Customer Reviews

The Great White South: Traveling with Robert F. Scott's Doomed South Pole Expedition

5 star:		(2)
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Ponting's book is an absolute must for anyone interested in Scott's Last Expedition. His narrative is witty and engaging throughout, whether it be concerned with his fellow travellers and their experiences, or related to the native wildlife - his chapters on seals and penguins are a particular delight.

The only downside to this edition is that the publishers unaccountably saw fit to provide a platform for another of Roland Huntford's incredibly tiresome and bitter rants about Captain Scott himself, by inviting him to contribute an unworthy, though mercifully short, introduction. Huntford's by now largely discredited iconoclasm despoils some of the dignity and freshness of Ponting's own work. Just ignore it and enjoy Ponting himself.

A friend gave me an original copy of this book. He found the book in a family members garage. After reading a few pages I was "lost in the past." Ponting's wit along with his colorful description of the Expeditions participants make this a must read book. The day to day descriptions of these men's lives in harsh conditions; howling wind storms with sub zero temperatures. The tragedy at the end is a reminder of our fragile existence in this harsh environment. As Ponting says, "these are what real men are made of." Sadly, not many of our current role models live up to these past men's contributions to society.