Customer Reviews

The Worst Journey in the World (Penguin Classics)

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Apsley Cherry-Garrard was only 24 when he set out on Scott's ill-fated Terra Nova expedition. He was the youngest member of the group and, for my money, the best qualified for the later task of writing the complete story. Why? The Worst Journey in the World is an awe-inspiring adventure, told in such a way that you feel the young man's wide-eyed wonder as your own.

Very few novels have gripped and excited me as this book has, and far fewer nonfiction works. Cherry--as his friends called him--writes with a vigor and attention to detail and drama usually reserved for thrillers. The blizzards, storms at sea, killer whale attacks, sub-zero temperatures, and exhausting struggles with sled dogs, ponies, and yawning crevasses are vividly depicted. By the end of the book, you almost feel as though you've been on the journey with him. The "you are there" phenomenon is something I encounter very seldom in a book. This book actually managed to make me cold.

The Worst Journey in the World is not solely devoted to the adventure and the final tragedy of finding Scott and his men frozen to death. Cherry takes time out to comment on the scientific significance of their work in Antarctica, of the need for exploration regardless of immediate results, and, in conclusion, of why Scott's return from the Pole ended so bitterly. These sections of the work put the adventure into perspective, so that not only do you experience the good and bad times with the expedition, you learn what ideals drove them and what was at stake with every piece of bad luck.

The book isn't perfect, of course. Some of the scientific information Cherry relates is, of course, now outdated. The book starts off rather slowly, and the reader must pick up and remember the names of the other expeditionary members on their own--Cherry does not list or describe the others in detail until somewhere near the middle of the book.

That said, The Worst Journey in the World is still an outstanding nonfiction adventure. Once I started this book I could read nothing else. Anyone with an interest in the Antarctic, history, or exploration in general will find this book fascinating.

Highly recommended.

In 1911-1912 the author as a young man was part of the ill fated
Robert Falcon Scott British Expedition to be the "first" at the South Pole. The larger history of that effort's limited success and the stories of the lives lost is a well told as historical fact. Within the book lies the Chapter about the author's effort with two other companions to travel in a winter journey for the purpose of observing Emperor penguins in their nesting rookeries. This is the coldest journey "on record" with howling winds at -70 degrees f under total darkness climbing between open crevasses that were endlessly deep to retrieve a few unhatched eggs for scientific research. Once you've read this author's rendition of that "worst journey" no other adventure travelog can compare. Good reading and most unforgettable.

It's been more than ten years since I read Cherry-Garrard's account of Scott's journey to Antarctica, but I can still feel the lung-searing cold and hear the hellish, monstrous wind coming out of the center of the continent into which the journey was headed. I have never read of anything more terrible than this expedition including Shackleton's truncated Antarctic nightmare and Lewis and Clark's astonishing and dangerous overland haul from St. Louis to the Pacific.

This particular expedition was one terrible misadventure after another almost from the very start when there is a storm at sea right out of the gate as the ship carrying everyone and everything from Tierra del Fuego is swamped and so much food, materiel, and livestock are lost overboard. From there the bad luck never seems to stop. The very fact that these men continued on under circumstances that would have discouraged and then defeated most human beings is almost past credibility. In particular I remember the constant breaking down of the diesel-engined snow cats, the terrible fate of the Asian ponies, the leopard seals, and the long dark impossible trip that Garrard and one other member of the expedition take in the dead of the Antarctic winter to the Emperor Penguin breeding grounds to retrieve a few precious eggs for science. In winter. In the dark. Wearing 1911 woolen clothes, eating preseved 1911 food, and using 1911 (non-)technology. It took 1911 men to do it. I cannot imagine anyone from our time doing this with that equipment. At times I simply had to stop reading and wonder just how much more hardship human beings could stand. I've never felt so physically uncomfortable, so drained and so worried (as a mere reader!) as I was ploughing through this book which was a feat (the writing of it) in itself.

This is a story about a long-vanished era where grit and determination were measured on a different scale from what we see today. An absolute must for any lover of true adventure. It truly was the worst journey in the world against which any subsequent mission of its kind - including extra-terrestrial - must be judged.

This book is the author's account of his own journey to find the Emperor penguins nesting grounds in the Antarctic winter, set into the context of Scott's final journey to the South Pole.

