Book ID: CBB001210280

An Empire of Ice: Scott, Shackleton, and the Heroic Age of Antarctic Science (2011)

unapi

Larson, Edward John (Author)


Yale University Press


Publication Date: 2011
Physical Details: 326 pp.; ill.
Language: English

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.

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Reviewed By

Review Schwach, Vera (2012) Review of "An Empire of Ice: Scott, Shackleton, and the Heroic Age of Antarctic Science". Isis: International Review Devoted to the History of Science and Its Cultural Influences (pp. 415-416). unapi

Review Savours, Ann; Shirley, A. M. (2012) Review of "An Empire of Ice: Scott, Shackleton, and the Heroic Age of Antarctic Science". Endeavour: Review of the Progress of Science (pp. 87-88). unapi

Citation URI
https://data.isiscb.org/isis/citation/CBB001210280/

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Authors & Contributors
Guly, Henry
Nielsen, Hanne E.F.
Ranulph Fiennes
Elizabeth Leane
Tahan, Mary R.
Birkenmajer, Krzysztof Ludwik
Concepts
Scientific expeditions
Travel; exploration
Medicine
Geology
Research
Biographies
Time Periods
20th century, early
20th century
19th century
Modern
21st century
18th century
Places
Antarctica
Polar regions
Arctic regions
Australia
Great Britain
Northwest Passage
Institutions
British Schools Exploring Society
Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions
International Geophysical Year (IGY)
National Maritime Museum (Great Britain)
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