Book Description
The sun never sets, the air is twenty degrees below zero, and the ice is moving at four hundred yards an hour. Welcome to the North Pole. In 2003, environmental reporter Andrew Revkin joined a scientific expedition to one of the world's last uncharted frontiers, where he was the first New York Times reporter ever to file stories and photographs from the top of the world. In his quest to understand the pole, Andrew leads readers through the mysterious history of arctic exploration; he follows oceanographers as they drill a hole through nine feet of ice to dive into waters below; peers into the mysteries of climate modeling and global warming; and ultimately shows how the fate of the pole will affect us all.
Customer Reviews:
terranova.......2007-05-26
timely topic, but book isn't exactly dense. more of a children's primer on Arctic issues.
*'Walking on Water' takes on NEW MEANING . . . *.......2007-01-03
After moving 400 yards an hour on an ice floe at the top of the world for three days, Science Writer Andrew Revkin looks down from a helicopter. He watches the icy expanses recede far below while he weighs questions and answers about global warming, and the challenge of presenting these to young readers who are often lured in other directions by iPods & computer games.
Tomorrow's scientists need to be 'shook up' and know there are still discoveries to be made; they can be the ones inventing new techniques needed to retrieve & examine rock core samples from deep below the ice. (See pictures on page 66). They can be detectives competing with the changing ice for answers to frustrating puzzles about the rising seas, for example.
The editor has used engravings and diagrams along with the latest photographs to give an impressive smattering of the history of arctic exploration. The double-spread of a lone seal on pages 100-101 should have been placed to better advantage, to help make Revkin's point about the loneliness of the Arctic where the silence is often interrupted by questions about the future of mankind. This is a excellent, stimulating book for all ages to read and discuss together.
The polar regions have always drawn explorers and it is our luck that the New York Times sent Andrew Revkin to the North to look for ways of stirring the public. We must each take an active interest and help stimulate youthful curiosity by showing the techniques used today. It is not enough to feel the exhilaration of travel without becoming responsible global citizens. In a recent interview by Gwen Iffel on PBS, Revkin cited the "slow drift" of events that do not receive adequate coverage by the media, as for example the recent announcement that the first whale species in China is now extinct. Consider also the projection that by 2040 the Arctic Ocean could be blue for the first time in a thousand years.
Already the levels of contaminates in the bodies of Inuit persons living in the North is beyond acceptable. The Pole is indeed moving . . . can we be instrumental in putting the puzzle pieces back together and work toward unity for the good of the Earth and our children's future?
We must not lose generations of the ingenuity of bright young minds to Wars and the Pestilence of mediocre minds.
Comments on The North Pole Was Here: Puzzles and Perils at the Top of the World.......2006-09-18
While intended for a young audience this serves as a very basic introduction to Arctic exploration and scientific study. Scientific and political issues mentioned could have been a good springboard for young adults to understand that scientific methods can serve as a process to follow when trying to answer difficult questions. Additionally, it is unfortunate that Mr. Revkin did not include even a passing mention of Dr. John Rae (Fatal Passage). This is a good book to provoke discussion and does little to answer the "big" questions. Mr. Revkin also might consider using a paradigm from Paracelsus that all substances are toxic - its the dose that differentiates the poison.
Average customer rating:
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The History of Cartography, Volume 2, Book 3: Cartography in the Traditional African, American, Arctic, Australian, and Pacific Societies (The History of Cartography)
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ASIN: 0226907287 |
Book Description
"Certain to be the standard reference for all subsequent scholarship."—John Noble Wilford, New York Times Book Review, on the History of Cartography series
"The maps in this book provide an evocative picture of how indigenous peoples view and represent their worlds. They illuminate not only questions of material culture but also the cognitive systems and social motivations that underpin them" (from the introduction).
Although they are often rendered in forms unfamiliar to Western eyes, maps have existed in most cultures. In this latest book of the acclaimed History of Cartography, contributors from a broad variety of disciplines collaborate to describe and address the significance of traditional cartographies. Whether painted on rock walls in South Africa, chanted in a Melanesian ritual, or fashioned from palm fronds and shells in the Marshall Islands, all indigenous maps share a crucial role in representing and codifying the spatial knowledge of their various cultures. Some also serve as repositories of a group's sacred or historical traditions, while others are exquisite art objects.
The indigenous maps discussed in this book offer a rich resource for disciplines such as anthropology, archaeology, art history, ethnology, geography, history, psychology, and sociology. Copious illustrations and carefully researched bibliographies enhance the scholarly value of this definitive reference.
Amazon.com
By the mid-19th century, after decades of polar exploration, the fabled Northwest Passage seemed within reach. In 1845 the British Admiralty assembled the largest expedition yet, refitting two ships with steam engines and placing the seasoned if somewhat lackluster Sir John Franklin in command of the 128-man expedition. After sailing into Baffin Bay, they were never heard from again.
Drawing on early accounts from relief expeditions as well as recent archeological evidence, Scott Cookman reconstructs a chronicle of the expedition in Ice Blink. Cookman, a journalist with articles in Field & Stream and other magazines, excels when firmly grounded in the harrowing reality of 19th-century Arctic exploration. When he speculates about what happened to the Franklin expedition, however, he is on less solid ground and his writing suffers.
Particularly overwrought is the promised "frightening new explanation" for the expedition's demise. Cookman suggests that it was caused by the "grotesque handiwork" of an "evil" man, Stephan Goldner, who had supplied its canned foods. This is hardly new. As early as 1852, investigators determined that the expedition's canned goods were probably inferior and canceled provisioning contracts with Goldner. How a hundred men survived for nearly three years despite lead poisoning and botulism remains a mystery. In the end, as Cookman himself acknowledges, the expedition was ultimately doomed by its reliance on untested technology such as the steam engine, armor plating, and canned provisions. These criticisms aside, Ice Blink is an interesting narrative of this enduring symbol of polar exploration and disaster. --Pete Holloran
Book Description
Two of the most advanced ships of the time.
129 handpicked men.
A commander who had survived three previous Arctic trips.
Lost without a trace.
What happened?
For a century and a half, the question of what happened to the Franklin Expedition-the worst disaster in the history of polar exploration-has remained a puzzle. Now, based on original research in British Admiralty records, author Scott Cookman re-creates the full story of the ill-fated expedition and reveals a frightening new explanation for one of the most enduring mysteries in the annals of exploration.
