Customer Reviews

Nansen

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Roland Huntford is, without a doubt, one of our greatest biographers on Polar explorers. His writings on Scott, Amundsen and Shackleton are among the very best. It is no less the case in NANSEN In this story of a very unusual, complex and troubled man, Huntford pictures Nansen as he really was, not some trumped up hero of his own making. Nansen was not a great leader of men, nor was he easy to be around. Yet, he had incredible drive and determination in all he did. His scientific research in his early days was ahead of its time and sadly, much of what he accomplished he was never given credit for. When he turned his life to Arctic pursuits, his drive was no less intense, as he perfected the art of Cross country skiing, was the first to cross Greenland and eventually ended up on one of the greatest epics of our time with his quest for the North Pole. Nansen's own account of the North Pole adventure was his book "Farthest North". Huntford, in his biography, covers this story in depth, drawing from Nansen's diaries as well as those of the other men involved. The result is that we have a deeper insight into what really happened rather than just relying on Nansen's own account. Whatever the case, this adventure was one of the most remarkable of all polar explorations and this alone is worth reading.
The story of Nansen's life after this great episode, seems to bog down a bit. Nansen lived off his North Pole quest which made him a household name worldwide. This result was to put him into the political world in a way he never dreamed. Throughout the remainder of his life one has the feeling he really wanted to be exporing again and just get away from people and fame. He was a troubled and often unhappy man. Nonetheless, he certainly deserves his place as the father of Polar Exploration and many of those who followed owe much to him. An interesting story well worth the time.

I am familiar with seven Nansen biographies and Huntford's is the most comprehensive, realistic and detailed. I believe that every thinking adult should learn something about Fridtjof Nansen, largely because his way of solving problems would help us to face our uncertain future. Huntford's book is impressive. It emphasizes exploration, which should make mass-audience readers happy, but does so at the expense of Nansen's other accomplishments. In particular, Nansen's overwhelmingly important role in orchestrating the transition of oceanography from a descriptive enterprise resembling exploration to part of true science is underdone.

Many readers will find a 610-page book too big to digest. Others might find the many references to Nansen's personal life too intrusive or deflating.

Compelling, balanced, well written and complete story of the original Norweigan explorer.As a Canuck guy I was brought up during the 1950s on the Scott/Shacklteton expeditions.That was a study of death, loss, miscommunication, misdirection, misappropriation frustration and incomprehensibly bad luck.

Nansen's life was a study of intelligent scientific observation application, preparation and a dose of what has to be insanely good luck was a joy to read from cover to cover.The fact that I have never heard of his life or work before tells a great deal about my native land,which calls itself an Arctic based country.

As one has learned to expect from Huntford, a magnificent, exhaustively researched and wonderfully written account of the life of the great explorer and mediocre politician. Highly recommended, as are his biographies of Amundsen / Scott and Shackleton. Lives and times rarely get any livelier and timelier than this.

An amazing biography that reads like great fiction. Nansen was almost superhuman: a father of modern neurology, modern skiing, modern polar exploration and later an iconic and internationally respected humanitarian. Well-researched and even-handed, Nansen comes alive through this book. Nansen

Our book club, all ladies over 60, loved this book. It is a wonderful subject for discussion - Nansen himself, his adventures,his heroics, his accomplishments and Huntford's amazing writing makes for a great read whether or not you are
Norwegian.