audiobook Race to the Pole: Tragedy; Heroism; and Scott's Antarctic Quest by Ranulph Fiennes in History

Review

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful. Very exciting book.By FirstsnowI had seen the movie Endurance and decided to read this book. As I began to read; I wondered if the author would be tooting his own horn as much as possible throughout the book in a tedious manner. I was quite wrong. By the end of the book; I realized that only someone with the author's intimate awareness of the subject could have written such a wonderful book. I was thrilled by it and couldn't put it down. I don't believe the subject matter alone is the reason for my excitement; Fiennes is an engaging and insightful author. Highly recommended.3 of 5 people found the following review helpful. Well; he DOES know of what he speaksBy MaynardGClearly; as has been stated; there is a de-constructive zeal that's been applied to almost all of our traditional heroes for decades; a trend I find deplorable and; I think; based on the most obvious of politically correct motives. At the end Fiennes identifies the national self-loathing and malaise that Britain has allowed itself to slide into; and into which America has been sliding for some time. A society and culture that despises itself can not have the will to defend itself. Fortunately in this case; Fiennes is one of the few on this planet that can speak with authority and from experience on the subject of polar man-hauling and general survival in those regions. Fiennes's de-construction of Huntford and subsequent biographers has changed my mind about Scott; a man about whom I had a most negative opinion since I read Huntford's "Scott Amundsen" in 1990. Scott has been de-debunked and rehabilitated for me.2 of 3 people found the following review helpful. "Ridiculous...A Waste of Time"By EPluribusUnum100Fiennes tries desperately to "restore" the reputation of R.F. Scott--and also trash Amundsen for the multiple sins of 1) Getting to the South Pole first; 2) Not losing a man; 3) Not being British. He also does his best to try to attack Roland Huntford and all those who question Scott's leadership. Though Sir Ranulph has indeed gone to the South Pole and climbed Mt. Everest; this does not make him a great historian. Detractors of Huntford and Amundsen still have no good explanation for Apsley Cherry-Garrard's verdict on the Scott/Amundsen race for the South Pole. In his epic book THE WORST JOURNEY IN THE WORLD; Cherry Garrard concludes his story with a chapter titled; NEVER AGAIN. It is worth quoting in full here:"I shall inevitably be asked for a word of mature judgment of a kind that was impossible when we were all close up to it; and when I was a subaltern of 24; not incapable of judging my elders; but too young to have found out whether my judgment was worth anything. I now see that though we achieved a first-rate tragedy; which will never be forgotten just because it was a tragedy; tragedy was not our business. In the broad perspective opened up by ten years' distance; I see not one journey to the Pole; but two; in startling contrast; one to another. On the one hand; Amundsen going straight there; getting there first; and returning without the loss of a single man; and without having put any greater strain on himself and his men than was all in the day's work of polar exploration. Nothing more business-like could be imagined. On the other hand; our expedition; running appalling risks; performing prodigies of superhuman endurance; achieving immortal renown; commemorated in august cathedral sermons and by public statues; yet reaching the Pole only to find our terrible journey superfluous; and leaving our best men dead on the ice. To ignore such a contrast would be ridiculous: to write a book without accounting for it a waste of time."As Sir Ranulph appears determined to do just this in his book; we'll let Cherry-Garrard (a man who was actually there at the time) stand as the counter-argument.