34theletterbetweenB&D Posted June 27, 2014 Share Posted June 27, 2014 I took advantage of a recent holiday to finally read for myself this book, from which I have over the years heard and read many extracts. A stunning achievement, don't wait as long as I have to read it. You can form your own conclusions regarding Captain Scott, but overall the revealed qualities of the people involved are truly stunning. Now, perhaps it was timely in one respect, considering the centenary many of us will remember later this year. One of the members of the 'Campbell Party' (a group who were cut off from the main camp and came through an antarctic winter with inadequate supplies) whose members survived by hunting for seal and penguin, is recalled as saying of his WWI service experience that in contrast 'the trenches at Ypres were a comparative picnic'. The last not being a word I had ever thought to read in connection with trench warfare... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted June 27, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 27, 2014 It is a truly excellent book and an amazing story of human endeavour - my pre-war Penguin edition, found for me by Mrs Stationmaster several years ago, still gets occasional outings. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
davknigh Posted June 28, 2014 Share Posted June 28, 2014 A brilliant book. I you can find a copy of "CHERRY" by Sara Wheeler, Random House ISBN0-375-50328-5 you can get a deeper insight into the character of Cherry-Garrard. Another great tale is to be found in "SHACKELTON'S BOAT JOURNEY' by F.A. Worsley or "ENDURANCE" by Alfred Lansing. When you read about what these men endured in even *getting* to Antarctica it is all that much more amazing. Oh yes, and no phones, GPS, air rescue, or social media. Cheers, David Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
EddieB Posted June 28, 2014 Share Posted June 28, 2014 It is a truly excellent book and an amazing story of human endeavour - my pre-war Penguin edition, found for me by Mrs Stationmaster several years ago, still gets occasional outings. As in the Emperor Penguin edition? I must own up to a shelf full of books on polar exploration, which I find fascinating from so many angles. My favourite is an album of photographs by Frank Hurley from the Endurance expedition - having to work with glass plate cameras and a ship-board darkroom, then destroying everything that couldn't be carried on the survival trek. Cherry Garrard's book reminds us that these expeditions weren't solely about staking a claim to being the first to the South Pole, but also about science (though I might have views as to which took precedence). Certainly the men who went were cut from extraordinary cloth and give us a reminder of the world that vanished in the conflict of 1914-1918. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted June 28, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 28, 2014 As in the Emperor Penguin edition? I must own up to a shelf full of books on polar exploration, which I find fascinating from so many angles. My favourite is an album of photographs by Frank Hurley from the Endurance expedition - having to work with glass plate cameras and a ship-board darkroom, then destroying everything that couldn't be carried on the survival trek. Cherry Garrard's book reminds us that these expeditions weren't solely about staking a claim to being the first to the South Pole, but also about science (though I might have views as to which took precedence). Certainly the men who went were cut from extraordinary cloth and give us a reminder of the world that vanished in the conflict of 1914-1918. There are some excellent albums of early antarctic photographs about nowadays - and several of them grace that particular subject section of my bookshelves. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
station cat Posted June 28, 2014 Share Posted June 28, 2014 It is a truly excellent book and an amazing story of human endeavour - my pre-war Penguin edition, found for me by Mrs Stationmaster several years ago, still gets occasional outings. Must try and get hold of the other volume sometime Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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