Terra Nova: Ambition, jealousy and simmering rivalry in the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration

by Harrison Christian

‘A riveting account about Scott of Antarctica and the machinations of his demise. Of the food depots that were diminished and the rescue that never came.’ – Peter Hillary, mountaineer and explorer

For a long time it seemed Antarctica would remain the sole hold out in a nearly fully explored world. The approaches were too difficult and dangerous, and the material benefits to the exploring nations were too few … Far from being a land of plenty, the Antarctic continent – if it was that – was no place for human beings.
 
Robert Falcon Scott’s 1910 attempt to reach the South Pole is placed in jeopardy when Edward Evans joins as his second-in-command. A clash of personalities between the two men almost prevents the Terra Nova from sailing, but they forge ahead, conscious of competing expeditions racing to the pole.  
 
On the treacherous journey across the Antarctic ice, the differences between the scientific-minded Scott and the ambitious Evans become insurmountable. Scott sends Evans back early, making the final push without him, only to find they have been beaten by the Norwegians.
 
When Scott and his remaining men make their desperate return to base, they’re met with an inexplicable shortage of supplies, leading to the tragic deaths of the entire party.
 
Harrison Christian draws on fresh documents to examine the circumstances of Scott’s death, throwing suspicion on Edward Evans and other officers. Terra Nova delves into the lives of these remarkable men, revealing a story of betrayal that was left out of the official narrative.


 

Genres: Nonfiction

Kindle Edition

Published June 5, 2024

Reviews

[Marles Henry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Antarctica is a place that mesmerises me. Uninhabitable, unforgiving continent of iceshelfs and glaciers with inhospitable temperatures and rugged terrains, it is a unique and natural sanctuary that remains of interest to many countries. In the early 20th century, the race to reach the South Pole was on between Robert Falcon Scott and Roald Amundsen – England and Norway battling out across the treacherous terrain. Harrison Christian has pulled together many of the diary entries and new information from this time to re-create the journal of Scott, and his relationship to second-in-command Edward Evans. Duplicity and sacrifice were two key themes that came across at every turn in the journey of the Terra Nova to Antarctica, and even across the ice covered continent in the race to get to the South Pole.
It became quite clear through Christian’s analysis that Scott and Evans did not get along, both perceived as men they were not. Scott was criticized as a poor planner and poorly prepared for a journey to the south pole. What Christian revealed was that he was a strong worker, courageous, who paid is dues along each stretch of the journey to the pole; what he lacked most was the confidence in himself to succeed. On the other hand, Evans was renowned for his heroism in the war and his showmanship, and discovered to not put in efforts equal to that of the party he was with at Antarctica. I found this information as it unfolded to be rather chilling (no pun intended). Evans seemed conceited and self-centred, purposely taking supplies from each station on the way back from the pole, jeopardising Scott and his crew’s journey. Yet Scott persevered through frostbite, icy cold clothes soaked by blizzards and depleted food and fuel to diarise his thoughts and the journey back to the Terra Nova which he would never survive.

This was such a tragic journey for Scott: even though he was second to Amundsen in reaching the South Pole, he made the journey and achieved greatness in doing so. And for Evans, he was not allowed to be part of the final trek to the pole and then almost succumbed to death walking back to meet the Terra Nova. Ultimately, the experiences of the biting cold, frostbite and gangrene, and scurvy were no match for these men in the 1900s.

[Lucy · Rating 4 out of 5]

the edwardian antarctic explorers are fightinggg

this is so messy omg! I knew very little going in about this expedition and the lore that's built up around it so I wasn't having my perspective changed and I now find myself inordinately fond of this flop scientist and his horrible adventure. leave Robert Scott alone!!!!! I do feel like the main thing I learned was to never ever go near the south pole ever but the writing was engaging enough to keep me in it despite how baffled I was by these men's keenness to die in the snow. I love a good nonfiction and this was exactly what I was looking for: informative without being didactic, entertaining with being over the top, and something I knew nothing about without being something I'd never want to know about. also gets a star for the sheer amount of references to Aotearoa ☝️😌 big up my ladies tearing lumps out of each other in a hotel in Wellington

[Helen Cummings · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting book that delves into the private letters and diaries written by the men on Scott’s failed expedition to be the first to the South Pole. It reveals that all was not as widely accepted about the journey and that individual personalities had a devastating effect upon the final outcome. In the end a big cover up!

[Carol Griffiths · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting take on the Terra Nova expedition. The author had access to documents and letters which put a different slant on some of the commonly held beliefs about what happened during Scott's expedition.

[Geoff Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this captivating book full of history and a very well researched examination of the adventurer Scott last journey
Help to alter my opinion of him and his leadership and made me think more about the people behind the legend

[Ree · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up at the library because I loved Endurance by Alfred Lansing. There were some cool crossovers about Shackleton in this book which provided more context. An easy, informative read - well structured, well reasoned - glad I found it.

[Maj · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sadly, there are no photos, but oh well, we have the Internet.

I read Cherry-Garrard's book years ago, and it definitely left a deep impression, but it's clear Christian's is more objective, if less tediously detailed. (C-G's is a veritable tome.)

When I say more objective...it really has a hate-boner for Teddy Evans, but especially after reading the final chapters of this book, one understands why.

And when one compares the rest of the lives of Cherry-Garrard and Evans, one gets a hate-boner for the latter as well. How dare he be relatively OK, especially after it's clear he (and Meares) had the most to do with Scott's and his companions' demise?

Anyway, rushed to read this book as soon as I heard the author talk about it on a History Hit podcast. Usually it takes me a while between a book catching my attention on a podcast and me getting around to actually reading it, but this was pretty swift. Was too excited!

And I think the book mostly fulfilled the craving, except it perhaps was a teeny less engrossing, owning to its relative brevity than I would have liked. (Also, I struggled to keep the various members of the expedition straight. I suppose if the narrative was less swift, I might have fared better? But I don't know, it's probably just a me problem, not being an expert on the expedition and having a shit memory.)

Mind you, it was very easy to read, and it's obvious the author really did his research, going to the PRIMARY primary sources. The issue of self-censorship is gonna be something I will ponder now. The unwillingness to get into public rows etc. (I think I would have made a great Edwardian.)

Definitely a recommended read!