Race to The End: Amundsen, Scott, and the Attainment of the South Pole [Hardcover]

Ross D. E. MacPhee (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 4, 2010

In connection with the world-famous American Museum of Natural History: the gripping true story of the race to the South Pole

 

A beautifully told, impeccably researched, and stunningly illustrated account of the arduous quest for social advancement, scientific knowledge, recognition, and pride.

A century ago, England's Robert Falcon Scott and Norway’s Roald Amundsen— two explorers with vastly different visions—set out separately for the South Pole.  The race between these “ideal antagonists” resulted in grand heroism, bitter tragedy, and the birth and perpetuation of myths that have lingered for generations.

Race to the End takes readers along on each team's trek to Antarctica, and farther to the South Pole—a journey through Earth’s harshest, most unforgiving terrain. MacPhee's piercing insight and keen storytelling illuminates not only the natural, biological, and scientific detail, but also the human and emotional motivation. He helps answer the philosophical question asked of every person who undertakes a dangerous and epic exploration:  why did he do it? 

These highly illustrated pages feature diary entries; letters from members of the exploration; drawings, paintings, and photographs of the landscape, living quarters, equipment, and methods of transport; as well as never-before-published images of the last items discovered with Scott and his four mates who perished upon their return from the pole mere miles from the warmth and safety of their base camp.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

MacPhee is the curator of an exhibit running May 2010–January 2011 at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City about the geographic and scientific exploration of Antarctica; his volume chronicles the continent’s two most celebrated pioneers. Drawing from and synthesizing the literature about Roald Amundsen and Robert Scott and their epic treks to the South Pole a century ago, MacPhee wends his text around a profusion of imagery that should excite both the novice and veteran reader of polar exploration. Photographs from both leaders’ expeditions and present-day studio poses of artifacts enrich MacPhee’s factual rendering of events and, in the case of Scott, his restrained comments on the reasons for Scott’s and his men’s expiration on their return from the pole. If many of Scott’s decisions were questionable, few then and only the churlish since question the heroism that attaches to his fate. An attractive package, this title will answer immediate requests and might provoke deeper interest in MacPhee’s classic sources, such as Amundsen’s South Pole (1912) and Apsley Cherry-Garrard’s Worst Journey in the World (1937). --Gilbert Taylor

Review

To accompany his American Museum of Natural History (AMNH exhibit, Race to the end of the Earth, open May 29 through January 2, 2011, MacPhee (curator, Division of Vertebrate Zoology, AMNH; Primates and Their Relatives in Phylogenetic Perspective) presents Robert Falcon Scott (for the UK) and Norwegian Roald Amundsen’s act to claim first arrival at the South Pole for his nation. Each explorer’s story has been told often before, dissected, and minutely examined owing to the tragedy that befell Scott and his crew on their return trip from the Pole, which Amundsen had reached first. What makes this volume special are the scores of pictures that bring both Scott’s and Amundsen’s stories to life, including heretofore unseen images of Scott’s last camp, an important contribution to polar literature, as well as excellent reproduction of diaries, the British Antarctic Expedition’s newspaper, the South Polar Times, and images of all the important individuals whose fate is inextricably tied to this quest. Race also includes fabulous panoramas taken from a February 22, 1913, edition of The Sphere, which commemorated Scott’s expedition. Gatefolds showing the two expedition routes to the pole are included. VERDICT: Such a cool book; the juxtaposition of these two polar expeditions in photographic detail makes Race a welcome addition to Antarctic literature and a must for adventure, polar, and exploration collections. Highly recommended. -- Library Journal

Product Details

• Hardcover: 286 pages
• Publisher: Sterling Innovation (May 4, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1402770294
• ISBN-13: 978-1402770296
• Product Dimensions: 1.2 x 9.2 x 9.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #64,208 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #13 in Books > History > Australia & Oceania > Polar Regions

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Priceless, May 5, 2010

By 

Marc Ranger "Baseball fan" (québec, canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Race to The End: Amundsen, Scott, and the Attainment of the South Pole (Hardcover)

Just got the book on publication date (4th May, 2010). I coudn't wait to get my eyes on it, being a student of Antarctic's Heroic era.

I was not dissapointed. Great, powerful work. There are many priceless pictures, never before printed or published for the general public. One set of photographs shows the Scott polar party at the south pole. No words can describe the horror of those photographs. Scott appears more defeated and beat than on the classic South Pole shot where Birdie Bower pulled the string.

Two pictures are particularly disturbing. One shows Uncle Bill Wilson in a very odd manner, surely he is not doing what he appears to be doing. Another shows Titus Oates in the process of dissapearing...Another pictures the same Oates, sitting on the cold snow, utterly defeated, beat, lost, suffering beyond imagining and hopeless.

One other picture shows Amundsen, Shackelton and Robert Peary in New-York, posing for posterity around a globe.

Two IMMORTALS GIANTS and a brutal, immoral and remorseless faker.

For the pictures alone, this book is pure gold.

That book is an absolute must for everybody interested in Antarctica exploration.

A treasure.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I rarely rate things five stars, January 5, 2011

By 

L. Nathanson "WWII Buff" (USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Race to The End: Amundsen, Scott, and the Attainment of the South Pole (Hardcover)

I was looking for a solid book to better understand the story of Amundsen and Scott. As this was the lastest book published I thought I would give it a try. I actually did not realize it's a small "coffee table" book (about 9x9) with lots of charts and pictures scattered throughout, and was at first thinking this was going to be a bit of a light, teen book or something. However it's an excellent, very well written book, interesting from start to finish.

I ended up appreciated the pictures, drawing and charts scattered throughout the book. They add insight and in many cases bring you closer to the story and the people involved. This is truly a history lesson and exciting story rolled into one. I really appreciated how balance he was in looking at Scott and Amundsen, not taking sides as many books have. He did state his opinion, but in a very logical, well-thought out way that made you feel he really understood these two men - at least as well anyone could almost 100 years later. He really did his homework.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Objective observation of Scott and Amundsens antarctic explorations, September 18, 2010

By 

T. Stone (Windermere, FL USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Race to The End: Amundsen, Scott, and the Attainment of the South Pole (Hardcover)

I have beeb reading various books of polar explorations since childhood. Having recently read South Pole by Amundsen, and The Worst Journey in the World by Cherry-Garrard, I was quite impressed by the objective view this author projected. It is very difficult to imagine what circumstances both explolers had to contend with as well as securing the financing of exploration, it is hard to transcend today's environment and go back to 1910-1912. The photos included provided a view of how cumbersome some of the instruments, wears were compared to today's technology. It was a wonderfully written account of both explorations. I am partial to Amundsen's approach, planning, very thorough and comprehensive, and I am sure that contributed to his winning the competition and more importantly, bringing every member back to the safety of civilizations in the end. Well documente book.