2.5 Stars

A bullying polemic. Sir Ranulph Fiennes would like the reader to think that his experiences as a man-hauling adventurer trumps all other considerations, including the ability to refrain from cherry-picking through the Scott party diaries to prove his points (among them, that Scott made no technical errors whatsoever, that there were no tensions between Scott and Shackleton, etc) and the capacity to write a sentence without including the word "I". His own familiarity with polar exploration does make for some interesting reading, but the ultimate impression is like having a very large man standing in front of you and poking you in the chest when you dare to disagree. He makes some quite astonishing assertions, including the statement that Scott's achievement was greater than Amundsen's. The book ends with a very nasty character slam against Roland Hunstman--the author of "The Last Place on Earth", the refutation of which the author gives as the reason for writing his own book. One might accuse Sir Ranulph Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes (Bart.) of classicism, if not anti-Semitism.

Ironically, I actually agree with his main arguments; that Scott was a victim mainly of simple bad luck, and that he is a victim of the fashionable tearing down of heroes. Those seeking the ultimate truth on the Scott expedition (and of course there is no ultimate truth, as the author admits in the last sentence of the book)will not find it here.

Good maps and photos, though, which is why I chose this book as background reading for [b:The Worst Journey in the World|48503|The Worst Journey in the World|Apsley Cherry-Garrard|http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51WRCJ5EN3L._SL75_.jpg|47447]. ( )

I think it is important to read this book. Scott's reputation has taken such a battering in the last twenty years or so that it has taken Fiennes, who has personal experience of adventuring in the south pole, to redeem this man, to restore him to his rightful place as a national hero. ( )

I'm not a student of history, but when I started reading this book I couldn't put it down. Whether you are a fan of Scott, or not, the author (Fiennes) does a great job of keeping sight of the big picture. I was fascinated by the examples of project management, the scientific method, sociology, finance and politics - all surrounding this exciting tale of exploration and survival. The author periodically interjects comparisons to his own experiences of crossing the Antarctic continent. I found these comparisons to be enlightening as to what advantages (or none at all) modern technology lends to polar exploration. Overall, a great read on a hot summer day! ( )

3984. Race to the Pole: Tragedy, Heroism, and Scott's Antarctic Quest, by Sir Ranulph Fiennes (read 11 Feb 2005) On Mar 14, 3003, I read with much enthusiasm The Last Place on Earth, by Roland Huntford. This book is a 2004 biography of Robert Scott (born in Devonport, England, on June 6, 1868, died in Antarctica on 29 Mar 1913) and it extols him and decries Huntford and his book with much bitterness. The account of Scott's Antarctic experience in 1902-1903 did not interest me too much, but the account of his final Antarctic expedition and of his race to the Pole is of greater interest, and the hard and bitter work involved is excruciatingly expatiated upon. I know this book is designed to show Scott in the best possible light, but it did convert me into an admirer of Scott--and thus Huntford is lowered in my estimation. In view of Scott's hard work and his success in getting to the Pole--though a month after Amundsen did--Scott does not deserve the pillory which Huntford ladled upon him, I am now convinced. ( )