As should any really good book, it opened doors to new learning, as it informed about a subject about which I previously knew little, with interest level to match.

What struck me most is reading about unusual Antarctic ice melt conditons nearly 100 years ago, when human-induced 'global warming' could not have been an issue, at least so far as vehicle (and aircraft) pollution is concerned. I could be wrong, of course, but I began to see a bigger picture. That global warming is real and that polluting is bad are givens; that we can do much about the former is likely a conceit.

Also fascinating were the accounts of the nature of killer whales: Prior to this, I had assumed all killer whales were the loveable scamps shown in marine theme parks. Now? I give them a wide berth.

Apsley-Garrard's high regard for his fellow explorers and his gift for description make this book a joy to read. I only wish the editor/publisher had included (preferably inside the front or back cover) a proper map or graphic listing the place names mentioned in the text. The reader has to keep guessing, flipping or seeking out another map source to follow the journeys.

National Geographic ranks this book first on its list of the 100 greatest adventure books of all time. Also, see the DVD March of the Penguins, for the excellent 53-minute film on the making of the movie. This will give some idea of current challenges on a Winter Journey.

`The Worst Journey in the World` (1922) is often cited as a masterpiece of travel literature. It is number one on National Geographic's list of 100 all time best travel literature, and is the first title in the prestigious Picador Travel Classics series. A. Alvarez has praised its "perfect prose: lucid, vivid, bone-simple, and full of feeling." The expedition was literary from the start and the "good modern fiction" the party brought along included Thackery, Charlotte Bronte, Bulwer-Lytton and Dickens. The poetry packed to the pole on the final fateful journey was Browning and Tennyson. Authors who stirred discussions included Shaw and Wells. Authors who were friends with members of the expedition included Galsworthy and Barrie. Robert Louis Stevenson is often mentioned. Each of the chapters of the book begins with poetry fragment from Shakespeare, Browning, Huxley, etc.. even the structure of the book is literary, re-telling the same events from different perspectives, building up to the climatic discovery of the fate of Scott. Cherry himself often delights with brilliant insightful views on travel, man, the meaning of life. This is Travel "Literature" with a capital L.

Apsley Cherry-Garrad ("Cherry") was the wealthy heir of two estates who joined Scott's team as an assistant zoologist at the age of 24. He was educated at Oxford in Classics and modern history. In the tradition of the British amateur explorer he took on multiple roles, ultimately becoming the expeditions historian. He wrote Journey using the diaries of the team in the years after WWI while recovering from an illness.

From their base camp at McMurdo Sound the three-year expedition made a number of trips composed of different groups. The trip to the pole by Scott is the most famous, but there were others. The title of the book, "Worst Journey", actually refers to a 67-mile 5-week trip by three members, including Cherry, in what at the time was twice as long as any previous Antarctic journey on the open ice. It only composes about 1/8th of the books length but is probably the most remarkable. They survived -70 degree temperatures and hurricane storms with primitive gear made from leather and canvas while man-hauling multi-hundred pound sleds and living on 4000 calories or less per day of nearly vitamin-free biscuits and pemmican (considered "adequate" at the time, today twice that is usual for explorers). Cherry interlaces his narrative with allusions to Dante, The Pilgrims Progress and Walt Whitman all the while maintaining that plucky cheery Edwardian foolhardiness that would run aground in the trenches of WWI. Cherry's teeth shattered from the cold, killing the nerves.

The retelling of Scott's trip to the Pole is equally gripping, and "horrific", also living up to the books title. In later years Cherry suffered from survivors guilt and wrote `Postscript to the Worst Journey in the World` (1948) in which he severely reproaches himself for not doing more to save Scott and the party. Cherry died in 1959.

EDITIONS: Only some editions contain this Postscript. The Penguin edition does not. Officially it was re-printed in the 1951 edition, and maybe in the 1994 Picador Travel Classics edition with an Introduction by Paul Theroux (Update: probably not. See comments to this review below). It should also be noted the 1951 edition was "corrected by the author" so it probably contains other changes - these changes I think might be reflected in the Picador edition (although not sure), but for sure not in the Penguin edition which is based on the 1922 text, as most are since it is now in the public domain.

I bought this with three other adventure books awhile back. This one was consistently ranked on the top of non-fiction adventure books.

