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Roald Amundsen's "Belgica" Diary
In 1897 Roald Amundsen, the future conqueror of the South Pole, set sail as second officer on board the Belgica, as part of a multi-national crew. This was the first Antarctic expedition of a purely scientific nature and it was this expedition that fired him with his ambition to explore the Polar Regions. The explorers did not reach the pole but they were the first people to spend a winter in the Antarctic pack ice. This is the first publication of Amundsen's diary. The original manuscript, in the University of Oslo, has only been consulted by historians and biographers on a few occasions. As primarily a personal diary, it provides fascinating insights into the struggle for survival on the ice during the Antarctic winter and into the pressures in being part of a multi-national crew.
224 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 1999
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
January 30, 2026
Firstly I wouldn't recommend this to anyone who isn't already familiar with the Belgica expedition, despite the informative introductions to each chapter. I would recommend reading Madhouse at the End of the Earth by Julian Sancton, which picked out highlights from this diary anyway.
Secondly, I've put in 47 sticky notes for reference, of which 4 are drawings by Amundsen (shoutout to the worst!!! drawing of a sleeping bag ever, no one has ever done it this badly before), the rest are text highlights (such as "The vegetation is magnificent" and "Our good friend the small iceberg was also photographed").
And the penguin meat notoriously not tasting good, as stated in the accounts of the rest of the crew, yet he keeps insisting it tastes excellent. Truly a great window into the mind of Amundsen.
Secondly, I've put in 47 sticky notes for reference, of which 4 are drawings by Amundsen (shoutout to the worst!!! drawing of a sleeping bag ever, no one has ever done it this badly before), the rest are text highlights (such as "The vegetation is magnificent" and "Our good friend the small iceberg was also photographed").
And the penguin meat notoriously not tasting good, as stated in the accounts of the rest of the crew, yet he keeps insisting it tastes excellent. Truly a great window into the mind of Amundsen.
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November 17, 2025WOOOOW. What an accomplishment, what a trip!
You need to be kind of a nerd to read this one ;) Amundsen had special interests and writes quite emotionless. Decleir wrote thankfully an informative introduction and chapter summaries.
It is rather amazing that I, year of 2025, can read Amundsen's diary every morning, sitting at my kitchen table, sipping my morning coffee. Wow, is unfathomable once you realize that! I mean the journey was lived and the diary written, transported, saved, read, deciphered, reproduced, published, bought and read by me - wow.
FYI; I do not rate an autobiography or diary as one cannot rate another's life.
//A
You need to be kind of a nerd to read this one ;) Amundsen had special interests and writes quite emotionless. Decleir wrote thankfully an informative introduction and chapter summaries.
It is rather amazing that I, year of 2025, can read Amundsen's diary every morning, sitting at my kitchen table, sipping my morning coffee. Wow, is unfathomable once you realize that! I mean the journey was lived and the diary written, transported, saved, read, deciphered, reproduced, published, bought and read by me - wow.
FYI; I do not rate an autobiography or diary as one cannot rate another's life.
//A
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews