Customer Reviews

Farthest North (Modern Library Exploration)

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This review is in reference to the original two volume set of Nansen's "Farthest North" published in 1897. The Modern Library abridged edition is drawn from that set.

Nansen and 12 colleagues left Norway and sailed north in the Arctic Ocean above Siberia in 1893. Their purpose was to become frozen in the ice as it formed farther and farther south in the fall. Based on historical evidence from other attempts at far-north Arctic Ocean exploration, Nansen had decided that the flow of currents and winds in the Arctic Ocean were such that a frozen-in vessel that began above the Siberian Islands would drift northward with the ice across the North Pole over the next year or so. His goal therefore was to be the first to the North Pole. He planned for a expedition of as long as three years.

These Arctic explorers' ship was a specially designed vessel, the Fram. Her construction was such that when trapped in the frozen ice, which had extremely variable depths and especially pressures, the ship would rise up above the swelling pack ice and avoid being crushed. The success of the ship's design was absolutely spectacular. This should be compared to the fate of the Endurance, Shackleton's ship (described in his book "South"), which was trapped in the Antarctic ice and crushed, more that 17 years after Nansen's memoir was published.

Nansen's great success with sled dogs and sled designs published in the original memoir in 1897 adds credence to the relatively recent indictment (see Huntford) of the English Explorer Robert Scott who still disregarded the intense use of sled dogs in his 1910-12 Antarctic effort to reach the South Pole. Scott and four others basically die because of his ignorance/misunderstanding of the value of sled dogs, 15 years after Nansen details his successes with them on this expedition.

Fridtjof Nansen's writing style is clear, interesting, and very engaging. He was obviously a first-rate, experienced explorer (having crossed lower Greenland in 1888) and yet, at the same time, someone who recognized that there is something special going on around him. He documents-via journal entries-his daily observations and feelings about the physical conditions, the people, and even the sled dogs born during the adventure. There are records of supplies, food, ocean depths, temperatures, drift direction and distances, wind speed, ice thickness, bear attacks, a fantastic two-person trek by dog sled, and beautiful and sometimes emotional details of the aurora borealis. The original two volume set includes photographs and drawings made from photographs taken on the trip. Also a fine set of maps clearly showed the route of the expedition. Some of these must be included in the Modern Library's abridged version.

In comparison to the dry, guarded writing styles of Cherry-Garrard's "The Worst Journey in the World" or Shackleton's "South" this book is easier to read even though it too describes many terrifying situations and yet wonderful, hard-won successes. Nansen was just a better writer with more descriptive writing under his belt and possibly better initial plans for the book that would be produced from his experiences.

This book is a must for readers interested in polar exploration. Period.

I will only state briefly, that I have an abiding interest inarctic exploration and I find that this edition, while very useful,does not do justice to the 1897 original in that the many engravings and esp the color prints are missing. One must purchase a used book to get the whole flavor of the original.

Modern exploration really began with Fridtjof Nansen and his Norwegian Polar Expedition. All who came after him benefited immensely from his experience. The primary characteristic that distinguished Nansen from most other explorers was that he approached all aspects of expedition planning with scientific precision. He started by reading accounts of previous expeditions in order to learn from the experiences of his predecessors. Nansen remarked in his diary that, to his surprise, most of the problems confronting him already had been addressed and, in many instances, solved by previous explorers: wear appropriate clothing, pay special attention to the food, select crew members who can get along, then keep them busy and entertained. In my book, Bold Endeavors: Lessons From Polar and Space Exploration, I suggest the Norwegian Polar Expedition as a model for modern space explorers. Nansen's systematic simulation, testing, and evaluation of every item of equipment and his meticulous attention to every detail and possible contingency set him apart from all previous and most subsequent explorers. But, most important, Nansen recognized that the physical and psychological well-being of his crew could make the difference between success and failure. Accordingly, he provided a well-designed habitat, insightful procedures, and exceptional leadership to a qualified and compatible crew. Roald Amundsen, the most successful of all explorers, wrote that, "The human factor is three quarters of any expedition." Before Amund-sen, Nansen knew that human factors were the critical components of any expedition; in Nansen's words, "It is the man that matters."

I share the wonder of others at Nansen's achievements in advancing the art of arctic exploration many important steps forward. This pioneer recognized that the "North Pole" was neither frozen land nor solid ice but rather, slowly moving ice. Nansen designed his ship the "Fram" to not only withstand the movement of ice but to use it to his advantage. He planned for several years of drift in arctic ice with no hope of rescue if things went badly. Before his voyage, he was dismissed (as other explorers before him) as a reckless nut case. On the trip, he occupied his crew with scientific study, ship maintenance, and occasional celebrations and treats. Nansen grew impatient with his plan, left the Fram to the care of his crew, and journeyed with one other crew member on a double-dogsled slog for the Pole. The two men mushed until blocked (300 miles from the Pole); heading home, they got lost when their watches stopped and they could no longer orient themselves on the map, GPS being unavailable at the time ;-). The two groups of explorers simultaneously arrived home by separate eventful journeys. This is a remarkable story of successes and misses.

"Farthest North" combines Nansen's post-trip narratives of events with many verbatim daily journal entries. These passages, as in most diaries, are understandably highly repetitive and at times lack focus. (It's easy enough to skim until finding something more engaging.) I found Nansen's descriptions of the polar darkness lasting many weeks each winter and its effects on morale particularly compelling. Also well recounted was the nerve-wracking grinding and pressure of the ice upon the "Fram" with the underlying danger of shipwreck in the Arctic. I was also moved by Nansen's bitter frustrations at the forward-then-back progress north and at his exhaustion trying to move dog sleds across uneven tundra. The map of the journey is hard to read or to match with the text, unfortunately. Conversely, the trip's black and white photos that match faces to names add much to the book. This edition of "Farthest North" was abridged from an original two-volume set. I for one did not, however, want more text to read and would have appreciated additional editing. Even abridged and even as an historical document, this remains a very long book.

One caution not mentioned in other reviews here to date: attitudes of Nansen towards wilderness and wildlife will likely bother some readers. Nansen's view of an animal could be characterized as, "Shoot it... unless it's a sled dog we need... at the moment." Polar bears (including cubs), whales, fish, walrus, seals, birds, as well as non-wild sled dogs and puppies are killed frequently, every few pages on average, and without guilt (with the exception of a few favorite sled dogs whose demise did bother Nansen). One can rationalize a need for hunting because this well-stocked crew had to find additional food in a place where it couldn't be grown. But at other times, the killing seemed for diversion or because, in the case of the dogs, supplies were running short, and a faithful but hungry sled dog had one final service to perform for its comrades or master. In August 1894, Nansen noted with wonder and delight that he'd finally seen three "rare and mysterious" Arctic Ross' gulls, a species he'd been searching for. With no expression of irony balancing his happiness at his sighting, he gunned each one down, apparently ensuring that the species would be even more rarely observed in the future. These small birds, the size of snipe, would have had little food value. To readers who are sensitive to graphic descriptions of hunting that in today's culture may seem senseless, or to raw exploitation of animals for human needs, this book may be hard to take. Dog-training techniques are also notably unenlightened. One also misses crew attention to any need to carry out what was carried in to the wilderness. But these are objections in the context of current environmentalist values towards animals and wilderness-- values that have only come into prominence in recent years. The essential point to remember is that "Farthest North" reflects the attitudes of the era in which it was written and of the people who participated in this historic venture. As such, it offers a point-of-view and a look at cultural values of the 1890s that could not be matched by a modern third-person account of the trip. "Farthest North" is not the way we would choose to travel there now. To readers who can keep this perspective in mind, and can in fact appreciate the contrast and change in attitude towards wild places over the last century, the book is a journey they will be glad they made.

I thought I was well educated, but just learned of this Norwegian scientist, explorer, statesman, and wonder why we Americans never learned about him in school. What a wonderful story of his attempt to reach the North Pole! As I am of Swedish descent I understand his understating his accomplishments. He doesn't see it as that unusual. It was just something he wanted to do and he planned it out carefully. This book should be required reading in our schools.

If you are a fan of Arctic and Antarctic adventure stories then this is one you don't want to miss. The great explorer Fridtjof Nansen left Norway in 1893 on the Fram, a ship especially designed to withstand the pressure of the frozen northern sea. Nansen's intention was to drift, locked in the ice, to the North Pole. Eventually, he determines that his theory of drifting to his destination will not be possible, so he and another crewman leave the ship and continue towards the Pole by dogsled. The Fram continues drifting in the ice and Nansen and his partner have no hope of returning to the ship. The story unfolds over a period of three years and you can't turn the pages fast enough to find out what happens to Nansen and the crew of the Fram.

Carney was right! this was such an interesting book! Written in the 1890s, you'd never know it, it is easy to read and understand...even as it was translated from Norwegian! Nansen was an absolutely amazing guy and when you consider what it was he was attempting, it is incredible and I am looking forward to reading his biography to learn more about my new hero.

This is not a typical tale a 19th century Polar exploration. Unlike the British and Americans who went head first into the Arctic, Nansen studied what went wrong before and acted accordingly.

The Fram drifted as plan, no one died from scurvy or cold, they did not eat each other. The leader, well prepared, was listened to and respected. He was so well prepared that, in fact, on board the Fram, Nansen complained about the inactivity of the whole expedition, limited as they were by the confine of their ship.

Once Nansen and Johansen left the Fram by sledge, they had a harder time but nothing cruel or harrowing. Nansen provides us with numerous details of his sledge journey north, details about what he saw, what he observed, what he felt. He is honest enough to sometimes point out that he did not exactly know where he was.

Once you read Farthest North, you'll find that Robert Peary (especially) and Frederick A Cook own tales of North Pole exploration lacked details and authenticity.

Nansen has set the "modern way" of Polar travel. Those (like Roal Amundsen) who listened to him where bound to succed, and those (like RF Scott) who sticked to the old ways where bound to die.

Skip the preparation section unless you are really interested in how many tons of coal or potatoes Nansen took along. Skip the final section by Sverdrup on his return from the ice unless you have trouble sleeping at night. The only part really worth reading is the tale of Nansen and his partner 'walking' home (close to home anyway) over the ice. Nansen wrote this from the comfort of his home but still has a casual attitude to this amazing 'walk'.

Farthest North is a great read for lovers of arctic exploration novels of the 18th and early 19th centuries. Nansen became a national hero when he returned home, and to fulfill high demand for their story he wrote this book quickly; so it is not highly polished and at points can get repetitious. However, Nansen is a good writer, and he's able to convey a sense of what it must feel like to be in uncharted Arctic territory; plus the story reads fresh, as if Nansen wrote it while still on the Fram. Nansen explains his thought process behind the Fram's design and the decisions he made during their journey, which some readers might not like, but which conveyed to me a sense of Nansen the person. Because Nansen, the Fram, and its highly qualified crew were so very well prepared to undertake their journey, Nansen's expedition avoided a lot of the misfortunes and health problems that struck other Arctic explorers; therefore, this book is not for readers looking for an Arctic tale replete with mortal terror, but instead it provides an interesting contrast to those other explorer's experiences.
Farthest North was written in two volumes, and unfortunately this Kindle edition ONLY CONTAINS VOLUME ONE, which leaves off before Nansen leaves the icebound Fram and sets out towards the North Pole. I had already found a free edition of Farthest North volume one, and after reading that version I bought this Amazon Kindle edition because I mistakenly thought that it contained both volumes one and two. However, this edition DOES INCLUDE NANSEN'S ILLUSTRATIONS that are missing from the free edition; therefore, I feel it is well worth paying the $0.99 Amazon price instead of downloading the free edition.