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I Am Just Going Outside: Captain Oates - Antarctic Tragedy
Exhaustively researched with new material, including major revelations about his previously unknown and secret private life, this is the first major biography of Lawrence Edward Grace "Titus" Oates who became a dashing cavalry officer and hero in the Boer War, a successful jockey, and part of Scott's doomed South Pole expedition, before becoming a national hero for sacrificing himself to save his comrades. Substantial new information is included from previously undisclosed sources, especially relating to his clashes with Scott. Having paid £1,000 to join the expedition, he was at centerstage in the unfolding tragedy, becoming a national hero for sacrificing himself to save his comrades. Fresh analysis is offered of his military career, both as hero in the Boer War, where he was denied a VC, and later in Ireland. A different perspective from the traditional myth of Scott's heroic failure and Oates' suicide is offered here. Oates' private life is explored and the role of his austere mother who exerted a powerful influence during his life and continued to control his memory long after his death, especially by ordering the destruction of his letters and diaries, kept hidden by her, and previously thought to have been destroyed, from her deathbed. Beautifully illustrated with maps and photographs, many previously unpublished.
320 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2002
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About the author
Michael Smith
20 books36 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads' database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Michael Smith gave up a 30 year career as a leading business and political journalist to write the bestselling biography, An Unsung Hero - Tom Crean. He was formerly Political Correspondent and Industrial Editor of the Guardian, City Editor of the London Evening Standard and Business Editor of the Observer. He has a long-standing interest in Polar expedition. He lives in East Sussex.
Michael Smith gave up a 30 year career as a leading business and political journalist to write the bestselling biography, An Unsung Hero - Tom Crean. He was formerly Political Correspondent and Industrial Editor of the Guardian, City Editor of the London Evening Standard and Business Editor of the Observer. He has a long-standing interest in Polar expedition. He lives in East Sussex.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
February 23, 2013
Not very impressed by the illegitimate child thing -- Smith spends the whole book recounting Oates' tendency to solitude, the way his mother dominated his life, his lack of charm with women, and then at the last minute pulls out an illegitimate child for which there is little evidence other than the alleged child's claim and a photo of her son. I don't really want to get into guessing whether she was or wasn't Oates' illegitimate daughter, but it's pure hearsay here.
I haven't read Scott's journals and right now, I don't really want to. I bought this for my mother, but she handed it off to me. Scott and his men were her heroes, but even her opinion of Scott sank after reading this, and mine is somewhere below sea level. He wasn't suited to be a leader of men. Oates was. It's a pity it wasn't his idea from the start, in a way. They'd have done it with dogs as soon as he saw what they could do, and they'd have reached the Pole and made it back too.
Anyway, Smith's biography is interesting and in-depth, and mostly at least attempts to seem impartial, with evidence from both men and those who knew them. It is, of course, desperately depressing, and I feel no shame in admitting that I cried, because with a bit more sense and a bit less British pride and duty, those men could have lived.
I found Oates' heroics as a young man more interesting than the polar expedition, though. I knew how that ended, and I didn't expect to leave with any illusions, but Oates seemed a genuinely decent man. He would probably only have died in the war if not in the Antarctic, but still.
I can't honestly say I really liked this -- and I have some reservations about Smith's need to point accusing fingers at the family for obstructing him (I'd like to hear their side of it!) -- but it was a good read.
I haven't read Scott's journals and right now, I don't really want to. I bought this for my mother, but she handed it off to me. Scott and his men were her heroes, but even her opinion of Scott sank after reading this, and mine is somewhere below sea level. He wasn't suited to be a leader of men. Oates was. It's a pity it wasn't his idea from the start, in a way. They'd have done it with dogs as soon as he saw what they could do, and they'd have reached the Pole and made it back too.
Anyway, Smith's biography is interesting and in-depth, and mostly at least attempts to seem impartial, with evidence from both men and those who knew them. It is, of course, desperately depressing, and I feel no shame in admitting that I cried, because with a bit more sense and a bit less British pride and duty, those men could have lived.
I found Oates' heroics as a young man more interesting than the polar expedition, though. I knew how that ended, and I didn't expect to leave with any illusions, but Oates seemed a genuinely decent man. He would probably only have died in the war if not in the Antarctic, but still.
I can't honestly say I really liked this -- and I have some reservations about Smith's need to point accusing fingers at the family for obstructing him (I'd like to hear their side of it!) -- but it was a good read.
June 25, 2014
I am a little saddened that the author chose to include in this, otherwise excellent, book the 'rumours' that Oates fathered an illegitimate child. As the author states: "It may never be possible to provide conclusive proof that Laurie Oates fathered the child...." and then says: "anecdotes passed down through the family....."
It seems to be gossip-mongering at its best, and muck-racking at its worst.
It did not belittle Oates in my eyes, but it did demean the author.
However, the rest of the book is well written and very readable and for that reason only I give it five stars.
It seems to be gossip-mongering at its best, and muck-racking at its worst.
It did not belittle Oates in my eyes, but it did demean the author.
However, the rest of the book is well written and very readable and for that reason only I give it five stars.
December 23, 2025
Don’t take this book seriously. Smith is not a historian and this book contains a lot of fanfiction. It is rife with instances of “perhaps” and “it may be” and “it is speculated.” Smith cites sources inconsistently and sometimes not at all. He includes supposed direct quotes and then you check the “chapter notes” to see that he’s quoting other secondary sources! He jumps around events, going back for more detail after an event takes place. He paraphrases quotes before and after including the actual quotes, making his own writing boring and unimaginative. There are obvious errors in grammar and punctuation. Frankly, this kind of writing would be unacceptable in an undergraduate history program.