Praise for Scott Cookman'sIceblink
"Ice Blink is a gripping tale of adventure overlaid with tragedy. Readers will come away from it with a fresh understanding-and a deep compassion-for the men of Sir John Franklin's ill-fated polar expedition."-Nathan Miller, author of War at Sea: A Naval History of World War II
Customer Reviews:
Intriguing but not completely satisfying.......2007-05-25
In 1845, Captain John Franklin and the crews of the Erebus and Terror sallied forth from England in search, once more, of the elusive Northwest Passage. Despite the best technology the time had to offer, not one soul returned from the voyage. In this book, Scott Cookman retells the known story of the voyage and adds some discussion regarding the potential causes of the voyage's failure. Most notably, Mr. Cookman spends several chapters discussing how food canning was done at the time and how it could have, oddly-enough, been the deciding factor in the mission's failure.
Mr. Cookman does a fine enough job extracting the story of the voyage from the relative sparsity of the historical record. Similarly the digression into the nauseating world of mid 19th century food supplying and preservation is enlightening and compelling. Where Mr. Cookman falters , though, is in his somewhat less than convincing attempts to find a single villan of the story. Indeed, much of the discussion of the voyage's food supplier, Stephen Goldner, while quite possibly correct, seems based almost entirely on conjecture or the writer's imagination. Mr. Cookman should be applauded for retelling this interesting story and for adding additional important context. However, unsupported conjecture shouldn't masquerade as history, even pop history.
Repetitive.......2005-02-02
The author often describes events with novelistic details that he actually has no knowledge about. Most frustrating of all is the protracted discussion of canning in the 19th century. He goes on much too long about such things as cleanliness of the employees in canning facilities, details he cannot possibly know, but only assumes. Though perhaps correct, the obviousness of the matter makes the reading tedious. And on and on it goes. Once the chapter is over, he mentions the points again in the next chapter. But he is not through with it. You'll read it again and again.
Other reviewers here have mentioned that the canning episode is well documented in the book. Some facts are but not all. I also fail to see why this is the main cause of the failure of the exhibition.
Couldn't the failure be that there really isn't a realistic North West Passage in the first place?
The book could have used a few more maps. How can one possibly understand the circumstances without a map showing what Franklin knew of the Arctic. A map showing the escape route and the location of some of the artifacts found could have been very helpful. I am a bit confused about what freezes over in the Arctic, blocking routes, and what does not. How about a map showing that?
The author mentions that the passage was actually found during the escape, that is between Canada's main land and King William's Island. This is the route that Admunsen took, conquering the passage for the first time. I wonder if Franklin took this course, if he really would have made it.
More than Slightly Speculative.......2004-01-25
One reviewer has called the book "slightly speculative." That is too charitable. Cookman generally does not contradict known facts about the Franklin expedition, but he invents much more detail than he has evidence to support. The book is unsuitable for academic purposes, but it provides a compelling, though at times poorly written, story. I do not wish to be too harsh on the book. To its credit, many of Cookman's speculations are reasonable and provide information that serious historians withhold in their books on the expedition. It is best to read one of the many other books on the topic in order to know what parts of Ice Blink to trust, and which to take with a grain of salt.
FANTASTIC.......2003-12-20
I was flipping the channels on early Sunday morning when for some reason I stopped on Book TV on C-Span 2 and caught Scott Cookman talking about the search for the Northwest Passege. It was the Apollo mission of its time. I have read a number books over Sir John Franklin Polar Expedition and this one by far is the best. Polar Exploration the 1800's was pretty dicey, even today it is. If you have any interest Polar Expedions and true mystery this is your book and it all rally happend.
A good read, slightly speculative.......2003-11-27
The Fate of the Franklin expedition will most likely always be a mystery. This wonderful, speculative account is one of the best. The author does a step by step look at all the factors and issues leading to the disaster that cost the lives on 129 British Navy personnel in search of the Northwest passage. Franklin had left England in 1845 with two of the best equipped ships ever put to sea for arctic exploration, he had experienced officers and a compliment of 129 men. They were never seen again. Subsequently 50 expeditions searched and found only scraps of clues as to their disappearance.
This book claims the culprit was most likely Botulism in the canned meat. This speculation runs contradictory to that lead poisoning thesis put forward in `Frozen in Time' and the fact that admiralty investigations proved the meat tins were not thoroughly sealed(thus Botulism couldn't have formed). Nevertheless this is one of the best books on the fate of the expedition. The author describes the final `death march' south along King William Island and the subsequent cannibalism that took place. Excellent diagrams bring the ships to life and maps show the final route of Franklins last survivors. A must read for those interested in arctic survival and the riddle of Sir John Franklin.
Seth J Frantzman November 2003
Book Description
Featuring the breathtaking images of award-winning photographer Russell Kaye, An Illustrated Viking Voyage tells the tale of an awe-inspiring modern expedition.
In 1997, journalist and history buff W. Hodding Carter, along with a ragtag band of amateur sailors, set out to retrace Leif Eriksson's journey to North America. They sailed a handmade ship modeled after a traditional Viking "knarr." It was the first voyage by Westerners to precisely follow the Vikings' route in nearly a thousand years.
Beginning in a small boathouse in Maine, Carter's fifty-four-foot open-decked Viking boat, the Snorri, took shape from wooden planks and individually pounded iron rivets. Over the next year, the Snorri sailed from the ports and fjords of Greenland through the Arctic circle to a victorious landing at l'Anse aux Meadows in Newfoundland.
Through the extraordinary images of photographer Russell Kaye, and a colorful running text from Carter, the chronicle of this remarkable voyage is captured in rich detail. Experience the feat of building an authentic Viking vessel; the power of sublime Arctic landscapes; the beauty and treachery of icebergs; and the fishermen of local villages who offered advice and companionship despite language barriers.
An unforgettable adventure as seen through a celebrated photographer's lens, An Illustrated Viking Voyage chronicles a once-in-a-millennium occurrence, one which fans of Viking lore and seafaring journeys will come back to time and again.
Customer Reviews:
Coffee table book with great pictures but nothing else.......2004-01-10
This book gathers some magnificent pictures of the trip and its preparation. In particular, there are multiple images of bergs and growlers that are breathtaking.
