The South Pole

Roald Amundsen's "The South Pole" is a detailed, even exhaustive account of his successful 1910-1912 expedition to the South Pole. Amundsen's expedition was the first to reach the South Pole, after failures by other expeditions. Amundsen was relentlessly methodical and practical in planning and executing the expedition. He identified a practical method of travel for the long haul to the South Pole from the Antarctic coast: dog sleds and skiis. He and his crew experimented and tested all their equipment and supplies in the Antarctic while patiently waiting for the right weather to travel. In striking contrast to his British competitor, Robert Falcon Scott, Amundsen correctly estimated the amount of food that would be consumed by physically active men operating for weeks in sub-zero temperatures. His story is one of the greatest tales of this age. In this book we hear in his own words the story of that rarest of plans - the perfectly executed coup. For a coup it was. When Amundsen turned from the North Pole to the South after the question of "the great nail" had been settled by Cook & Peary, his decision was treated in many sectors (most notably by the British Press) as underhanded and double dealing. Amundens account of the reasoning behind it makes clear that any deceit was necessary to ensure no forestalling of his plans by others - not only Scott. To ensure the future of his extended plan (the drift across the Arctic which was eventually carried out in the "Maud") he knew the Press Barons would need an exclusive and juicy story. The South Pole would give him this currency. The book is written in an honest and clean style. The hardships faced are almost disguised by the simple tale of their telling. To strike up an unknown glacier and forge his way over virgin ground on the way to the polar plateau and the Pole itself displays fortitude and grit we can only marvel at in today's world. But Amundsen's description of the task is hidden behind a work-a-day narrative. To truly appreciate the splendor of the achievement is difficult in our modern era. One cannot help but admire the total outcome of the plan. There are few tales in history and few great men who can truly say they accomplished exactly what they set out to do in the manner in which they planned. Those who can are masters of their field. Amundsen is such a man - and master. A feature of this book is the credit given by Amundsen to those who went with him. Roald Amundsen's account of his South Polar dash reveals how modest the man really was. He, alone (with the help of brother Leon), collected funds, found a suitable vessel, recruited professional polar travelers, bought dogs, food, materials of every kind, fought against incredible odds just to leave port with the expedition...all the while keeping it a secret! Amundsen's book is lot better than most novels. He was certainly one of the great explorers of the world.