of his goal. Scott, who departed with great fanfare even though ill-equipped and with a very large crew of inexpert companions, was both unnerved and outraged when he finally learned of Amundsen`s intentions. Scott`s feeling were not shared by all of his companions. Captain Oates wrote in a letter that there was nothing wrong with “keeping your mouth shut“ while others noted that Amundsen`s small expedition party was not only well equipped, but composed of “hard men“ well accustomed to the outdoors. Amundsen knew from experience that Scurvy could bring disaster, and made every possible preparation to prevent it. Scott, although an officer of the Royal Navy – the navy in which Captain James Cook had identified not only the cause, but the means of preventing Scurvy – ignored the problem entirely, directly causing not only his own death, but the deaths or near-fatal illness of members of his expedition. Given that Scurvy, its effects, and means of preventing it were well-documented, Scott`s totally ignoring it seems inexplicable. The same lack of forethought and preparation was likewise evident with many other expedition necessities, notably clothing, rations, fuel and transport. This book belongs on the shelf of anyone who has ever had an interest in polar exploration, or who has lived and worked in that most unforgiving of all environments. Buy this book, and see, in their own words, the differences between the bungler whose un-heroic death was caused, in the final analysis, by his own stupidity, and of the painstaking expert who success came from thought and care in every aspect of his preparations – however minute, of flexibility in planning, of focus and determination, and of outstanding leadership.

⭐Il libro ha due gravi errori di stampa. Mancano le prime due mappe. Map 1 del viaggio di Scott per il polo sud. Map 2 del viaggio di Amundsen per il polo sud. Quindi proprio le mappe dei viaggi che il libro mette a confronto. Il venditore mi ha mandato una seconda copia del libro, ma anch’essa presenta lo stesso errore di stampa.For those who know little of the background of polar exploration through the centuries, this book may present as a lucid and essentially true account of ‘race’ between Robert Falcon Scott and Roald Amundsen a century ago. In my view, it is not.The author of ‘Race to the South Pole’, Roland Huntford is an accomplished researcher and writer on all things polar and has written what I regard as outstanding and authoritative biographies of Nansen and Shackleton. He is also the man who in 1979 published ‘Scott and Amundsen’, which virtually for the first time questioned received wisdom on the virtue of Scott as an explorer and sought to boost the merits of his rival Amundsen, who Huntford considered had been under-rated by history. In so doing, Huntford opened a can of worms, with protagonists of the Scott and Amundsen camps battling the issues out. Some accept all the arguments which Huntford promulgated to denigrate Scott. Others such as Sir Ranulph Fiennes have come to Scott’s aid and refuted many of his assertions. Now 30 years after his original publication, Huntford repeats his argument.I admire both Scott and Amundsen, as well as many other heroic explorers who first ventured into the unbelievably hostile environments of the North and South Poles a century ago. Having read much on the subject, I have also come to believe that Huntford made some telling points in his criticism of Scott, which have not been satisfactorily countered, and I also believe that Amundsen deserves most of the plaudits now heaped upon him – by any account he was an outstanding human being.But, but, but – I take issue with Huntford. What does his book ‘Race for the South Pole’ consist of? Basically – 4 elements. Firstly the latter part of the Scott’s diary of his Terra Nova expedition; secondly his own translation of the diary of Amundsen; thirdly his new translation of the diary of Bjaaland – one of the 4 who accompanied Amundsen to the South Pole, and fourthly, Huntford’s own interpolations. What he omits are any of the accounts of those who accompanied Scott (Lt.Evans, Cherry-Garrard etc.) What is novel is that he places the diary accounts together on a daily basis, so that on any one day one can see what is happening in the two respective camps. Personnally, I gained very little from this. I have read Scott’s diary before – several times. (see my review). I have read Amundsen’s account (The South Pole) – though not his diary (see my review). Setting the two side by side, I felt, added nothing. Scott and Amundsen never met. Each day they were many miles apart. Weather and ground conditions were totally different. Bjaaland’s diary, being new, was interesting and revealed much of Bjaaland, but added little to my understanding of Amundsen or Scott.But what was so annoying was Huntford’s commentary. For it was punctuated repeatedly by a biased denigration of Scott – a belittling which I think even Amundsen, whom he rightly praises, might have taken exception to.As already stated, Huntford has, in my view, some telling points to make, but constant unrelenting sniping does not do his argument any favours and brings into question his integrity in putting forward a fair case based on the evidence. Even the language he uses betrays his prejudice. (p63. “Scott also demonstrates his mania for interference….” – p77 “Scott’s lack of ‘care and foresight’ was his own fault.” – p99 “Scott had lost the race before he began.” – p111 “…Scott was recording one of his violent mood changes to depression …” – p161 “Scott resents the weather as if there is some special kind to which he is entitled.” – p 176 “(Scott) exposes the masochistic cruelty of man-hauling, and the Dionysian side of his personality …” – p187 “Scott’s every action now seems futile.” etc. etc.Huntford however saves his ultimate vemom for a vitriolic epilogue in which he repeats ad nauseam his obsessional hatred of Scott. He even dismisses the works of 2 who accompanied Scott. Ponting’s wonderful photographs published in 1921 in ‘The Great White South’ he describes as ‘artless propaganda’ and Cherry-Garrard’s majestic ‘The Worst Journey in the World’, published in 1922 as ‘immature but persuasive, highly charged apologia’.I have to say, that by the time I had finished reading the book, I had even more respect for Scott than before, given the one-sided character assassination delivered by Huntford. Given the soundness of much of his argument and his other work, I cannot understand why he feels it so necessary to repeatedly and obsessively overstate his case against Scott, and in such a vicious manner. A great pity.

⭐Chose this book for an insight into the actual trip by the use of tge diaries and it did not disappoint.

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