The Voyage of the Discovery: Scott's First Antarctic Expedition

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Summary: Scotts own words
Review: If you want to hear Scotts own voice then these two volumes are the only ones Scott wrote, edited and knowingly published. They are a fascinating read and show Scotts thinking about Polar travel and how he came to make the decisions that, unknowingly, led to his death in his next expedition. For anyone who has only read other peoples accounts of the race for the Pole and have come away thinking Scott was incompetent, then these volumes may well change your mind. This is a story of a man putting together a scientific expedition in just one year and of what he achieved: men, equipment, aims and objectives, setting off into a totally unknown land, bringing back an enormous body of scientific knowledge that was the basis for subsequent expeditions and part of the basis of all of todays Antarctic research. Nothing like this could be done today. It is also an insight into Edwardian (English) life at the turn of the century. Read the man himself and make-up your own mind. Then read his journals of his next (1910) expedition and the accounts of his companions, especially Apsley Cherry-Garrard: The Worst Journey in the World.
The facsimile edition is excellently presented and at the special offer price is a bargain.