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The story of one of the greatest epic journeys of all time. January 18, 1912: Captain Robert Falcon Scott's expedition reaches the South Pole. Just a few weeks later, trapped in one of the worst blizzards Antarctica has ever known, Scott and his four companions perish in subzero temperatures. How did the icy conditions overwhelm Scott, Captain Oates and their party on the fateful return journey? Both experienced explorers, neither Scott or Oates were prepared for the disappointment of losing their polar race against Norwegian Roald Amundsen. Nor could they have known that the accretion of a few small mistakes would ultimately cost them their lives. The story of Scott and Oates, their incredible journey and their tragic final days, combines ambition, national pride and the kind of bravery and dignity most men can only dream of. It is one of the most captivating and endlessly fascinating tales from the Golden Age of Exploration.… (more)
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This novel is based on Robert Falcon Scott's attempts be the first man to reach the South Pole. His initial attempt in 1901 on the
Over the last century Scott has achieved immortality but whereas once he was regarded as a hero his reputation has taken something of a knock with people questioning his competence. It is pretty obvious that Scott's second expedition was desperately underfunded and in many respects it is only his drive and determination that it got as far as it did. Ryan is relatively even-handed in his portrayal of the man, sitting on the fence and taking neither side of the argument. Yes Scott is certainly flawed, made some wrong choices, some of his own making but also because some of his companions were less honest with him than they should have been, but he is also a victim of some very bad luck.
Ryan tells the story chiefly from three points of view, Scott's, Ernest Shackleton's and Lawrence Oates who also died on the ill-fated second expedition thus he manages to avoid the trap of over lionising all those who travelled South. This IMHO means that the story, although obviously some thing of a boy's own adventure, appears that realistic and credible. It is also a largely compelling tale and the author's depiction of the terrible privations that the polar explorers are very atmospheric meaning that at times I struggled to put the book down. It's apparent that Ryan has done his research but it must be remembered that this is meant as a novel rather than a biography.
Unfortunately what lets the book down is when it moves away from the central story to Scott's widow Kathleen. Whilst I understand that the author is trying to portray her as being as ambitious as her husband I feel that she comes out very flat and one dimensional. The author is obviously much better at writing about men than women. Overall a good read that may tempt the reader to learn more about Scott and his companions.
"Amundsen won the Pole. But,Scott, he achieved immortality."
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823.92 |