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Death on the Ice
The story of one of the greatest epic journeys of all time.January 18, 1912: Captain Robert Falcon Scott's expedition reaches the South Pole. Just a few weeks later, trapped in one of the worst blizzards Antarctica has ever known, Scott and his four companions perish in subzero temperatures. How did the icy conditions overwhelm Scott, Captain Oates and their party on the fateful return journey? Both experienced explorers, neither Scott or Oates were prepared for the disappointment of losing their polar race against Norwegian Roald Amundsen. Nor could they have known that the accretion of a few small mistakes would ultimately cost them their lives. The story of Scott and Oates, their incredible journey and their tragic final days, combines ambition, national pride and the kind of bravery and dignity most men can only dream of. It is one of the most captivating and endlessly fascinating tales from the Golden Age of Exploration.
512 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2009
21 people are currently reading
181 people want to read
About the author
Robert Ryan
42 books82 followersaka Tom Neale
Robert Ryan was born in Liverpool but moved to London when he was eighteen to attend university. He lectured in natural sciences for several years before moving into journalism in the mid-1980s, first with The Face and then the Dylan Jones-edited Arena. During this time, he also wrote for The Daily Telegraph, US GQ, US Conde Nast Traveler, Esquire and The Sunday Times.
Robert Ryan lives in North London with his wife and three children.
Robert Ryan was born in Liverpool but moved to London when he was eighteen to attend university. He lectured in natural sciences for several years before moving into journalism in the mid-1980s, first with The Face and then the Dylan Jones-edited Arena. During this time, he also wrote for The Daily Telegraph, US GQ, US Conde Nast Traveler, Esquire and The Sunday Times.
Robert Ryan lives in North London with his wife and three children.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
November 20, 2017
Reading Death on Ice during a blustery UK autumn definitely puts things into perspective!
This is a captivating read that has everything; tragedy, human endeavour, courage, romance, action, sadness, intrigue, jealousy, the list goes on.
It is clearly well researched and whilst a fictional account, underpinned by a lot of facts and knowledge around teh subject. It presents the bravery and lure of the polar region to Capt Scott, the quiet and understated resolution of Wilson, the physical and mental strength of Bowers, and also the troubled and philosophical Oates.
It's a gripping story and would highly recommend to anyone.
This is a captivating read that has everything; tragedy, human endeavour, courage, romance, action, sadness, intrigue, jealousy, the list goes on.
It is clearly well researched and whilst a fictional account, underpinned by a lot of facts and knowledge around teh subject. It presents the bravery and lure of the polar region to Capt Scott, the quiet and understated resolution of Wilson, the physical and mental strength of Bowers, and also the troubled and philosophical Oates.
It's a gripping story and would highly recommend to anyone.
March 1, 2022
A decent historical novel about the doomed Terra Nova expedition to the South Pole, led by Robert Scott, 1910-13. It's quite long and I did stop paying attention at times (I listened to the audiobook). All in all, however, Robert Ryan tells this story well, really bringing all the characters to life. More interesting than Scott himself, I thought, was the unlikely friendship between British Oates and "Norsky" Brahn (not sure if I spell the names right; again, due to listening on audio). Obviously there is also a sad and depressing finale. I pictured the whole story as something like a high-budget five-part British TV-movie.
January 21, 2018
“Fortune would be in a hard mood indeed if it allowed such a combination of knowledge, experience, ability, and enthusiasm to achieve nothing.” Robert Falcon Scott
This novel is based on Robert Falcon Scott's attempts be the first man to reach the South Pole. His initial attempt in 1901 on the 'Discovery' with Ernest Shackleton when he achieved the feat of 'furthest South' but was ultimately beaten back by appalling weather before he could reach the Pole and the 1911 expedition when he and four companions reached The Pole, but died on the return journey.
Over the last century Scott has achieved immortality but whereas once he was regarded as a hero his reputation has taken something of a knock with people questioning his competence. It is pretty obvious that Scott's second expedition was desperately underfunded and in many respects it is only his drive and determination that it got as far as it did. Ryan is relatively even-handed in his portrayal of the man, sitting on the fence and taking neither side of the argument. Yes Scott is certainly flawed, made some wrong choices, some of his own making but also because some of his companions were less honest with him than they should have been, but he is also a victim of some very bad luck.
