Customer Reviews

I am just going outside: Captain Oates - Antarctic tragedy

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This book is disappointing mainly as it draws many conclusions not based on fact, but by the author's supposition - in a court of law it would be called hearsay, but in writing its called sensationalism. The book starts off well giving a good account of Oates' early life, his dominating mother and his action in the Boer War. Once it gets into the part of his life where he joins Robert Falcon Scott's expedition to Antarctica, the author overdoes the Scott vs Oates story. Many of his opinions about the relationship between the two are just that - personal opinions with no conclusive evidence to support them. A caption under a photo of the men in the Terra Nova wardroom hints that Scott is staring at Oates' with a look of derision in his eyes - how the author can tell where Scott's eyes are focused is beyond me. It's such an old photo his eyes could be looking anywhere. There are many other factual concerns such as this which really gives the book a feeling that author has something against everyone but Oates. I think the author wants us to believe there is a serious rift between Scott and Oates only because he believes there is one. Many of the comments from the men's diaries are taken out of context and used to make a point where further elaboration might have shown the truth.

The book is riddled with spelling and grammar mistakes, and even Amundsen's name is spelt wrong on the back cover.

It may be a good book on Oates' early life, but take the second half with a grain of salt - in fact a large pinch would be better (and add some pemmican). Oates, Scott and the rest of the men deserve better. No wonder there was very little assistance from the Oates family in producing the book.

Captain Oates is know for having got out of the tent to his death in order to give his friends a chance of survival. But Laurie Oates is so much more than that. Learn about his relation with his controlling mother, his brush with death in South Africa, how he viewed Captain Scott...It's all in there.

I took 3 days to read the book, just coudn't put it down.