ebooks Scott's Last Expedition by Captain R. F.; Huxley; Leonard Scott in History

Review

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Scott's Last Expedition - Review - Theo SymondsBy MRobert Falcon Scott; a British Royal Navy Officer; was appointed to lead the Terra Nova Expedition in 1910. The purpose of this expedition was to beat the Norwegians in a race to be the first nation to reach the South Pole. His expedition of five brave men included himself; Lt. Wilson; Captain Oates; Lt. Bowers; and Edgar Evans. Throughout the entire expedition; Scott kept a journal in which he recorded events that happened on every day that he was able to write. These entries were saved; and written into this novel.The story of these men sends chills through the reader’s body as cold as the Antarctic winds.The Terra Nova set off from New Zealand toward the Ross Ice Shelf of Antarctica. On the way there; the ship faced heavy storms and thick ice. After being halted for over a month; the ship broke free and landed at Hut Point. There; the men unloaded everything; dogs; ponies; food and equipment. On January 27th; they went south to set up Depots of food (for the summer journey); and waited to set off until the summer. After the winter ended; Scott and 4 of his most trusted men set off for the South Pole. It was a difficult journey; and a slow one too. The long marches during the days were arduous and tired the men out. On January 17th; Scott and his men reached the South Pole to find the Norwegian flag; the Norwegians had gotten there a month before Scott.The depressed men turned homeward. They made good progress on the return; but their physical conditions worsened. Frostbitten and cold; one of the 5 men; Edgar Evans; died on February 17th. The remaining 4 men continued on; dragging their heavy sleds behind them.At this point; back at Hut Point; the dog trainer Atkinson was ordered by Scott to come southward to meet the 5 men; and take them home by dogs. Atkinson failed to do so. Scott and his men had to return by foot; through coldness and blizzards. Lawrence Oates’ health began to deteriorate; and slowed the men down. One night; Oates left the tent and said; “I am going outside and may be some time”; and no one has seen Oates since (Page 413). Oates dramatically sacrificed himself for the hope of his men returning home. The remaining 3 men continued onwards; on low food supplies. On march 20th; a blizzard halted them from advancing any further. The 3 men set up a tent and waited to die. Scott’s last entry read; “I do not think I can write more. R. Scott. Last entry. For God's sake look after our people” (Page 415).At the beginning of the novel; Robert’s Scott’s entries are quite simply coordinations; and weather conditions. Mostly Scientific jargon. As the novel continues and Scott journeys further south; his writing reflects the beauty that he finds in the Antarctic landscape. The imagery is incredibly vivid; and Scott does a brilliant job at showing the reader how the expedition was; how it happened; how it felt… The reader can sense the emotions that Scott feels throughout the novel. After losing the race to the South Pole; Scott’s tone changes dramatically. His writing becomes more gloomy and melancholic; and the reader can feel the depression that Scott felt. He is brutally honest about his frustrations of the failing expedition. To add to the melancholic tone; every death of his men depresses the reader as much as it depressed Scott. His writing gave the lost men a sad; yet dignified death acceptance. As the novel ends; Scott’s writing hints toward his death. The reader can tell that death is imminent for the men; and the expedition.The bravery of Scott and his men will never be forgotten in Britain. This powerful novel gives an emotional read for readers; as it reflects the trials of five men in a hostile environment. Their story of heroism and bravery touches every heart; and can jerk a tear from the most serious British gentleman.3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. First hand insightBy artjScotts Last expedition is; as the cover describes; a detailed first hand account of the day to day preparations of his final polar expedition. In buying the book the reader needs to understand that much of the content deals with those aspects of polar exploration. The problems with equipment; the processes followed in setting up camps and the training carried out to support the variety of tasks the expedition had set out to complete. It does; of course; deal with the final Southern Journey in which Scott and his four companions lost their lives just 11 miles short of One Ton depot; the supply dump which would have provided food and fuel which in turn may have ensured the safe return of the remaining three.There is little mention of the so called 'race to the pole' with Amundsun and what mention Scott does make of his fellow explorer (in the initial stages) is very much explaining that for him (Scott) the expedition was about more than simply being first to the pole. There is no doubt that this was a goal and it had high priority but it is also clear that this expedition was as much about gathering scientific data in an effort to gain greater understanding of the region. Much of the data gathered was collected through a series of experiments that were designed and developed by the extensive team Scott had gathered around him.Much has been written about Scott in recent years. Those who attempt to distract from his achievements miss the point. He was from a different era and to judge him by modern standards is both pointless and unfair. His expedition was set up and run as all British expeditions of were conducted. Britain clearly had a very successful tack record in this type of endeavour so why would he change that approach? Yes; with hindisight this was a turning point in the debate; dogs versus ponies versus humans. The tragic end to this trip sealing the fate of that argument.It is a long read and the entries relating to the day to day running can be tedious but in the whole and given the endurance and the final outcome the diaries stand as a testament to Scott and all he achieved and his reputaion remains untarnished.The final letters home are heart-rending and hint of the loyaly Scott felt towards his colleagues; his family and his country.This was not a failed mission and subsequent authors who have sought to damage Scotts reputation are perhaps the ones who are most guilty or error; being narrow minded and worst of all suffering from prejudice.Enjoy0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. An Amazing Tale of Amazing MenBy nancy hargesIt started out a little slow for me with all the details of preparations but it picked up as it went along. He was a great leader and all of those with him proved perfect for the challenge they faced. It's too bad the weather was their worst enemy. I really enjoyed the book.