Ryan tells the story chiefly from three points of view, Scott's, Ernest Shackleton's and Lawrence Oates who also died on the ill-fated second expedition thus he manages to avoid the trap of over lionising all those who travelled South. This IMHO means that the story, although obviously some thing of a boy's own adventure, appears that realistic and credible. It is also a largely compelling tale and the author's depiction of the terrible privations that the polar explorers are very atmospheric meaning that at times I struggled to put the book down. It's apparent that Ryan has done his research but it must be remembered that this is meant as a novel rather than a biography.
Unfortunately what lets the book down is when it moves away from the central story to Scott's widow Kathleen. Whilst I understand that the author is trying to portray her as being as ambitious as her husband I feel that she comes out very flat and one dimensional. The author is obviously much better at writing about men than women. Overall a good read that may tempt the reader to learn more about Scott and his companions.
"Amundsen won the Pole. But,Scott, he achieved immortality."
This novel is based on Robert Falcon Scott's attempts be the first man to reach the South Pole. His initial attempt in 1901 on the 'Discovery' with Ernest Shackleton when he achieved the feat of 'furthest South' but was ultimately beaten back by appalling weather before he could reach the Pole and the 1911 expedition when he and four companions reached The Pole, but died on the return journey.
Over the last century Scott has achieved immortality but whereas once he was regarded as a hero his reputation has taken something of a knock with people questioning his competence. It is pretty obvious that Scott's second expedition was desperately underfunded and in many respects it is only his drive and determination that it got as far as it did. Ryan is relatively even-handed in his portrayal of the man, sitting on the fence and taking neither side of the argument. Yes Scott is certainly flawed, made some wrong choices, some of his own making but also because some of his companions were less honest with him than they should have been, but he is also a victim of some very bad luck.
Ryan tells the story chiefly from three points of view, Scott's, Ernest Shackleton's and Lawrence Oates who also died on the ill-fated second expedition thus he manages to avoid the trap of over lionising all those who travelled South. This IMHO means that the story, although obviously some thing of a boy's own adventure, appears that realistic and credible. It is also a largely compelling tale and the author's depiction of the terrible privations that the polar explorers are very atmospheric meaning that at times I struggled to put the book down. It's apparent that Ryan has done his research but it must be remembered that this is meant as a novel rather than a biography.
Unfortunately what lets the book down is when it moves away from the central story to Scott's widow Kathleen. Whilst I understand that the author is trying to portray her as being as ambitious as her husband I feel that she comes out very flat and one dimensional. The author is obviously much better at writing about men than women. Overall a good read that may tempt the reader to learn more about Scott and his companions.
"Amundsen won the Pole. But,Scott, he achieved immortality."
October 14, 2015
I really liked this book. Mr. Ryan paces his adventure story and tragedy quite well. I feel that he did a fair amount of research not only on the Scott expeditions, but also on what might have been the characters or personalities of the participants. His portrait of Scott and Dr. Williams is very good, as is the portrait of the young Cherry, who wrote what is described as one of the great travel books of the 20th century. For me, the portrait of Oates on the expedition is quite good, though I feel there is a disjunction in the book between the pre-expedition Oates and the strong and sad expedition Oates. The other characters were, for me, somewhat harder to individualize as they had relatively small and intermittent roles given the size of the expedition and the focus on the five who went on to the Pole. Their suffering, however, is described with immediacy.
The anticlimax that the characters feel at the Pole is a beautiful scene -- their grave disappointment at learning that Amundsen had beat them by a month, their despair at their present sense of the pointlessness of their suffering, the deterioration of any positive feelings in the face of the awful realities. The realization of doom is quiet and accepted. There are no histrionics. This is very emotional for the reader, especially the decline and heroism of Oates.
Unlike at least one other reader, I feel that the weakness in the book are the chapters on Mrs. Scott. I did not grasp, even fictionally, the strength of her attachment to Scott. I did not see the point of the rather wandering narration of her relations with Nanssen -- what exactly was going on in her mind? She remained for me somewhat cardboard and even distasteful. Additionally, as I hinted at above, the pre-expedition Oates is written unattractively. There is little to see in his backstory, as told by Mr. Ryan, to explain his essential reliability and nobility at the end.
