An Empire of Ice
Scott, Shackleton, and the Heroic Age of Antarctic Science
2 of 2 copies available
Efficient, well prepared, and focused solely on the goal of getting to his destination and back, Amundsen has earned his place in history as the first to reach the South Pole. Scott, meanwhile, has been reduced in the public mind to a dashing incompetent who stands for little more than relentless perseverance in the face of inevitable defeat. An Empire of Ice offers a new perspective on the Antarctic expeditions of the early twentieth century by looking at the British efforts for what they actually were: massive scientific enterprises in which reaching the South Pole was but a spectacular sideshow. By focusing on the larger purpose, Edward Larson deepens our appreciation of the explorers' achievements, shares little-known stories, and shows what the Heroic Age of Antarctic discovery was really about.
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Creators
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Publisher
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Release date
June 22, 2011 -
Formats
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OverDrive Listen audiobook
- ISBN: 9781452623146
- File size: 305110 KB
- Duration: 10:35:38
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Languages
- English
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Reviews
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We are all familiar with Amundsen's besting of Robert Falcon Scott in the race to the South Pole and then Scott's recording of his dying days while hunkered down in a tent during a blizzard. But did you know that Scott's expedition was carrying 35 pounds of fossils and rock samples that the team refused to abandon? John Nelson's forceful voice emphasizes every word, managing to keep the listener engaged as Edward Larson views polar exploration through a lens of scientific purpose; expeditions employed scientists to expand knowledge (for the Empire!) in paleontology, geology, zoology, and magnetism. But Nelson is less successful with accents. He employs the same odd-sounding British accent for all the quotations to distinguish them from the narrative. Surely every explorer, scientist, and commentator didn't sound the same. A.B. (c) AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine -
January 14, 2013
While the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration lasted from 1897-1922, Pulitzer-winner Larson (A Magnificent Catastrophe) focuses on the British Antarctic expeditions prior to World War I in his study of the era and its accomplishments. British explorers Robert Scott and Ernest Shackleton take center stage, joined by Norwegian Roald Amundsen, as Larson examines the numerous attempts to reach the South Pole, including Scottâs tragic last journey and Amundsenâs victory. Transcending those tales, he analyzes how these missions furthered science, dividing his narrative into various disciplines: from oceanography to geology, biology to magnetism, we see how these missions were as much about "how science gave meaning to adventure" as they were a "dash to the South Pole." While Scottâs last expedition "came to stand for little more than relentless perseverance in the face of inevitable defeat," Larson skillfully details how these missions expanded knowledge of Antarctica across an array of fields, and how Scott sacrificed everything to bring home a few more specimens. The result is an insightful, accessible, enlightening account of an age when exploration "reflected the values of the Edwardian age: fitness and science mattered." b&w photos. Agent: B.G. Dilworth, B.G. Dilworth Agency.
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