However, those of us interested in the story of the trip, its preparation, the re-creation of the ship, the research of the itinerary and, in general, in knowledge about either vikings' shipbuilding technology or seafaring will be greatly disappointed. The text provided in the book amounts to a few lines per page in very large font, and does not attempt to describe any of the research associated with this trip, or even any of the details of the trip itself. There is so little text across the whole book that it can be read in 10 to 15 minutes...
If you intend to buy this book, be aware that this is a coffee table book: pictures only. I was interested in knowledge rather than photography - for me it was a total letdown.
Retracing an historic odyssey.......2001-07-06
Leif Eriksson was a great explorer, traveling from Greenland to North America long before the time of Christopher Columbus. Eriksson and his Viking crew were the first known Europeans to set foot upon the North American Continent. More than a thousand years after Eriksson's time, a group of sailors and friends from Maine had the dream of recreating his voyage. "Viking Voyage" tells the story of that dreams realization. Using designs from Denmark and Greenland, an authentic Viking boat was built. The sailors from Maine were joined in their quest by crew members from Greenland and Denmark. The new Vikings set off on two voyages in 1997 and 1998, following the path of Eriksson from so long ago. They had to overcome many difficulties, and at one point faced the prospect of their boat beginning to fall apart in mid ocean. They journeyed through the often treacherous Artic waters between Greenland and Canada. They faced the same cold and misery that the Vikings of old had known. The crew also had moments of great exhilaration, and they began to think and feel in much the same way as the Vikings. Their voyage became not only a recreation of Eriksson's expedition, but an odyssey through time itself. "Viking Voyage" is richly illustrated with beautiful photographs, and it helps us to understand the Viking way of life. There is a special magic within this book: a magic of seeking and reaching for dreams.
Book Description
Before Sir Ernest Shackleton's exploration of the Antarctic waters in 1914, Captain Roald Amundsen led a courageous team through ice-chocked waters to become the first expedition to reach the South Pole in 1911. Read the fascinating account of his journey in The South Pole.
"Roald Amundsen planted the Norwegian flag on the South Pole on December 14, 1911: a full month before Robert Falcon Scott arrived onthe same spot. Amundsen's 'The South Pole' is less well-known than his rival's, in part because he is less of a literary stylist, but also, perhaps, because he survived the journey.His book is a riveting first-hand account of a truly professionalexpedition; Amundsen's heroism is understated, but it is heroismnonetheless."
--The Times of London, 23 June 2001
At the beginning of the twentieth century, the South Pole was the most coveted prize in the fiercely nationalistic modern age of exploration. In the spring of 1911 two separate expeditions left their respective camps in Antarctica in a desperate bid to achieve the glory of being first to reach the South Pole: a British party, led by Captain R. F. Scott, and a Norwegian one under Captain Roald Amundsen.
The South Pole,— Amundsen's first-hand account of the expedition,— is a fascinating and highly readable history of the tenacity and perseverance of the age.
"The last of the Vikings," Roald Engebreth Gravning Amundsen was a powerfully built man of over six feet in height, born into a family of merchant sea captains in 1872. In 1903 he navigated the Northwest Passage in a 70-foot fishing boat. Soon afterwards he learned that Ernest Shackleton was setting out on an attempt to reach the South Pole. Shackleton abandoned his quest a mere 97 miles short of the Pole, but Amundsen began preparing his own expedition. Although this was the age of the amateur explorer, Amundsen was a professional: he left little to chance, apprenticed with Inuits, and obsessed over every detail.
On October 18, 1911 Amundsen's party set out from the Bay of Whales, on Antarctica's Ross Ice Shelf, for their final drive toward the pole. His British counterpart, Robert Falcon Scott, dependent on Siberian ponies rather than on dogs, began his trip three weeks later. While Scott clung fast to the British rule of "No skis, no dogs," Amundsen understood that both were vital to survival. Aided by exceptionally cooperative weather conditions, Amundsen's men passed the point where Shackleton was forced to turn back on December 7, and at approximately 3pm on December 14, 1911, Roald Amundsen raised the flag of Norway at the South Pole, one month before Scott's party would arrive.
A polar masterpiece of history and adventure,
The South Pole is the stunning first-hand account of one of the greatest success stories in the annals of exploration. Most skillfully Amundsen constructs the expedition's character through its personalities
the cast of veteran explorers, scientists, and crew
providing insight not only into Amundsen's philosophy of exploration, but into the classical age of polar explorers.
Download Description
World-renowned polar explorer Captain Roald Amundsen's (1872-1928) conversational, candid, and engrossing account of his Norwegian expedition's successful race, first aboard the Fram and then by dogsled, to be the first to reach the South Pole. Setting out from Norway in August, 1910, the Fram arrived in Antarctica in January, 1911. After months of preparation by the members of the expedition operating out of their Bay of Whales base on the Ross Ice Shelf, Amundsen and four of his companions set out for the South Pole on October 20, 1911, with four sledges, each pulled by 13 dogs. On December 14 the five reached their goal, arriving a full month before the rival British expedition led by Captain Robert F. Scott. "I cannot say -though I know it would sound much more effective - that the object of my life was attained. That would be romancing rather too bare-facedly. . . . Of course, there was a festivity in the tent that evening - not that champagne corks were popping and wine flowing - no, we contented ourselves with a little piece of seal meat each, and it tasted well and did us good," Amundsen wrote afterward.
Customer Reviews:
MasterPiece. .......2007-06-07
Wonderful. Strong. Beautiful. It is a great book. You end up thinking that the five hundred pages are not enought. Amundsen is the project management himself. It is a pleasure to read such an adventure in a such complete edition, with all maps, photos, cientific info, etc. Highly recommended.
Disappointed with the Indy Publishing edition........2007-01-16
Don't waste your money on the Indy Publishing edition of this book. No pictures, no maps, no dust jacket. It is no fun to read a full paragraph description by the author of an incident that was recorded with a photograph that is not in the book. A better investment would be the paper back edition.
Amundsen was funny!.......2006-02-22
This book was a lot of fun, in a geeky documentary sort of way.
Amundsen had a dry sense of humor, kind of like Tolkien. You know, polite and proper but every once in a while you can picture an arched eyebrow. Like Gandalf cracking a subtle joke. If you are not paying attention, you will miss it... but if you *are* paying attention, it'll make you chuckle.