I find myself wondering how these men could have made journeys of such length with so little support and so much pain. But I do not doubt Mr. Ryan's descriptions as they ring true and, as I suspect, also correspond with the descriptions of participants and eye-witnesses.
A nice read, indeed.
The anticlimax that the characters feel at the Pole is a beautiful scene -- their grave disappointment at learning that Amundsen had beat them by a month, their despair at their present sense of the pointlessness of their suffering, the deterioration of any positive feelings in the face of the awful realities. The realization of doom is quiet and accepted. There are no histrionics. This is very emotional for the reader, especially the decline and heroism of Oates.
Unlike at least one other reader, I feel that the weakness in the book are the chapters on Mrs. Scott. I did not grasp, even fictionally, the strength of her attachment to Scott. I did not see the point of the rather wandering narration of her relations with Nanssen -- what exactly was going on in her mind? She remained for me somewhat cardboard and even distasteful. Additionally, as I hinted at above, the pre-expedition Oates is written unattractively. There is little to see in his backstory, as told by Mr. Ryan, to explain his essential reliability and nobility at the end.
I find myself wondering how these men could have made journeys of such length with so little support and so much pain. But I do not doubt Mr. Ryan's descriptions as they ring true and, as I suspect, also correspond with the descriptions of participants and eye-witnesses.
A nice read, indeed.
October 10, 2021
This was an interesting take on Scott's South Pole expedition. Everything was very detailed - maybe a little too detailed - but still quite entertaining sometimes. I did find myself dozing off during reading this because it got a bit boring at times. Overall, nice piece of historical fiction. I always want to learn more about topics that I never read much about. 3 stars.
August 30, 2017
Read while in Newfoundland.
March 16, 2020
An absolutely riveting book! It is heartbreaking, yet a book I will read again! I want to research the Antarctic expeditions to understand what drives men to reach such a dangerous goal.
May 23, 2021
Considering that we all know what happened at the end and that a lot of the conversations are pure speculation the book could have been 200 pages shorter.
June 9, 2025
very well written
Enjoyed and liked the way the detail has been woven into the story. Found it difficult to put down despite knowing the conclousion
Enjoyed and liked the way the detail has been woven into the story. Found it difficult to put down despite knowing the conclousion
August 13, 2025
Written as a novel which in doing so brings this amazing period of Antarctic exploration tragically to life.
March 6, 2014
This is a weighty tome and there are times early on when you begin to wonder why Ryan is including so much back-story. He focuses on Capt. Scott (obviously);, Katherine, his wife and Capt Oates and he weaves a thread between their particular journeys towards the events of the fateful South Polar Expedition of 1910-1912.
Once the expedition narrative begins, however, you soon realise the value of all that back story. The interactions between Scott and Oates become something built upon their own stories. Katherine's story also comes to life because of what you read earlier. Knowing about their journey towards the expedition leads to greater empathy with their own journey to the pole. You feel every strain, every frustration and every grief as they struggle towards their goal.
This book is one a handful that have moved me to tears - and its been a while since any did. The devastation of the men when they first see Amundsen's flag is portrayed in such a way that I could sense the heartbreak and grief. In the end you see this a story of brave men, in impossible circumstances which were not all down to chance. There is no pretence here that Scott was a victim of bad luck or that others in the party were solely to blame for the tragic failure. There is also no laziness in simply blaming Scott for everything. The tale is woven such that you are aware of the difficulties caused by poor-decisions, pressure by Amundsen turning south and the fact they faced such freakishly bad weather and what appears to be simple bad luck.
This is a novelisation of course and Ryan admits where he has embellished the tale for artistic reasons but the overall feeling of the book is that you have been part of a story behind the facts. It may be one author's interpretation but you cannot escape the feeling of empathy and admiration for those brave, stupid, stubborn, flawed but ultimately heroic men.
This is a champion among novelisations. Fantastic read.
