RACE FOR THE SOUTH POLE: THE EXPEDITION DIARIES OF SCOTT AND AMUNDSEN

摘要

Any volume presenting previously unavailable material in an accessible form is to be welcomed. Roland Huntford has trans- lated the journals of two of the Norwegian party that reached the Pole in December 1911 and has presented them alongside equivalent dated entries made by Scott. Amundsen's complete journal has never been published in English and Huntford was also given access to the account kept by Olav Olavson Bjaaland. He was a Norwegian ski champion and farmer as well as being a experienced carpenter, a skill much utilised by Amundsen. His record is much shorter that those of the two leaders but as Huntford says: 'It was a record for himself alone. He had trenchancy and wit to set against the outpouring of a readier pen' (page 2). The book is structured in a straightforward way. Sandwiched between Huntford's 31 page introduction and a shorter epilogue are the expedition diaries of Amundsen, Bjaaland, and Scott, covering the period from Friday 1 September 1911 to Tuesday 5 March 1912. The date is given and entries from the three follow, in a commendably clear fashion. When Huntford comments on passages his text is printed in italics. This type differentiation is to be welcomed as it ensures there can be no confusion about authorship.