I denne biografien portretteres Fridtjof Nansen ikke som en superhelt, men som et troverdig menneske. Han var rastløs og egoistisk, en elendig far og ektemann, ekstremt selvopptatt og en typisk besserwisser. Men Nansen var også en brennende engasjert samfunnsborger. Han spilte en avgjørende rolle i norsk politikk under løsrivelsen fra Sverige i 1905, og hadde et betydelig internasjonalt og humanitært engasjement i innsatsen for flyktninger, krigsfanger og hungerofre. Og selvfølgelig var han en uredd ekspedisjonsleder i arktiske strøk.
Vendepunktet i Nansens liv blir første verdenskrig. Polarferdene i hans yngre år blir dermed en forutsetning for hans rolle som humanist. Boken snur altså rundt på den dramaturgien som ligger til grunn for alle de eksisterende biografiene så langt.
The book is mediocre but if you a novice and do not know anything about Nansen - this will be good one to start with. Actually I became curious about Nansens own books after reading this one. If you can skip sentences like "Nansen was greeted by whole Drøbak, and people across Oslo fjord were waiving flags" and see who Nansen really was - as author touches slightly with much sarcasm. He was first real politician - actually he was a guy who convinced Danish prince to became king of Norway in 1905. And further his role as founder of United Nations and scientist a really great. His political views becomes more and more interesting in the today world. He believed that small, well educated, healthy nations are less seduced by forces of communism and fascism and so will not get in trouble and will secure the future of the world. He believed in Russia but became disillusioned by his travel and reports after bolshevics seizured power.