There is no doubt that the Winter Journey that the author went on with 2 others is indeed the Worst Journey in the World. However, in my opinion, I had several issues with the book that I didn't expect based on all the great reviews:

1. I found much of it boring. Many pages are dedicated to the travel on the boat and observations of animals. I understand that this was pioneering scientific work, but not what I was expecting in a adventure book. Roughly half the book is not about adventure, but scientific observations.
2. I found much of it hard to read. This was either due to specific exploration terms or maybe British words that I am not familiar with, but I had a hard time following along. There were several trips made in preparation of the Polar Journey to establish camps for the trip to and from the pole. I didn't find the author clear on which ones were being established and why. I was left wondering what just happened and why.
3. The key aspects were clear: The Winter Journey (Worst Journey in the World), the Polar Journey, and the Search Journey. This was the best part of the book. As I mentioned, this was less than half the book. However, in this part, I found the writing to be poor. I guess it's because it is more of a compilation of journals, then it is a book written by an author. Sadly, I think many of the stories were far worse in reality than the author is capable of portraying due to a lack of being a skilled author.

In all, it was undoubtedly a true tale of two horrible journeys (Winter and Polar). My complaints are in the remaining 300+ pages. This is a scientific book that would prepare you if you were to make the same trip they did. It would be very beneficial in telling you what you should take and what mistakes they made. However, reading this book today, I am not interested in this. I was looking for an adventure book. 200 of the 560 pages mostly delivered on this.

So far, Into Thin Air, is my favorite non-fiction adventure book. It has the advantage of the first person's account being that of an author who knows how to descriptively tell what happened.

Having enjoyed books on the subject of Shackleton's attempt at the South Pole, a friend suggested I check out this book concerning Scott's journey. The irony of these two stories is that Shackleton's trip (detailed very well in the book Endurance) was a failure in all regards except for the fact that he brought home every man in his group alive, whereas Scott's journey was successful at reaching the pole but then suffered multiple casualties.
The Worst Journey in the World is an amazing read, but very difficult at times. It's assumed that the reader knows a decent bit about polar expeditions as you are dumped into terminology and basic maneuvers with no explanation. I had very little knowledge of such things and found myself looking up words fairly often and rereading passages to understand what "hoosh" was or what the point of depoting supplies is. The result is that I learned a lot and eventually came to read this book on it's terms, which was highly enjoyable. However a quick crash course on polar exploration in the early 20th century wouldn't have been the worst idea before starting this read.
With all of that out of the way I have nothing left but praise. Making heavy use of the actual journals and diaries of the explorers this book gives the reader a delicious sense of immediacy. The title trip, for example, in which a three man team makes a journey in the dead of the antarctic winter to retrieve some penguin eggs for study, is one of the more gripping accounts I have ever read anywhere. Likewise, the final words and notes from Scott himself, recovered after his death, as he attempts to stumble and slog his way back from the pole during a freak blizzard are heartbreaking.
I highly recommend this book but am also compelled to give warning that it can get a bit technical at times and requires some outside knowledge for decent comprehension.

The story of an unforgettable journey. This book has details of the journeys undertaken in 1910-1912 by the men of this polar expedition. Their courage and "never give up" attitude are a testament of the type of men they were. Reading the account of their adventures from the diaries of several different men gives a more complete perspective than the diary of one man could give. Definitely an exciting book. Leaves you in awe of what they achieved with no more than they had almost 100 years ago. They were true explorers.

An adventure story just doesn't get any better than this, and what adds to the readers pleasure is that it is all true. I was fortunate enough to read this while on an Antarctic cruise. The descriptions of Antarctica and the conditions faced by this expedition are terrific. This book is about character, endurance, hope, tragedy, and ultimately, wonder and awe !

This should not be one's first read of Antarctic journeys but is a 'must read' in the broader collective of work of explorations before modern technology and clothing, media hype, and corporate sponsorship. The book is extremely well-written in a journal style. I'm not sure that the tremendous effort of man-hauling sledges, crevasse crossings and rescues, and facing -77F and gale force winds is sufficiently descriptive. Scott perished but 11 miles from supplies of oil and food and that perhaps best notes him in Antarctic exploration. His somewhat obvious poor choices in the use of motor sledges(for hauling) and ponies (for hauling and food)are underplayed because of the journal style. The early descriptions of killer whales navigating and busting through sea ice in an attempt to eat them, their ponies, and their dogs is noteworthy.