Race to the Pole

During the Golden Era of Exploration, Captain Robert Scott and his competitor Roald Amundsen conquered the unconquerable: Antarctica. Their perilous race to the South Pole claimed Scott's life and became the stuff of legend, as well as endless scrutiny. In this compelling biography of Captain Scott and his fatal journey, renowned modern-day explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes, holder of 10 expeditionary records, has written what is sure to become the definitive book on this hotly debated subject. Infused with the intensity of fiction, and the author's hard-won, firsthand knowledge of what it takes to traverse the Antarctic continent, Race to the Pole is a prodigious achievement certain to become a classic in the literature of exploration.

"David Povall offers an intelligent, listenable reading of this re-revisionist biography of Captain Robert Scott's fatal race to the South Pole. Present-day explorer Ranulph Fiennes has an ego the size of the Pole that he, too, has crossed. ...David Povall reads the history sections in an engaged, well-paced manner that never loses the listener, and he offers an intense but not-too-dramatic rendition of Scott's travails. Perfect for history buffs and armchair adventurers."
AudioFile

It is recorded in the history books that Amundsen was the first human being to get to the South Pole. But this gives you no idea of the incredible planning, drama and hardship involved in this feat. This small book describes three expeditions during the early part of the last century assembled by two Englishmen (Shackleton and Scott) and Amundsen, a Norwegian that went after the prize. In order to successfully reach the South Pole, an expedition had to travel over 700 miles of frozen ice, crevices and mountains, carrying all their provisions with them through the most brutal storms on the planet and then return, all during the brief Antarctic summer.
KLIATT