The Last Viking unravels the life of the man who stands head and shoulders above all those who raced to map the last corners of the world. In 1900; the four great geographical mysteries—the Northwest Passage; the Northeast Passage; the South Pole; and the North Pole—remained blank spots on the globe. Within twenty years Roald Amundsen would claim all four prizes. Renowned for his determination and technical skills; both feared and beloved by his men; Amundsen is a legend of the heroic age of exploration; which shortly thereafter would be tamed by technology; commerce; and publicity. Féted in his lifetime as an international celebrity; pursued by women and creditors; he died in the Arctic on a rescue mission for an inept rival explorer.Stephen R. Bown has unearthed archival material to give Amundsen's life the grim immediacy of Apsley Cherry-Garrard's The Worst Journey in the World; the exciting detail of The Endurance; and the suspense of a Jon Krakauer tale. The Last Viking is both a thrilling literary biography and a cracking good story.
#1951887 in Books 2003-04 2003-04-29Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 .71 x 8.92 x 11.92l; #File Name: 0306812444320 pages
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Five StarsBy JimboIt brought back many memories of when I was there in 51 52
