Customer Reviews

Journals: Scott's Last Expedition (Oxford World's Classics)

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Lady Scott and others heavily edited the journals in order to remove all hints of incompetence, as well as the mean-spirited comments about his men, Shackleton, Amundson, and others. Beware that the source of this book appears to be the heavily edited printing, not the original journals.

The authoritive reference for what happened on Scott's polar journey - since it was written by the man himself. Don't be put off by the appalling introduction by Bainbridge (which ruins the story if you don't know all the details since it is just a brief summary of the rest of the book - just skip it!). I wouldn't recommend reading this first (try Scott by Elspeth Huxley as an intro) but for historical interest if you get into the history of the antarctic this is a must. The actual description of the southern journey only makes up the final section of the book, most of it is concerned with the depot laying and over wintering parts of the expedition. As such most of the book is mostly concerned with the details of preparing for the journey and hence probably won't appeal as a general introduction to Scott's last expedition.

We had taken a trip to Antarctica on which lecturers referred often to Robert Scott. When we returned and I got this book, it became a reading experience like no other. Since everyone knows he and his men die at the end, that was not a surprise. The surprise was learning through the pages what would be the deciding factors that would ultimately cause their return to fail. Since I read thirty minutes a day, the unfolding drama read like a postcard from Scott to a sister or aunt telling events as they happened. Because it is a diary and includes the thoughts of a person, I came to know him like a friend. The book taught me how difficult it is to endure the challenges of Antarctica on a long term basis. It was an extraordinary experience with a book which I will always remember. May many others read this book and marvel at the character, motivation, determination and greatness of an amazing man.

While the story is known to most armchair explorers, nothing beats the saga right from the horse's mouth. Yes, the journal does drag in places, but so do long days of waiting in the Antarctic. It makes us impatient and edgy, wondering if the storms will ever end or what equipment will break next. Knowing the climax detracts nothing from how they got there--or didn't. This and Shackleton's own story really have to be read if one enjoys this kind of tale.

For anyone interested in the history of the Antarctic, these journals are essential reading. Dolores Geisler's Review here on Amazon beautifully captures the appeal of these fundamental documents and the character of the men involved. And, of course, there are many other excellent sources on not only the Scott expedition, but the Amundsen's side of the race to pole as well.

One of my greatest travel experiences was a tour of the Shetland Islands, a short visit to the continent itself, South Georgia and the Falklands. Scott, Amundsen and Shackleton filled the lectures, those three and dozens of others who explored Antarctica. Of all of these, Scott's wonderful prose endures:

"We took risks, we knew we took them; things have come out against us, and therefore we have no cause for complaint, but bow to the will of Providence, determined still to do our best to the last [...] Had we lived, I should have had a tale to tell of the hardihood, endurance, and courage of my companions which would have stirred the heart of every Englishman. These rough notes and our dead bodies must tell the tale, but surely, surely, a great rich country like ours will see that those who are dependent on us are properly provided for."

This is a book to savor, to read in small bits of time, perhaps over a month or so. It is incredibly detailed, but its great strength is how it builds to its dramatic climax in small, incremental steps. There are much shorter versions of these events, including some of the greatest books of exploration like The Worst Journey in the World: With Scott in Antarctica 1910-1913 by Apsley Cherry-Garrard. Look to books like those for the big picture. But if you have the time to spend exploring the details of a great expedition, choose this volume.

To whet your appetite for the area, The American Museum of Natural History, along with French and Canadian museums, have produced an exhibit about the two separate 1800 mile journeysof Norwegian Roald Amundsen and Brit Robert Falcon Scott to the South Pole.

The web exhibit has many different multimedia features, including an"Interactive Map", along with "Other Interactives" that includes a picture of Captain Robert Scott's rather luxurious hut that contains a leather briefcase containing the works of Shakespeare and Sherlock Holmes.

The Norwegians Under the Ice interactive shows them in their ice shelters, andone ice shelter even included a sauna.

Each of the interactives have blue dots on objects in the photos that, when clicked, show the object in detail. The "Gallery" link has photos featuring, among other things, "equipment", "wildlife", "landscapes" and "points of interest". The "wildlife" gallery has many photos of different penguin species, but the most stunning photos are number 33 (a jellyfish under the Ross Sea ice) and number 52, which provides an aerial view of four killer whales.

The link to the website is in the first Comment, as is the information quoted here on the exhibit.