I laughed out loud several times when reading this book, which is something I never did when reading other Antarctica books.
So if you are worried about this book being "dry" and "boring", well, did you like Lord of the Rings? If so, Amundsen's writing might "click" with you too.
The Norwegian Method.......2006-02-12
Roald Amundsen's "The South Pole" is a detailed, even exhaustive account of his successful 1910-1912 expedition to the South Pole. Amundsen's expedition was the first to reach the South Pole, after failures by other expeditions.
Amundsen was relentlessly methodical and practical in planning and executing the expedition. He identified a practical method of travel for the long haul to the South Pole from the Antarctic coast: dog sleds and skiis. He and his crew experimented and tested all their equipment and supplies in the Antarctic while patiently waiting for the right weather to travel. In striking contrast to his British competitor, Robert Falcon Scott, Amundsen correctly estimated the amount of food that would be consumed by physically active men operating for weeks in sub-zero temperatures. Amundsen's preparation is so complete that the actual expedition sometimes has all the drama of a weekend fishing trip. Amundsen was apparently a modest man, and it falls to Roland Huntford in an introduction to draw the obvious comparison with the catastrophic failure of the Scott expedition.
Amundsen's account provides all the detail necessary for anyone who might wish to duplicate his feat. Unfortunately, his writing style is very dry and even dedicated students of polar exploration may find finishing this book a long haul.
This book is highly recommended to students of the history of polar travel.
Preparedness Leads To Success.......2003-05-27
In the Foreword, Roland Huntford describes Amundsen's narrative as "all that Scott's is not". How right he is! This a very large book, but nonetheless an easy read. Amundsen relates a fascinating tale of fortune, misfortune, hardship, and ultimately - success. The narrative is detailed, but not overly so. In many places, a dose of humor is weaved in. Complete with numerous photos, maps, and scientific data, this book should be considered one of the great narratives of exploration. The great moral lesson of this tale is that preparedness ultimately leads to success. Is it any wonder that Roald Amundsen and his comrades won the race to the South Pole?
Book Description
Central to Farley Mowat's writing is his quest to understand the often-forgotten native people of the vast arctic wilderness. In this moving collection, he allows these people to describe in their own words the adventures they experience as they struggle to survive in an isolated, untamed land. Stories of survival and courage, of superstition and fate, of uncompromising loyalty to family and tribe are presented here; offering a vivid portrait of a people whose existence is often beyond the comprehension of modern man. Inspiration for the major motion picture from Infinity Media and First Look International
Customer Reviews:
The demise of a people.......2006-11-12
Mowat is, once again, critical of government agencies and organizations in the mandatory relocation of natives to an inhospitable location and failure to monitor the results of the move. Creates a better understanding of how a group of people become extinct. A difficult survival made more difficult!
The Snow Walker.......2006-03-20
This is a great collection of stories in classic Farley Mowat style; compelling. A fantastic movie was made of one of the short stories in the collection and also titled 'Snow Walker', but read the book first. He's written many wonderful books, but my favorite tales will always be of the Inuit where his love of the people and their culture shines through.
Chrissy K. McVay
author of 'Souls of the North Wind'
quick yet profound stories, eh? [no spoilers].......2005-11-29
"The Snow Walker" is a collection of beautifully written short stories centered in the extreme cold artic regions. As an individual who has ventured into the northern lands, Farley Mowat conveys ten compelling tales from natives and their cultural heritage. The narratives range from superstitious to legendary adventure and either inspires the spirit or brings a dark mood to the betrayal faced by the indigenous people by the white man.
Those not fluent with certain acronyms or northern culture might have difficulty understanding small segments of some stories. A detailed map of the significant terrains would have been useful.
Thank you.
Not Mowat's best book.......2003-06-23
I'm a big fan of Farley Mowat, but this is not a book that I would rank among his best. I just couldn't get into it, although some of the stories were entertaining. Nagging questions about the manner in which he may have embellished the stories dogged me throughout.
A northern light........2002-07-24
Canada's poet-biologist-sociologist, Farley Mowat, is the almost invisible traveler in this journey across the snow swept northern barrens. He illuminates a place which most of us will never know. From its land forms to its creatures to the lives and thoughts of its native peoples. An engrossing collection of storytelling that could only be the product of the writers intimacy with place.
Says Mowat, "The northern people are happy when snow lies heavy on the land. They welcome the first snow in autumn, and often regret its passing in the spring. Snow is their friend. Without it they would have perished or -- almost worse from their point of view -- they would long since have been driven south to join us in our frenetic rush to wherever it is that we are bound."
Book Description
This new edition of Frozen in Time expands on the history of early British Arctic exploration and places the tragically fated Franklin expedition in the context of other expeditions of the era, including those commanded by George Back and James Clark Ross, which also suffered unaccountable and devastating losses. The authors' research reveals an unexpected — and ironic — cause for the mystery illness that befell the explorers. Never-before-seen photographs from the exhumations, updated research results, additional forensic corroboration, and a new introduction by Margaret Atwood complete this fascinating account.
Customer Reviews:
Great read..........2006-03-14
God this book was amazing. It took me months to read because it was so dense with information and I kept gaping at the pictures, but it was worth it. The best thing about Frozen in Time was that the anthropologists that excavated the bodies were so emotional about it. The whole book, despite being a scientific account, is so incredibly creepy. One of the creepiest books I have ever read. The contents of this book completely permeated my brain, even after I finished reading the book.
I guess the authors had a distinct advantage by choosing to excavate members of the Franklin expedition. I don't think there are many things that people today are morbidly curious about than cannibalism, and because it was proven to have taken place again and again on this Arctic expedition, reading about the deaths of members of the crew would be captivating regardless of what aspect(s) they were analyzing.
In this book, the major focus was what killed everyone so quickly, and I think the only issue I had with this book is that in the beginning they kind of hinted at lead poisoning, then focused on scurvy for awhile, then went back to lead poisoning, then, FINALLY, in the last chapter or two, analyzed the cans found concluded that lead was the most probably cause, and that contrary to previous belief, it was nearly impossible to die from scurvy that fast when they had limes on board. Despite the occasional digressions, the way the anthropolgists describe the bodies (especially that of John Torrington) is incredibly sincere. Many books published these days are boring, emotionless scientific accounts, with very little feeling mixed in. These scientists were completely consumed with what they were doing. They couldn't get over the sadness and loneliness involved with dying alone in the high Arctic. The fact that these sailors were beyond help, that Torrington was so young (20, I think) inspired extreme amounts of emotion. Just to be working with a 150 year old corpse of a person that died in such loneliness haunted all of the scientists throughout the book.
