From School Library Journal
Grade 7–10—A recounting of the fatal Antarctic exploration led by Englishman Robert Falcon Scott. The story is told from the point of view of journeyman Apsley Cherry-Garrard and is based on his experiences as recorded in
The Worst Journey in the World. The author incorporates numerous primary sources, including diaries, letters, and black-and-white reproductions and archival photographs that aid in capturing Garrard's mindset and that of the other members of the expedition. The goal of the trip was to find the South Pole, with an offshoot expedition to collect samples of the fabled Emperor penguin's eggs. Though dialogue was obviously re-created, and some assumptions are made regarding the thoughts and feelings of crew members, Farr's writing is engrossing and his accounts of the hardships and near-death experiences the explorers faced are harrowing. The accompanying maps, photographs, and drawings complement the text, though some of them break it up at odd intervals. This title will appeal to readers looking for an adventure story and to history buffs.—
Kelly McGorray, Glenbard South High School Library, Glen Ellyn, IL Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
“After the storm, we enjoyed several days in which the weather was merely horrible.” Farr writes in the voice of Apsley Cherry-Garrard, a participant in Robert Scott’s ill-fated second Antarctic expedition, which he casts as an inspiring tale of men battling overwhelmingly brutal elements with experimental gear, high spirits, and indomitable courage. The expedition was actually a scientific one, with the push to the South Pole as much a public relations gambit as a main purpose. Cherry, as he was known, self-effacingly describes his own role as part of a three-man side trip to collect penguin eggs—a trip that, like so many early ventures to the Antarctic, became a desperate struggle just to survive. Based on Cherry’s own memoirs and extensive research, this deceptively light-toned account makes compelling reading and is well supplied with contemporary photos, maps, an annotated source list, and other helpful extras. Despite its fictive voice, it makes an authoritative replacement for older titles on the expedition, meriting a place next to Bredeson’s After the Last Dog Died (2003), Armstrong’s Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World (1998), and other Antarctic annals. Grades 6-9. --John Peters