Robert C. Ross 2010

Having read Beryl Bainbridge's "The Birthday Boys" first, I was curious to read the actual journals by the leader of this ill-fated expedtion to the South Pole. Yes, the diary format can be monotonous, but in a certain way it also serves to drive home the daily -- sometimes hourly -- struggles against every possible obstacle, from weather to poor planning to inappropriate equipment and animals to short rations to frozen oil. Scott strikes me as one of that vanished breed of Englishmen whose likenesses hang in the National Portrait Gallery who undertook all sorts of adventures in the name of science and exploration at the turn of the century and attempted to claim various "firsts" for the crown and greater glory of God and country. Wrongheaded though he may have been, this book really gripped me. When Scott and his disappointed, starving and sick companions freeze to death only miles from their last camp, it is truly tragic. Perhaps the factual nature of his journals makes the fate of this expedition even more poignant. The image of these men in their tent has been with me for several days now so the writing and the story clearly get to one. Amundsen wrote somewhere that Scott would be more remembered for what befell him that he himself would be for getting to the South Pole first. in fact, he was right.

I first read "The Worst Journey in the World", by Apsley Cherry-Garrard, a member of the 1910-1913 expedition, the most eloquent, lyrical, account of the various excursions of the Scott 1910 Expedition. Then, I read "Scott of the Antarctic" by Elspeth Huxley, who deified Scott and trashed Shackleton. I read Charles "Silas" Wright's Memoir and Diary, superbly edited and illustrated by his daughter, and I read "The Norwegian with Scott--Tryggve Gran's Antarctic Diary 1910-1913," translated by his daughter. All were excellent. Then, I started "Scott's Last Expedition--The Journals". The supreme disappointment: if you don't lose interest in the latitude/longitude references, you will go nearly mad at the ridiculously fraternizing descriptions of life in the Cape Evans Hut: no one just does anything; they do it "amazingly fine", "wonderfully fine", "with indefatigable strength and fortitude." Nobody is but the nth wonderful, extraordinary character, and we are told so until we are sick in the head way before abour page 250. Then, things get thick out on the glacier, and we go from the "Hail, fellow, well met", to a continuous whining, and I paraphrase the crying for weeks: it's too cold, it's too wet, it's too windy, it's too dry, --my god, it's too hot, not enough wind, until you wonder what could satisfy this fellow other than tropical air in Antarctica. I paraphrase an insightful comment by, I think, a screenwriter of the BBC series, when the Norwegian (I think), comments that anyone who comes to Antarctica and whines about the weather is unfit to lead. You have to agree. Still, one has to recognize and acknowledge Scott's strength of character in other ways, and when "we", who have read the diary, lose him at the end of the book, it truly is like losing a friend.

You have to give credit when credit is due. Even if Robert Falcon Scott made tons of errors while leading the Terra Nova expedition to Antarctica, even if those errors resulted in human loss, boy, what an extraordinary, marvelous writer he was.

After reading tons of adventure and exploration books, you tend to appreciate real talent when you encounter it.
Robert Falcon Scott was a GREAT writer. This book is about the brutal expedition Scott lead to be the first human being at the South Pole. By now, I guess you all know he came in second to Roal Amundsen by mere weeks, and gave up his life (along with those of his 4 comrades) while trying to get back to Cape Evans.

What those poor, frozen, starving and sick human being went through is simply horrific. And Scott's writing more than draw a clear picture of what they experienced.

I suggest you read Scott's journals first. Then, if you really want to know WHY they died, you can pick up "The last place on earth" by Roland Huntford, which is another masterpiece in it's own right.

Scott's book is one of the most poignant work of litterature you can pick up.

Why read this version, which has been heavily edited by multiple hands, when the original is now available, in the form of Huntford's Race for the South Pole: The Expedition Diaries of Scott and Amundsen? Though I would suggest skipping Huntfords commentary and just reading the diaries, for the first reading at least. Like so many in this controversy, Huntford has become a zealot and a bit hard to take.

BTW, there is a terrific amount of primary source Scott material on the net now, free for the taking, including the original SCOTT"S LAST EXPEDITION complete with nice period typesetting and original photos, no need to read third hand rehashes like this book.

Whether these journals were edited or not is of small importance in the face of the challenge that these men attempted. Scarce few in this day could brave the monotony, much less the lack of conveniences and having to survive by their wits in an unforgiving environment. By the end, I felt as if I knew these men and I felt the loss as they weakened and succumbed to the ravages that nature wrought.