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Edward Wilson of the Antarctic
Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.
392 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1933
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
September 22, 2013
This was the first book I ever read about Scott's doomed expedition having acquired it from my college library when that institution was ruthlessly closed down with a cartloads of other teacher training colleges in 1978.
Edward Wilson was a doctor and naturalist, aeros all friend of Scott and a man who was able to remain calm and clear headed no matter what. A man of deep faith his meticulous nets and diaries make up a very significant part of the Scott canon. Loyal to the end. He died with Scott on the return home from the pole.
Edward Wilson was a doctor and naturalist, aeros all friend of Scott and a man who was able to remain calm and clear headed no matter what. A man of deep faith his meticulous nets and diaries make up a very significant part of the Scott canon. Loyal to the end. He died with Scott on the return home from the pole.
July 29, 2016
Overall, this is a good book, although it has it's limitations. George Seaver (not "Sever") clearly had no intention of writing the kind of warts-and-all biography that I think most current readers have come to expect. He clearly makes an effort to steer clear of any controversy or anything that might smack of criticism, either of Wilson or of anyone else for that matter. So you can't help but feel like you are missing out on the whole picture. This book can feel more like a tribute to than an in-depth analysis of Edward Wilson's life.
That said, Seaver clearly had full access to Wilson's diaries and papers. He quotes from these primary sources at length, which is nice. This book contains a lot of very interesting things that make it well worth reading. Just one example is a string of letters from Ernest Shackleton begging Wilson to go with him as second in command of the Nimrod expedition. The book also includes some of Wilson's illustrations - great to see. I really liked seeing the sketch-map of Cape Crozier that Wilson made when they were planning on basing the expedition from there - how different things would have been had they been able to make a landing there!
Wilson was a fascinating, amazing man. While not giving the full picture, this book does do a lot to help us understand his life.
Lastly, the introduction by Apsley Cherry-Garrard is 21 pages long. This is essential reading - the book is well worth getting just for the introduction.
That said, Seaver clearly had full access to Wilson's diaries and papers. He quotes from these primary sources at length, which is nice. This book contains a lot of very interesting things that make it well worth reading. Just one example is a string of letters from Ernest Shackleton begging Wilson to go with him as second in command of the Nimrod expedition. The book also includes some of Wilson's illustrations - great to see. I really liked seeing the sketch-map of Cape Crozier that Wilson made when they were planning on basing the expedition from there - how different things would have been had they been able to make a landing there!
Wilson was a fascinating, amazing man. While not giving the full picture, this book does do a lot to help us understand his life.
Lastly, the introduction by Apsley Cherry-Garrard is 21 pages long. This is essential reading - the book is well worth getting just for the introduction.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews