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Race for the South Pole

The Expedition Diaries of Scott and Amundsen

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Race for the South Pole

By: Roland Huntford
Narrated by: Bronson Pinchot
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About this listen

For the first time ever Roland Huntford presents each man's account of the race to the South Pole in their own words. In 1910, Robert Falcon Scott and Roald Amundsen set sail for Antarctica, each from his own starting point, and the epic race for the South Pole was on. 2010 marks the centenary of the last great race of terrestrial discovery. For the first time Scott's unedited diary entries run alongside those of Amundsen and Bjaaland, never before translated into English. Cutting through the welter of controversy, with the polar journey at the heart of the story Huntford weaves a narrative from the protagonists' explanations of their own fate. What emerges is a whole new understanding of what really happened on the ice.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your My Library section along with the audio.

©2010 Roland Huntford (P)2014 Audible Inc. 20th Century Adventure Travel Arctic & Antarctica Expeditions & Discoveries Modern World Adventure Polar Region Scot Expedition

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Most relevant  
Flipping from and English gentleman to a Norwegian can’t be easy but this attempt is poor. Scott, at times sounds German. Just read the diaries in the same order but without treating us like idiots not able to remember who you are quoting.

Ruined it for me and I almost deleted it but never one to give up, I cracked on through, like a true explorer desperate for it to end.

I would still recommend it if you can suffer ‘Carry On’ style impressions

Awful annunciation.

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A great piece of writing, badly let down by the utterly ABYSMAL narrator. Surely the work deserved some authentic English and Norwegian accents? The sneering yank could have read the author's commentary. (Would have suited it quite well.)

The resulting mash-up of almost-but-not-quite accents lend an air of pastiche to an otherwise stark and damning story.

Would be a 5 star offering if this was not the case.

Say 'Toozday' again..

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The diaries are presented in their original forms but there are also the authors comments on such... and Scott fans beware. The analysis is by no means unbiased and at times, scathing. Very interesting to have the diaries side by side though and I enjoyed listening.

More than just the diaries...

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Excellent book. There is nothing wrong with the narration, the accents are quite good, I’ve no idea what people are complaining about. Hartford’s cross analysis of Amundsen and Scott is corroborated by the diary entries of the two men themselves, laid out side by side. The cold hard facts are plentiful and they speak for themselves. It is nice to see Amundsen get the recognition he deserves, and without Hartford’s book, this wouldn’t have happened.

The conclusions

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Great listening, great narrator but terrible production. would highly recommend it though, give it a go

one for animal lovers

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Absolutely loved the book most memorable moment when Scott died so so sad my hero

Wow wow wow

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Amundsen got to the South Pole first because he and his comrades were professional in every way. Scott died because he was a product of an Empire which taught professional was a dirty word. Hopefully in our time Brexit does not spawn that.

A tale of sadness

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I nearly didn't get past the first chapter as a result of the slightly cringe accents but I persisted and once I got used to the performance I was hooked. Absolutely fascinating to hear the whole truth of the expeditions side by side. This is the first time I've heard the unvarnished truth of Scott's failings. I find it so enlightening to note how the explorers and "heroes" of the 19th a early 20th century have influenced the British psyche even to this day. Definitely worth listening right through to the end, don't miss the Epilogue.

fascinating examination of th Great British psyche

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Extremely interesting in every aspect. Loved this book. Well read also, apart from the 'Norwegian' accent assigned to the Norwegian diary entries. I found them annoying and it sounds more like a French accent. Luckily, the preposterousness of this wanes throughout the book.

Captivating!

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