Having read Bernacchi’s Oates biography immediately prior to reading this book, I noticed occasions where Smith used Bernacchi’s words and slightly tweaked and modernized them for his own book. Writing in 2002 when rare books like Bernacchi’s were much harder to come by, perhaps Smith thought nobody would notice. Well, I did.
While discussing Oates’s early life, Smith diagnoses him with dyslexia and repeatedly says that people with dyslexia are inclined to exaggerate and fake illnesses to get attention. Excuse me?? I have been unable to find anything to support this claim. Oates grew up in a time before antibiotics and survived many illnesses that we now know how to prevent and treat. The simplest explanation is usually correct. I don’t understand why Oates would seek more attention when his mother openly favored him and gave him anything he wanted.
The practice of retrospective diagnosis is controversial. My personal feeling is that it should not be done by laymen. If a psychologist wants to examine Oates, I would be interested. Smith is not a psychologist. I’m not sure why he felt it necessary to level a diagnosis and then harp on Oates so much. The first word that comes to mind is ableism. The second word is mean. The way Smith writes about young Oates smacks of the schoolyard bully.
The lowest blows start in the book’s introduction. “It should be recorded that most of the present day Oates family was evidently opposed to publication of this book about their most famous ancestor and was deliberately obstructive and unhelpful towards my research. An honourable character like Oates would not be impressed.”
Mr. Smith, the family doesn’t owe you a damn thing. Especially given the final chapter of this book, which is baseless speculation that Oates fathered a child with an 11-year-old! The “evidence” is that the child’s adoptive mother told the child that Oates was her father. Also the purported daughter’s son grew up to vaguely resemble Oates. What utter nonsense. White men look like white men. As Smith himself writes earlier in the book, there is no sign that Oates had romantic or sexual inclinations toward anyone— men, women, or children. It was a disgusting and irresponsible way to conclude a biography supposedly grounded in fact.
I give this book 2 stars because I appreciated seeing rare photos of Oates and his family. That’s really the only nice thing I can say. To quote Oates himself: “I personally don’t see it as underhand to keep your mouth shut.” I join the Oates family in sincerely wishing that Michael Smith had followed suit.
Having read Bernacchi’s Oates biography immediately prior to reading this book, I noticed occasions where Smith used Bernacchi’s words and slightly tweaked and modernized them for his own book. Writing in 2002 when rare books like Bernacchi’s were much harder to come by, perhaps Smith thought nobody would notice. Well, I did.
While discussing Oates’s early life, Smith diagnoses him with dyslexia and repeatedly says that people with dyslexia are inclined to exaggerate and fake illnesses to get attention. Excuse me?? I have been unable to find anything to support this claim. Oates grew up in a time before antibiotics and survived many illnesses that we now know how to prevent and treat. The simplest explanation is usually correct. I don’t understand why Oates would seek more attention when his mother openly favored him and gave him anything he wanted.
The practice of retrospective diagnosis is controversial. My personal feeling is that it should not be done by laymen. If a psychologist wants to examine Oates, I would be interested. Smith is not a psychologist. I’m not sure why he felt it necessary to level a diagnosis and then harp on Oates so much. The first word that comes to mind is ableism. The second word is mean. The way Smith writes about young Oates smacks of the schoolyard bully.
The lowest blows start in the book’s introduction. “It should be recorded that most of the present day Oates family was evidently opposed to publication of this book about their most famous ancestor and was deliberately obstructive and unhelpful towards my research. An honourable character like Oates would not be impressed.”
Mr. Smith, the family doesn’t owe you a damn thing. Especially given the final chapter of this book, which is baseless speculation that Oates fathered a child with an 11-year-old! The “evidence” is that the child’s adoptive mother told the child that Oates was her father. Also the purported daughter’s son grew up to vaguely resemble Oates. What utter nonsense. White men look like white men. As Smith himself writes earlier in the book, there is no sign that Oates had romantic or sexual inclinations toward anyone— men, women, or children. It was a disgusting and irresponsible way to conclude a biography supposedly grounded in fact.
I give this book 2 stars because I appreciated seeing rare photos of Oates and his family. That’s really the only nice thing I can say. To quote Oates himself: “I personally don’t see it as underhand to keep your mouth shut.” I join the Oates family in sincerely wishing that Michael Smith had followed suit.
July 5, 2021
A personal insight into a man who sacrificed his life to try save Scott on this first and last expedition to the Antarctic
October 31, 2022
Well researched story of Captain Oates. I'm always a sucker for Arctic and Antarctic non-fiction history. These guys were something. To attempt these amazing adventures without the modern technology and travel we have today, knowing that there is always that possibility of never returning home, is brave indeed. Oates' sacrifice is one of the amazing stories of that time.
January 27, 2016
A well written, thoroughly researched, and totally honest look at the Antarctic tragedy. The author has taken a step back from the typical hero worshiping to give a clear appraisal of the mistakes and misfortunes to beset the South Pole explorers, in particular Captain Lawrence Oates.
Still an emotional tale.
Still an emotional tale.
March 24, 2017
Argh! What a frustrating ending to a great book! The story of Oates was very well told and then that final chapter that's nothing more than speculations about him potentially having fathered a child... which the author seems to present both as pure speculation and absolute truth. That said, it's only a few pages and the previous chapters are well written and the story is rather complete.
April 16, 2012
A salutary tale! Should be read by all project managers as an example of how things can go wrong - a catalogue of planning errors and misjudgements with tragic consequences.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews