RACE TO THE POLE

It’s general knowledge that during the winter of 1911-1912 explorers from Norway and England vied for the honor of reaching the South Pole first. What’s often overlooked is what those treks meant in daily effort for the participants. What provided warmth before polar fleece? Why would men pull their own sleds? How was ample food carried on multi-week stints? Meredith Hooper's work provides just this information while maintaining the suspense and tension between rivals Roald Amundson and Robert Scott. Clive Mantle maintains the intensity throughout. He despairs as storms arise and delay whole segments of travel; he wonders at the preposterous addition of skis and motorcars as modes of transportation; mourns at the deaths; and muses over the sweet and bittersweet victories. A.R. © AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine [Published: FEB/ MAR 05]