The North Pole [Paperback]

Robert E. Peary (Author), Robert Bryce (Introduction), Theodore Roosevelt (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 6, 2001

In April of 1909, a year after Frederick Cook claimed to have arrived at the North Pole, Robert Peary (1856-1920) announced that Cook had never reached this point and that he, Peary, was the first man to reach the pole. Peary's record of the expedition tells of the arduous conditions he and his men endured, first breaking through the ice in a ship, then traveling via dog sleds. Along the way, Peary made extensive observations on hunting wildlife such as reindeer and musk-oxen, the geographic wonders of the Pole, and the customs of the Eskimos among whom he spent much valuable time. Peary filled The North Pole with extensive data on his position and movements, information that Cook would attack when the Polar Controversy made international headlines.

Editorial Reviews

Review

This is a reprint for hot-weather readers interested in a cool controversy:whether Robert E. Peary made it to the North Pole as the title implies; or as Robert M. Bryce argues in his introduction he faked it. (Washington Post )

About the Author

Robert E. Peary was an author and celebrated Arctic explorer who lost most of his toes to frostbite while single-mindedly pursuing his goal. Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919) was the twenty-sixth President of the United States, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, and an accomplished explorer and author. Robert M. Bryce, the leading authority on the two explorers, is the author of Cook and Peary: The Polar Controversy, Resolved (0-8117-0317-7). He lives in Monrovia, Maryland, near Bethseda.

Product Details

• Paperback: 512 pages
• Publisher: Cooper Square Press (March 6, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0815411383
• ISBN-13: 978-0815411383
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,461,525 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Exciting Period in History, October 15, 2005

By 

Seachranaiche (USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The North Pole (Paperback)

The late 19th and early 20th centuries were an exiting time of exploration in which indomitable men raced to be the first to set foot upon the farthest reaches of the Earth. In this pursuit, these explorers were forced to overcome unimaginable hardships as well as the unknown, and many were lost or left buried in desolate graves of ice and snow; upon mountain tops; deep within equatorial jungles. Though many explorers took up the quest in order to achieve personal glory or financial gain, others explored for the sake of pure discovery. They learned lessons from their fallen predecessors, building upon the experiences of previous generations in order to earn success. They performed science along the way: taking measurements, classifying animals, recording observations; adding to a body of knowledge that inexorably grew with each new expedition; knowledge building upon knowledge. The public was fascinated and enthralled by these explorers, cheering on the valiant regardless of nationality; excoriating the weak or the timid or the imposters of success.

Robert E. Peary's account of his final push for the North Pole contains all of these elements. Though he certainly sought personal glory for himself, it is clear that he also explored for the sake of exploration. He was consumed by the desire to be the first to reach the North Pole; to plant his nation's flag upon that spot where "Only one direction remained and that was south." He made 8 trips into the high arctic before he found success, paying the price with failure after failure and the loss of most of his toes through frostbite. He learned from each trip, compounding his knowledge each time while incorporating the experiences of (and paying homage to) those explorers who had come before him. When he at last found success, he found controversy also: a rival claim had been made, a claim that, though ultimately considered to be fraudulent, forever cast doubt upon Peary's claim as well. Did Robert E. Peary achieve the North Pole on April 6, 1909? Many historians claim otherwise-including Robert M. Bryce, who wrote a new introduction for this edition-but Peary's success or failure hardly seems relevant today: it is the journey that should be important; the desire and the public will to explore for the sake of exploration, a public will that had evaporated before the last Apollo astronauts had returned from the moon, and a public will that has remained flaccid for three decades even though we possess the technology to return to the moon or travel beyond with human explorers who are willing to confront danger for the sake of compounding knowledge and experience.

"The North Pole" reads like the period that produced it: gruff, patriarchal, politically incorrect; but between the lines of stinging racial judgments that offend our senses today are clear and precise recollections of an era that gave us a sense of wonder. The language of only 100 years ago is salted with phrases, expressions, and idiom that seem utterly foreign yet tantalizingly familiar and refreshing in some strange way: the language of spirit and indomitable will and success.

For the thorough story of Peary and Henson, read Kirk Ward Robinson's "Founding Courage"

5.0 out of 5 stars Vintage Hardback is a Fine Book, December 8, 2010

By 

Dieter Stein - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The North Pole; Its Discovery in 1909 Under the Auspices of the Peary Arctic Club (Paperback)

The book was well written, often over-written in the matter of detail, in the exquisite prose of the day. It is not surprising however since that very attention to detail before, during and after every activity conducted by the Peary Arctic Club is the most obvious factor which contributed to the success of the entire mission.

The photos of the men, dog teams and sleighs added a clear understanding of the difficulty of the trek to the North Pole.

The most obvious omission was the lack of photos of the ship which was to carry them to, through, and home from the arctic experience.

The book contained only one photo of the ship Roosevelt -- I would liked to have seen photos of it at different stages throughout the expedition. This would have added more clarity and interest to the story.

0 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars great inroduction, February 23, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: The North Pole (Paperback)

This is a fine book with a fine introduction. Peary may have been a racist who said he took African American Matt Henson with him because he said "I did not feel called upon to share the honors that might occur with any other man", but this is still an interesting read even if Peary never actually reached the pole.