Once the expedition narrative begins, however, you soon realise the value of all that back story. The interactions between Scott and Oates become something built upon their own stories. Katherine's story also comes to life because of what you read earlier. Knowing about their journey towards the expedition leads to greater empathy with their own journey to the pole. You feel every strain, every frustration and every grief as they struggle towards their goal.
This book is one a handful that have moved me to tears - and its been a while since any did. The devastation of the men when they first see Amundsen's flag is portrayed in such a way that I could sense the heartbreak and grief. In the end you see this a story of brave men, in impossible circumstances which were not all down to chance. There is no pretence here that Scott was a victim of bad luck or that others in the party were solely to blame for the tragic failure. There is also no laziness in simply blaming Scott for everything. The tale is woven such that you are aware of the difficulties caused by poor-decisions, pressure by Amundsen turning south and the fact they faced such freakishly bad weather and what appears to be simple bad luck.
This is a novelisation of course and Ryan admits where he has embellished the tale for artistic reasons but the overall feeling of the book is that you have been part of a story behind the facts. It may be one author's interpretation but you cannot escape the feeling of empathy and admiration for those brave, stupid, stubborn, flawed but ultimately heroic men.
This is a champion among novelisations. Fantastic read.
August 4, 2014
A very well researched and very well written book. I thoroughly enjoyed it and was shocked, saddened and touched in turns. I've read a lot of book on Antarctica and especially Scott's fatal expeditions in recent months and this is definitely one of the best and gripping fictionalised accounts I've come across. Ryan's approach to tell the story from different perspectives lends credibility and offers the reader an insight into the motivations, feelings and aspirations of the different characters.
The appendices are furthermore a very good starting point for further research and prove once more what a thorough and passionate job Ryan did in writing this book.
Very recommendable!
The appendices are furthermore a very good starting point for further research and prove once more what a thorough and passionate job Ryan did in writing this book.
Very recommendable!
March 9, 2010
I don't normally enjoy novelisations of real events, but this was much better than expected. It was well researched (bibliography at the back of the book went on for pages...) and it gave a very hard hitting account of the expeditions to the South Pole as well as events in the life of Oates and Scott leading up to them. It was gruesome in parts and hard to believe some of the choices made - ponies to pull the sleds?? It makes brutal reading in parts. What you are eventually left with is not shock that people died, but astonishment that anyone survived at all...
September 13, 2012
Enjoyed this immensely. Not knowing much about Scott and Oates and their Antarctic journey I was engrossed. A historical novel which tries to get into the heads of those made antarctic adventurers, and succeeds in telling a very gripping tale (even if you do know the ending). The only mistake I made was reading this on the train to work in winter. Being in a freezing train carriage, reading about people freezing in Antarctica meant I needed a good thawing out by the time I got to work!
June 8, 2010
A tour de force. Magnificent and spellbinding. Story of Scott's quest for the South Pole. Includes efforts of immense heroism and courage against appaling odds. We owe so much to men like these but how soon we all forget. Another example of the British ability to turn a rout into a magnificent victory.
September 10, 2011
I found the story of Scott's Antarctic journeys gripping and fascinating. This book was the catalyst to a fascination with early Antarctic expeditions and lead me to much further reading...even leading me to the Arctic explorers and uncovering the fact that most of the streets in my town are named after British Arctic explorers.
December 26, 2014
Wonderful account of Scott's expedition(s) to Antarctica. I've read some of the histories and I believe this is rather accurate historically and a very good read. Characters are well-drawn and interesting - as is the whole story. Fascinating characters, as they were in real life. The moment when they get to the South Pole is very vivid. What a story!
July 14, 2015
It started off a little slow but by the time they arrived on the ice I was hooked.
I admit I know only a little about the Scott expedition but now I know a lot more even though this is a fictional retelling.
I admit I know only a little about the Scott expedition but now I know a lot more even though this is a fictional retelling.
May 23, 2010
This give a much more detailed understanding of the events that led to Scotts ill fated journey.
August 24, 2014
always been fascinated by Scotts' journey to pole and its tragic ending and this book depicts all the horrors whilst delving into characters
August 12, 2014
This is very good, I think!
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews