Customer Reviews

First Crossing of the Polar Sea

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A fascinating discussion of arctic exploration in a dirigible. Although only two authors are listed, other crew members included their accounts of the crossing, including that of HJ. Riiser-Larsen, who gives a fascinating and lucid discussion of the principles of navigation over the ice cap in a dirigible. Never mind that the writing is a bit awkward--English is not the first language for most of these guys.

Unfortunately, the illustrations are absolute disasters. I find it difficult to understand why any publisher (University Press of the Pacific, Honolulu) would release a publication with such shoddy reproduction of not only the photographs, but their virtually unreadable captions. The book would be improved by eliminating these pictures altogether. Most of the pictures are shadowy smudges on the pages, and do great disservice to the writings of these heroic explorers.