An Empire of Ice, Edward J. Larson
An Empire of Ice, Edward J. Larson
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An Empire of Ice
Scott, Shackleton, and the Heroic Age of Antarctic Science

Author: Edward J. Larson

Narrator: John Allen Nelson

Unabridged: 10 hr 35 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 06/22/2011


Synopsis

Published to coincide with the centenary of the first expeditions to reach the South Pole, An Empire of Ice presents a fascinating new take on Antarctic exploration. Retold with added information, it's the first book to place the famed voyages of Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen, his British rivals Robert Scott and Ernest Shackleton, and others in a larger scientific, social, and geopolitical context.

Efficient, well prepared, and focused solely on the goal of getting to his destination and back, Amundsen has earned his place in history as the first to reach the South Pole. Scott, meanwhile, has been reduced in the public mind to a dashing incompetent who stands for little more than relentless perseverance in the face of inevitable defeat. An Empire of Ice offers a new perspective on the Antarctic expeditions of the early twentieth century by looking at the British efforts for what they actually were: massive scientific enterprises in which reaching the South Pole was but a spectacular sideshow. By focusing on the larger purpose, Edward Larson deepens our appreciation of the explorers' achievements, shares little-known stories, and shows what the Heroic Age of Antarctic discovery was really about.

About Edward J. Larson

Edward J. Larson is the author of many acclaimed works in American history, including the Pulitzer Prize-winning history of the Scopes trial, Summer for the Gods. He is University Professor of History, and Hugh & Hazel Darling Chair in Law, at Pepperdine University.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Fraser

This is a book that I really wanted to like. Perhaps it is because I listened to it as an audio book, but I think not. The author made a strategic decision to tell the story of the antarctic exploration in chronological silos spanning the late 1800 to early 1900s. A chapter dealing with magnetism, a......more

Goodreads review by Murdo

I have read a number of books about polar exploration. Many focus on attempts to reach the geographic north or south pole. This book focuses on the scientific aspects of various expeditions to Antarctica in the 19th and early 20th centuries making it a worthy addition to the literature. What is almo......more