I guess there's nothing more to say, other than the fact that Frozen in Time is the best scientific account of an Arctic expedition I have ever read, not only because of the sheer morbidity of cannibalism, but because the scientists who wrote it were so sympathetic and filled with emotion.
Gripping and Insightful.......2006-02-04
I got this book for my birthday this past year and I couldn't put it down once I started reading it. It is a well written account not only of the fate of the Franklin Expedition, but also of the difficulties and many hardships faced by many of the Arctic Explorers of the time. It details the many problems that faced the various crews prior to Franklin's fated expedition and those of the many crews that searched for those 128 men.
The second part of the book tells of Owen Beattie's search for the Fate of those men, and his startling discoveries that showed the most likely cause of the tragedy. From finding the first bones on King Williams Island to excavating the three men on Beechey Island, the second part of the book is just as interesting as the first. Both are tales of discovery and the challenges associated with them.
All in all this book is one of those to spark the interest of anyone interested in Naval History and the history of Exploration. I highly recommend this book.
Excellent research team and analysis.......2005-10-02
Having had the luxury of actually communicating with Dr. Beattie and his team of their work, I can attest that they carried out their project professionally and with dignity. This is in contrast to many who tried or will try to answer the fate of the 129 (this field of research is ripe with many egos fighting for turf over which theory of their demise is correct, and the "glory" of finding that "holy grail" -- either Franklin's grave or his log books).
Dr. Beattie and team approached this project with a quest to forensically answer what may have killed everyone on the basis of toxic levels of lead found in disarticulated remains on King William Island (Kekertak) in a previous 1981 excavation. At the time they had a theory but needed to prove if the KWI specimens were indeed true or a fluke. Having gotten permission from the Canadian government to exhume the bodies (and after taking considerable time to try to locate relatives to gain permission to exhume the only properly interred remains on Beechey Island -- although not mentioned in the book, John Shaw Torrington appears to be last descendent of his line, having no siblings [his mom died in childbirth]), they proceeded to exhume Torrington and partially Hartnell in 1984. In 1986, with a larger and more technical team of experts, they conducted an even more thorough exhumation (showned very well on Nova's "Buried in Ice" documentary) of Hartnell and Braine.
This book offers a brief history of the 1845-48 Sir John Franklin Northwest Passage Expedition, and goes on to detail the 1981 excavations on King William Island, the 1984 and 1986 Beechey Island exhumations, then concludes with the lab results (further proving that the lead exposure was indeed from the cans, not just the environment). The big mystery still about that finding is if indeed everyone had such high lead levels, or only the sick (who more than likely were fed "better" tinned provisions) were so grossly affected.
Strongly recommend readers in getting this book and deduct the evidence themselves (this book does read like a True Crime novel), then to make up your own mind if the medical evidence is enough to answer the fate of the 129. For who knows, someone out there [you] may indeed have an answer that eluded many for almost 200 years.
[A special thank you to Dr. Beattie, Dr. Amy, Brian Spencerley, and Joelee Nunqag for your communications, insights and materials to flesh out your work. BTW, another photocopy observation -- Recheck Braine's plaque and what I mentioned in a 1993 letter, with the recent copper finding off of KWI. Very much related. :x ]
"They could not have foretold such an odyssey".......2005-05-06
The first time I heard about the Franklin expedition on Dr. Bob Brier's television documentary on mummies, I knew I had to learn more. Of course, the main cause of my fascination was the perfectly preserved bodies of the three sailors buried in 1846 on Beechy Island in the Canadian Arctic. The expedition set off in 1845 thoroughly equipped to find the elusive Northwest Passage. None of the 129 crewmen as well as Captain John Franklin survived. Years later expeditions were sent out to find out what happened to Franklin and his men. One search team in the 1850s led by M`Clintock, who was funded by Franklin's widow, discovered the only written record of the Franklin Expedition which gave a clue as to their progress and fate and a small boat with an odd array of articles and skeletons on King William Island. Headstones of three crewmen who died early in the expedition were also found on Beechy Island. The only conclusion that was made was that the men died of scurvy and starvation. In 1981, a team led by physical anthropologist Owen Beattie continued the investigation into the lost Franklin Expedition.
The reason this event was such a famous mystery was because Franklin's crew was so well prepared. Their two ships (HMS Terror and the HMS Erebus) were lavishly outfitted with survival equipment and supplies. Among their stock was a huge supply of canned foods (canning of foods being a recent practice at the time). Franklin once bragged that his provisions could stretch for 7 years (p. 18). In fact, empty tins littered the areas Franklin's crew camped. These artifacts proved clues to Beattie as to the fate of the Franklin expedition. Tests done on the lead level in bones found near Booth Point gave evidence that Franklin's men were poisoning themselves, weakening their bodies physically and impairing their decision-making. Beattie's team would exhume the bodies of the early Franklin deaths on Beechy Island to support this theory.
In addition to the exhumation and autopsies of the perfectly preserved bodies which is, of course, fascinating by itself, Beattie gives grisly details as to the evidence of cannibalism among the crew (p. 61), information on the sloppy soldering of the tin food cans (p. 113), and the rushed work of the Stephan Goldner company to fill the order for the canned foods (p. 159). A recreation of 20-year-old Chief Stoker John Torrington is described which even uses evidence found in his grave to show it was snowing lightly the day of his burial (pp. 123-7). It is unbelievable what scientists can find! One item I had not read before was that the odd choice of scriptures engraved on the headstones caused the team to first suspect foul play as the cause of the deaths (p. 93). The graves are a time capsule, and the Beattie team did an excellent job of learning from them yet also honoring them. The book includes amazing color photos of the bodies.
