One of my very favorite books (and due for another reading this winter) is "The Last Place on Earth" by Roland Huntford. It chronicles the race between Amundson and Scott and it's great reading...specially when one is under a thick quilt on the couch in a nice warm house....Amundson would have to qualify as one of my "Most Admired Persons".

And Shackelton-we have that book as well and went to that movie at the IMAX theatre at the Science Museum. Now those were the days when men were men. Unbelievable.

Shackleton was indeed a great figure of early 20th century polar exploration. Say what one wants about the wisdom of his trans-antarctic expedition, once the s**t hit the fan after the sinking of Endurance Shackleton demonstrated extraordinary leadership abilities to get his people out alive. Sir Vivian Fuchs, who along with Sir Edmund Hilary actually completed Shackleton's planned expedition in 1958 using snowcats and airdrops, observed that the loss of the Endurance may well have averted a worse disaster. If Shackleton had been able to start his way across the frozen continent - the entire expedition likely would have been lost. Shackleton's story is remarkable.

"Say what one wants about the wisdom of his trans-antarctic expedition, once the s**t hit the fan after the sinking of Endurance Shackleton demonstrated extraordinary leadership abilities to get his people out alive. "

'zactly. My dad gave me a copy of "Endurance" when I was a kid, and I read it several times. That story has been an inspiration ever since - or at least a sobering reminder that there's nothing too daunting to beat as long as you keep your wits about you.

What always amazes me about Shackleton is that after all he went through on that expedition, he later went back to Antarctica, where, in fact, he died of a heart attack.

If I had gone through all that, I'd be quite to content to spend the rest of my life in a comfy chair by a roaring fire and never set foot on a ship again.

No doubt Shakleton was great and deserves every honor that comes his way.

My heart is still with Amundson, though. A quiet man who did a quiet job humbly and quite well, and had enough sense (and luck) to do a great thing while not getting himself (and the people he was responsible for) into a bad situation.

Drama in stories = A good thing.
Drama in life = A really, really, bad thing.

Bill-that's a very good point.

Wait...

Doesn't anyone remember Scott's great expidition in the Sahara? He fought a lion, too.

Few people know that Scott died as the result of a practical joke gone awry. Scott's frozen corpse can be seen to this day - his tongue stuck to the South Pole.

Badda-don't forget the spine-chilling giant electric penguin with tentacles and the man-eating roll-top writing desk.

Badda-don't forget the spine-chilling giant electric penguin with tentacles and the man-eating roll-top writing desk.

"Drama in stories = A good thing.
Drama in life = A really, really, bad thing."

Excellent point, Bill. Reminds me of an anonymous quote: "May you be cursed to live in interesting times."

There is a mini museum at Eton College (I guess he was an alumnus) in England to Scott. In an unusual bit of candor for such displays it was strongly suggested that Scott was motivated to go exploring to get away from his wife.

"In an unusual bit of candor for such displays it was strongly suggested that Scott was motivated to go exploring to get away from his wife"

The hell you say!

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