Scott, Shackleton, and Amundsen: ambition and tragedy in the Antarctic

by David Thomson

Between the middle of January and the end of March 1912 five men died in the attempt to return from the South Pole to their base on the edge of Antarctica. Their leader, the last to die and the man whose diary described their agonies was Robert Falcon Scott. The expedition had been beaten to the Pole by a band of racing Norwegians, led by Roald Amundsen. The bodies of the last three to die were found seven months later and, ever since, Scott's men have been British heroes. It is that legend, as much as their ordeal that is the subject of this book. Scott's men and the supporting characters, Amundsen and Shackleton, his rivals; Clement Markham, his discoverer; his wife Kathleen -- give a fascinating picture of English society before the First World War. The story of the drama becomes also an illustration of human and social character. And, to the extent that Scott is legendary in England, the book tells something about the English and their attitude to duty.

Genres: Nonfiction

306 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1977

About the author

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Reviews

[Bauschan Mann · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Amundsen.....here Roald Amundsen .....for his attempt on the south pole, he decided to adopt the traditional ways of the Eskimo, using dogs and sledges, wearing skins for warmth, using skis. He prepared carefully, planned his route, leaving supply tents along the way, his simple, primary task was to get to the pole and back, nothing else would get in his way. He also planned to eat his sledge dogs during his expedition, a unique, quick source of fresh meat, another traditional way of the Eskimo.

[DavidO · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm beginning to suspect that it is the way that history books are written that makes them so boring. They've got a great story to tell, but instead of telling it like a story, it is more like reading a report on an event. In this particular book the author is constantly adding his own thoughts, which do nothing to help the matter. Instead, it becomes like reading a biased report on an event.

[Wendy Williams · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting subject matter but if you are going to read about these expeditions I recommend looking elsewhere. 90% if this book is very dull (bookkeeping, long boring biographies of sooo many people etc) it reads more as a bureaucratic breakdown of the trip.

[Jill · Rating 3 out of 5]

The early years of the twentieth century are known as the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration, with names such as Robert Scott, Ernest Shackleton, Douglas Mawson and Roald Amundsen figuring largely in the public consciousness. These courageous (or foolhardy) men ventured south for one simple reason - it was the last unexplored tract of land on earth. Englishmen Scott and Shackleton were imbued with a sense of heroism, blind ambition and an English sense of manly courage. Following his heroic death Scott was posthumously feted and this continued for many years with the help of friends and his wife. After World War 2 his life and achievements were revisited and books were published that painted him as a poor organiser and a weak leader who refused to take advice from seasoned explorers such as Amundsen, and who did not get along with his team, while anti-establishment Shackleton was elevated to top spot. 'Scott, Shackleton and Amundsen: Ambition and Tragedy in the Antarctic' by David Thomson was originally written in 1977 and is one of these revisionist books, though the author claims to have 'tidied some things up' for republishing in 2002. It is a good idea to read the book with this context in mind. However, to me it still seemed dated, with an almost thesis-like approach using hypotheses and theories backed up with evidence from diaries, letters, contemporary accounts and interviews; too often, the evidence seems to be biased towards Scott's perceived failings. This is definitely a book for Antarctic exploration fans, but to me was too detailed and, no pun intended, seemed 'cold' in the way it was told.

[Erica · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like the way the David Thomson writes, he fills the pages with interesting facts that pertain to the story that he is telling. It was a thoroughly well researched and well written book, so why have I only given it 3 stars? I felt an underlying dislike for Scott throughout the book; Shackleton could do no wrong and Amundsen was almost a saint in Thomson's eyes. I am glad I read this book, but I would only use it again as a reference point.

[Emily]

I read about 70 pages of this book and that was fine. I was looking for background on Scott's expedition, not deep background his life or the history of British Polar exploration. (Oddly enough though, in those 70 pages, David Thomson twice made comments that indicated how silly he thought the moon landing was.)

[Jeffrey Diehl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Too much love to Scott. He was the cause for his expedition's failure at the Pole.