I have the 1987 out-of-print 180-page edition. This new edition appears to have additional information on other polar explorations giving all the more reason to check this book out. My copy ends with a comparison with the Challenger tragedy which is understandable as the 1986 disaster was still very fresh when this book was written. The big flaw with this comparison is that the powers-that-be in charge of launching Challenger knew of the dangers beforehand (even the specific warning about the fragility of the O-rings in frigid temperatures) and chose to ignore them. The Franklin Expedition really believed they were properly equipped with no idea of the fatal cargo they carried. There is a definite innocence about this tragedy on the part of all involved. They truly believed they would succeed. I also recommend the book Buried in Ice by the same authors. It is a juvenile book but has additional information not found in Frozen in Time, including photos of some of the articles used by the Franklin Expedition including a medicine chest and a complete food tin.
Amazing and Factual Read!.......2002-10-10
I loved this book! Well written for even the historical novice. Fascinating tale of hardship and tragedy from both historical viewpoint and human frailty. The additional trips made by the author, Owen Beattie, and company showed a true respect for humankind. His written words regarding the excavation and autopsies of the lost men, was both rewarding in explanation and thrilling in discovery. This historical book drew me in and I couldn't put the book down. I've become so fascinated with the fate of the Franklin Expedition that I am reading other books relating to this and other failed Arctic expeditions. Who knew history could be so fascinating? Highly recommended!
Average customer rating:
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Mawson: A Life (Miegunyah Volumes)
Philip Ayres
Manufacturer: Melbourne University Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0522848117 |
Book Description
In the heroic age of polar exploration, Sir Douglas Mawson stands in the first rank. His Antarctic expeditions of 1911-14 and 1929-31 resulted in Australia's claiming 40 per cent of the sixth continent. The sole survivor of an epic 300-mile trek, Mawson was also a scientist of national stature. His image on banknotes and stamps reflects enduring public esteem. Yet until now there has been no comprehensive, objective biography of this tall, quiet figure.
In this long-awaited, most impressive and readable biography, Philip Ayres not only illuminates Douglas Mawson's many achievements but also enables us to know and understand him as a human being. The book's many illustrations include reproductions of exquisite early colour photographs from the Antarctic expedition of 1911-14.
Amazon.com
Eighty-five years after a famous but ill-equipped Canadian Arctic expedition of 1913 had sacrificed 16 lives, some artifacts appeared on an Internet auction site. They had originated at a "ghost camp," discovered in 1924, where four of the expedition's 28 men, one woman, and two children had perished. Jennifer Niven has completed the unfulfilled mission of survivor William McKinlay to produce a "more honest and revealing account" of the wreck of the Karluk and its aftermath.
The explorers became split into several dispersed groups living "in the shadow of death." Their simultaneously grim and gruesome experiences are interwoven in this minutely detailed and atmospheric retelling, created by combining and comparing firsthand accounts and other sources. The characters are vividly re-created, from the expedition's self-interested leader, whom McKinlay called "a consummate liar and cheat," to the heroic ship's master, who struggled over 700 miles to organize a rescue. Supplemented by haunting and fascinating photographs, The Ice Master makes for harrowing and compulsive reading. This is a momentous story of the Arctic; of adventure, misadventure, and the heights of human endurance. But it is also a story of human failings and the waste of young lives, as poignant now as it was when it was big news in 1914. --Karen Tiley, Amazon.co.uk
Book Description
Eighty-five years after a famous but ill-equipped Canadian Arctic expedition of 1913 had sacrificed 16 lives, some artifacts appeared on an Internet auction site. They had originated at a "ghost camp," discovered in 1924, where four of the expedition's 28 men, one woman, and two children had perished. Jennifer Niven has completed the unfulfilled mission of survivor William McKinlay to produce a "more honest and revealing account" of the wreck of the Karluk and its aftermath.The explorers became split into several dispersed groups living "in the shadow of death." Their simultaneously grim and gruesome experiences are interwoven in this minutely detailed and atmospheric retelling, created by combining and comparing firsthand accounts and other sources. The characters are vividly re-created, from the expedition's self-interested leader, whom McKinlay called "a consummate liar and cheat," to the heroic ship's master, who struggled over 700 miles to organize a rescue. Supplemented by haunting and fascinating photographs, The Ice Master makes for harrowing and compulsive reading. This is a momentous story of the Arctic; of adventure, misadventure, and the heights of human endurance. But it is also a story of human failings and the waste of young lives, as poignant now as it was when it was big news in 1914. --Karen Tiley, Amazon.co.uk
Download Description
The riveting story of the 1913 expedition of twenty-five people who sailed out of British Columbia in search of an undiscovered Arctic continent. But tragedy struck in January 1914 when an ice cap tore a hole in the vessel's hull, shipwrecking all on board. The castaways abandoned ship and suffered from battle starvation, snow blindness, exposure to the brutal winter, and each other. The Ice Master is an epic tale of true adventure that rivals the most dramatic fiction. Drawing on the diaries of those who were rescued and those who perished, and even an interview with the one living survivor, Jennifer Niven re-creates with astonishing accuracy and immediacy the Karluk's ill-fated journey and her crew's desperate attempts to find a way home from the icy wastes of the Arctic.
Customer Reviews:
Great Book!.......2007-08-17
The start of this book was a little rough for me. The author introduced all the character all at once and I was pretty confused for a while, but once you get into the story you're hooked! This book was like a great episode of Dateline or 20/20. It was full of excitement, mystery, and really kept you on the edge of your seat wondering what happened and what was going to happen. It would be great to take todays forensics to figure out some of the things they couldn't figure out back then...sadly most of the artifacts from the doomed Karluk expedition have been lost.
Poorly written.......2007-03-07
Coincidentally I had just finished 'Alive' - another story about cold weather survival. Perhaps mainly by contrast I found it impossible to get into 'The Ice Master'. While the event is undeniably interesting, Niven's telling ruins it.
Another amazing arctic adventure story.......2006-04-04
I love reading the stories of the great arctic adventures...This one is awesome! It's basiclly the opposite of Shackeltons Endurance...No comradery, lots of death, a coward for a leader and even at the other end of the world. It really offers up a contrast. Yet through all the struggles heros still arise to meet the challenge.
ABSOLUTELY ENTHRALLING!.......2005-08-03
I absolutely could not put this book down. We had a house full of family guests and I found myself sneaking away just to try and grab a few more pages of this thrilling, yet horrifying account of the voyage of the Karluk. On one hand, I almost dreaded to pick the book up because Niven truly brings these characters to life and you become very involved with them. On the other, I just had to know who would and who would not survive and how the ones who did survive managed to do it. Niven did a superb job all around.
Another great Artic adventure, on par with "South".......2005-03-24
For me "South", is the classic Polar expedition tragedy book. This book is on par with it. However in any second source history book, there are sometimes some niggling details that are wrong. The fact that another "doomed" expedition had some survivers, may not have been known to the crew on this one. But its not clear that is what happened. Now I want to go find that book and read it. But had you only read the original books & sources you would have come away with a completely different perspective. Ms. Niven got to the heart of the trip and who were really the heros here and who were the cads.
But, this is more than just a man triumphs over nature book. Some of these folks survived but it wasn't great. It was a good read though and I'm glad I picked it up. I'm going after Ms. Niven's other book "Ada" next.
Amazon.com
The icy deaths of Robert Falcon Scott and his companions on their return from the South Pole in 1912 made them English icons of courage and sacrifice. Soon, however, Scott's judgments and decisions were questioned, and his reputation became one of inept bungler rather than heroic pioneer. Susan Solomon, senior scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in Colorado, approaches Scott's story from a meteorologist's point of view. She shows that the three weeks from February 27 to March 19, during which the explorers fell further and further behind the daily distances they had to cover in order to survive, were far colder than normal. Unusual blizzards of wet snow had already slowed the party and depleted their provisions and strength. Without these once-in-a-decade phenomena, Solomon believes the party would have returned to its base on the Ross Sea--second after Roald Amundsen in the race to the Pole, but safely. She opens each chapter with comments from a hypothetical modern visitor to Antarctica, presumably to give a wider context to the human drama of the last century, though this reviewer finds them inappropriate. She enriches her narratives of Scott's two Antarctic expeditions with vintage photographs and tables of meteorological data that highlight the explorers' achievements. Their determination was pitted against the worst weather in the world. Scott's story has been told many times before, but its weather information makes The Coldest March a useful addition to the literature. --John Stevenson
Book Description
"Had we lived, I should have had a tale to tell of the hardihood, endurance, and courage of my companions which would have stirred the heart of every Englishman. These rough notes and our dead bodies must tell the tale."--R. Scott, written after traveling for weeks of daily temperatures below minus 35 F. This riveting book tells the tragic story of Captain Robert Falcon Scott and his British team who in November 1911 began a trek across the snows of Antarctica, striving to be the first to reach the South Pole. After marching and skiing more than nine hundred miles, the men reached the Pole in January 1912, only to suffer the terrible realization that a group of five Norwegians had been there almost a month earlier. On their return journey, Scott and his four companions perished, and their legacy--as courageous heroes or tragic incompetents--has been debated ever since. Susan Solomon brings a scientific perspective to understanding the men of the expedition, their staggering struggle, and the reasons for their deaths. Drawing on extensive meteorological data and on her own personal knowledge of the Antarctic, she depicts in detail the sights, sounds, legends, and ferocious weather of this singular place. And she reaches the startling conclusion that Scott's polar party was struck down by exceptionally frigid weather--a rare misfortune that thwarted the men's meticulous predictions of what to expect. Solomon describes the many adventures and challenges faced by Scott and his men on their journey, and she also discusses each one's life, contributions, and death. Her poignant and beautifully written book restores them to the place of honor they deserve.
Customer Reviews:
Focus on weather doesn't tell the whole story.......2007-02-12
I've read several books on this subject. This one doesn't add quite enough.
What's important to note is that Scott's expedition was not considered a failure at the time. His primary goal, unlike Amundsen, was to gather scientific data, not reach the pole first. Amundsen traveled fast and light; Scott put scientific discovery first. Among other achievements, the rock fossils his men gathered later contributed to proving plate tectonics.
While Solomon's weather information is fascinating, the book "Captain Scott" by Ranulph Fiennes covers absolutely everything that was a factor, including the hellish weather. Fiennes even crossed the Antarctic using Scott's methods.
Fiennes was moved to undertake his dangerous mission by "The Last Place on Earth," which he viewed as a slander of Scott's achievements. A British court agreed; the author of "The Last Place on Earth" was ordered to pay damages to Scott's son.
Fiennes gives detailed background on all of Scott's decisions, including what is seen as one of his greatest errors, using ponies instead of dogs.
Although the book "The Last Place on Earth" was found to be slander, the drama by the same name, available on DVD, is a fine piece of film making with excellent performances. Don't take it as gospel, though.
Cold, yes, but..........2006-03-23
Solomon's is a well-written book that begs the question: How many ways are there to say that it is cold in winter at Antarctica?
Solomon builds a molehill of meteorological data that pales in comparison to mountains of other evidence. Scott's lack of provisions, inadequate marking of depots, splitting of teams, depoting of ski and evaporation of stored fuel are not the only problems with his journey.
Scott apologists lay the journey's failure and death of the party on the bad weather encountered at the end. They fail to note that 2 companions had already died by the last encampment and the last (Evans) party barely made it back 3 weeks earlier (for the same reasons listed above).
The sheer fact of the matter is, that on a journey of over FOUR MONTHS, Scott had barely FOUR DAYS of extra rations for a job requiring 5000 calories per man per day.
A 3% margin of error in the coldest, windiest, least hospitable corner of the globe is hoping on more than luck...
This is not the place to take chances.......2006-02-12
Susan Solomon's book on the ill-fated Scott expedition of 1911-1912 tries to refute the Scott bashing in Roland Huntford's superior book, "The Last Place on Earth." Huntford carefully explains why the lesser-known Amundsen deserves praise while Scott pretty much kills himself. Solomon describes Scott as a "bumbler"- someone who makes mistakes because of incompetence. But her title and thesis is- it was the weather's fault. Inspector Clouseau was a bumbler. Scott's "preparation and leadership" cost him and all his men their lives.
The best part of Solomon's book is her make-believe Antarctic visitor. One evening he watches the television serial "The Last Place on Earth" based on Huntford's book. She even quotes from it, "Any man who sits in his tent in the Antarctic and whines about the weather is not fit to lead." She then explains it was very cold. She should have kept quoting the film because it has many great quotes she didn't use; allow me to recite just a few. "Men die; cattle die; I thyself shall die; one thing I know shall never die- Judgment over the Dead". Hello Susan.
