With Nansen In The North: A Record of the Fram Expedition in 1893-96

by Hjalmar Johansen, H. L. Braekstad (Translator)

Fredrik Hjalmar Johansen (1867–1913) was a Norwegian Polar explorer. He accompanied Nansen on the Fram Expedition of 1893–6 and took part in a number of explorations of the Svalbard archipelago. He later participated in Roald Amundsen's expedition to the South Pole in 1910–12, although he was written out of the official history following a bitter dispute with Amundsen. Johansen's account of Nansen's Fram Expedition appeared in Norwegian in 1898, and this English translation was published the following year. It describes Nansen's attempt to drift north in a deliberately ice-bound ship and then ski to the North Pole, and reveals the dangers and challenges faced by the crew during their three-year journey. Although they did not reach the Pole, they set a new furthest-north record that stood for several years. Nansen's own account of the expedition, Farthest North, is also available as part of the Cambridge Library Collection.

Genres: Nonfiction

394 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1898

About the author

Fredrik Hjalmar Johansen was a polar explorer from Norway. He shipped out with Fridtjof Nansen's Fram expedition in 1893–1896, and accompanied Nansen to notch a new Farthest North record near the North Pole on what was then the frozen Arctic Ocean. Johansen also participated in the expedition of Roald Amundsen to the South Pole in 1910–1912.

Reviews

[J_BlueFlower · Rating 4 out of 5]

Notice this book is freely available from several sources:

English translation here:
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...

In Norwegian:
Selv-anden paa 86°14' (The first edition)
https://www.nb.no/items/f3a69337a9cc3...

Med Nansen på 86°14' (The third edition)
https://www.nb.no/items/f6ff31b3b002e...

I liked Fridtjof Nansen’s book better. I liked getting the scientific details, but if you are here for the action, ice and polar bears only Hjalmar Johansen’s book may be the one to pick up, since it is much shorter.

One interesting detail in Johansen's book is how the polar bears react. Nansen and Johansen very often see polar bears as they are attracted by the smell. Nansen and Johansen hunt them for meat, but the bears are easily frightened and start running. Only once are they attacked by a bear. One day Johansen shoots at bear and runs after it:

“.... I discovered the bear some distance off, over by the glen, with heavy traces of blood behind it. I had only one more cartridge left in the gun after I had fired the shot, and with this I set off after the bear, which increased its speed when it noticed it was pursued.”

It seems to me that those bears back then are not nearly as aggressive as the modern polar bears. Starvation?

This book can easily be read like a good fiction novel. For a non-professional writer Hjalmar Johansen does an excellent job. I have now read both Fridtjof Nansen, Hjalmar Johansen and Bernhard Nordahl’s books. It is surprising that out of 13 people three of them were so good writers.