In Scott's group, Meares says, "I took a trip across Siberia a journey of 2,000 miles, taught me many things, but chiefly I learned the narrowness of the line that man walks in nature between farce and tragedy, a lesson the Norwegians have learned on sea, on ice and mountain; it is a lesson Scott and his kind will never learn." I don't know if Mr. Meares said this but his case is stronger than Solomon's.
Finally, the most eloquent for last. Amundsen warns his men to lay out markers an additional 2 miles in both directions of a depot. "Two miles?" they ask. "Yes" replies Amundsen, "This is not the place to take chances."
If Susan Solomon wants to blame the weather, okay, but perhaps she has been breathing the ozone too long.
An unforgiving land.......2005-10-17
Primarily a scientific investigation and a good one at that, with the human interest aspect secondary but significant. Solomon is very informative. Being in the Antartic may mean not just reckoning with the cold but also with low humidiity and high elevation. What being severely frostbitten is like. Considerations of what to bring on an Antartic expedition. The impact on bodies and minds as the temperature drops lower and lower.
Diary fragments are used heavily to reveal what Scott and his team were thinking. Solomon's tone is more descriptive than dramatic. One page the team has reached the South Pole and not many pages later, with little buildup, they are dead. Much of the human interest comes from Solomon's speculations after that as to why the team died as they did.
For a polar story told with less science but more drama, try also "Mawson's Will" by Leonard Bickel. They complement each other well. That Mawson, alone of his team, escaped the fate of Scott and his team is incredible. The PBS video based on "The Coldest March", an episode of the "Secrets of the Dead" series entititled "Tragedy at the Pole" is excellent.
"The worst weather in the world".......2005-07-17
The Coldest March (referring to the month as well as the verb) is about British explorer Robert Falcon Scott and his team of explorers and scientists who raced a Norwegian team led by Roald Amundsen to the South Pole in 1911-12. Amundsen was the first ever to reach the Pole. Scott and four of his crew (hand-chosen by Scott) reached the Pole a month later. Amundsen's team made it back but Scott's did not. Many books and reports have been written since trying to explain why Scott failed to return. Many critics site several bad decisions on the part of Scott leading to the legend that he was a bumbler. Scott kept a journal right to the end and sometimes his self-effacing entries fueled the criticism.
Susan Solomon may seem to have an agenda. Throughout the book, Solomon attempts to defend many of Scott's decisions and actions. She has tremendous expertise in the subject. Solomon studied the Ozone layer in the Antarctic. She is a senior scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in Boulder, Colorado. When considering the legend of Scott, Solomon admits that she assumed the Brit explorer foolishly disregarded the power of Mother Nature until she studied the data and diaries left by Scott and his crew (xvii). While Solomon often defends Scott against highly critical historical accounts like Huntford's The Last Place on Earth, she is no apologist. She also points out Scott's errors and baffling decisions.
At the beginning of each chapter, Solomon includes part of the experiences of a modern-day Antarctic visitor. This visitor is not a specific person but a conglomeration of typical visitors. At first I was confused as, while reading about this modern experience, the story would shift gears to 1911-12. Soon, I figured out the pattern. The modern stories are at the beginning of each chapter (only about 2-3 pages each) and are in bold print. These stories are able to demonstrate clearly the issues or problems surrounding the Scott legend: i.e. comparing the huge stock of frozen vegetables at the warehouse there today and the comfortable living conditions against what Scott and his him men faced (pp. 71-2), the importance of drinking plenty of water in higher elevations versus the meager cups of tea Scott and company could drink each day with the scarce fuel they had, (p. 209), how much a visitor suffers in just a short period in extreme conditions (p. 286), etc. These stories, especially one explaining the need to risk snowblindness to better see crevasses (p. 183) helped me, as a reader who will never experience anything remotely close to the Antarctic, better understand the issues people face there.
Solomon clearly refutes points of criticism of Scott: i.e. that his men suffered from scurvy because they refused to eat seal meat or their ponies (pp. 3, 176), that the final five men who journeyed to the Pole did not have enough to eat because they only prepared food for four (p. 213), etc. She does point out Scott's weaknesses and mistakes. For example, he put too much faith in the opinions of some of his men (p. 86) and, even more importantly, he planned by the margins, putting too much stock in past experiences and not preparing for the possibility of worse case scenarios as did Amundsen. The inferior sleeping bags and faulty fuel cans were significant problems stemming from a lack of proper testing and preparation. Solomon is no sycophant and makes a fair assessment based on Scott's and his men's diaries and other primary sources.
What makes this work a fresh approach is the information on weather conditions taken from stations set up near Scott's path. They provided data for several decades demonstrating that the conditions Scott faced during the last month of their lives (March 1912) were extremely rare and perhaps unprecedented. What is puzzling is Solomon's conclusions which are contradictory. She discusses the rarity of the blizzard they faced in March 1912 and then shifts to explain that a 10-day blizzard noted in Scott's diary probably did not occur and that the men stayed in their tent for other reasons; one possibly being Scott's frost-bitten foot. Then, out-of-the-blue, Solomon mentions a suicide plan Scott wrote in his diary on March 11 involving opium tablets (p. 322). They decided not to take them but it seems odd to only mention such an entry briefly towards the end of the book. They probably lived another 18 or more days. Her confusing and inconclusive ending is the only criticism I have of this well-written and fascinating book. It is extremely well-researched and, on a historical level, offers fresh ideas and approaches. She also discusses the men on Scott's team (Edward Wilson, Lawrence Oates, Henry Bowers, Edgar Evans, Lt. Edward Evans, Apsely Cherry-Garrard, etc.) describing some of their backgrounds, characters, and personalities which added a lot to the human side of the story.
Books:
- The North Pole Was Here: Puzzles and Perils at the Top of the World
- The Oregon Trail (Dover Value Editions)
- The Other Side of the River: A Story of Two Towns, a Death, and America's Dilemma
- The Practical Mariner's Book of Knowledge: 420 Sea-Tested Rules of Thumb for Almost Every Boating Situation
- The Scalpel and the Silver Bear: The First Navajo Woman Surgeon Combines Western Medicine and Traditional Healing
- The Soul of Baseball: A Road Trip Through Buck O'Neil's America
- The System: The American Way of Politics at the Breaking Point
- The World Is Flat [Updated and Expanded]: A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century
- Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace . . . One School at a Time
- Thunder in the East: The Nazi-Soviet War, 1941-1945
Books Index
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