Product Description

"Had we lived, I should have had a tale to tell which would have stirred the heart of every Englishman. These rough notes and our bodies must tell the tale". - Robert Falcon Scott's 'message to the public' c. 29 March 1912. Through Beau Riffenburgh's narrative and the perfectly composed images of Herbert Ponting, "With Scott to the Pole" tells the story of the triumph and tragedy of Scott's 1910-13 expedition to the South Pole. Along with four companions, the explorer reached the pole only to be bitterly disappointed to discover the Norwegian flag planted there by Roald Amundsen. Scott and his men could no longer hope to secure the first attainment of the South Pole for the British Empire, and their despondency shows in the photographs that survived them. Yet with grit and courage they started on the 800 mile return from the pole. A harrowing time ensued. By the time they were within 11 miles of a depot which would have saved them they had already lost two members of the expedition, and it was at this point that Scott and his remaining two companions were overcome by a blizzard and died. "With Scott to the Pole" is a fitting tribute not only to Ponting 's spell-binding aesthetic vision, but also to a magnificent story of adventure and heroism.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #53998 in Books
• Published on: 2004-09-20
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 240 pages

About the Author
Herbert Ponting was born in England in 1870. After rejecting a career in banking he spent a decade travelling and taking photographs in China, India, Japan, Spain, the Alps and the USA. When he joined Scott's expedition as official photographer his photographs established him as one of the great photographers of the twentieth century. He died in 1935. Dr Beau Riffenburgh is an historian specialising in Antarctic and Arctic exploration. His most recent book, Nimrod: Ernest Shackleton and the Extraordinary Story of the 1907-09 British Antarctic Expedition, is published by Bloomsbury. Dr Liz Cruwys divides her time between being a marine biologist at Cambridge and writing. She has written books on medieval history and architecture, as well as medieval novels published under a pseudonym. HJP ('Douglas') Arnold is an award-winning biographer who has written two books on Ponting's life and work, one of which is Photographer of the World. He is a contributor to the British Journal of Photography.

Customer Reviews

Truely Incredible. A bargain at twice the price.
I have a minor obsession regarding the Antarctic and especially relating to the expeditions on the continent. This book is packed, cover to cover, with huge and breathtaking photographs of the landscapes, the crew, their living quaters, the ship... basically everthing to do with the expedition.

You don't need a special interest in the Antarctic to appreciate this book. The photographs have a very special artistic quality which cannot fail to stir your emotions. This book really transports you to the time and place and I know this is a book that will always have a special place on my shelf. An absolute must for anyone who feels the spirit of exploration or even with just a fancy for the earthy, gritty quality of this great age.

Wonderful!
Not only did I get this book with over £10 off the high street price but I also got a stunning book.

I haven't read the text yet, I've just flicked through and looked at the pictures from Scott's doomed expedition. This captures the pain, suffering and also the hope of the men in the Antarctic.

Only let down is Ranulph Fiennes and his bleating in the preface but apart from that this book looks fantastic and is up there with the book on the Endurance expedition.

Historic images beautifuly presented
Unmissable images for anyone who has an interest in polar exploration, the photos are very well printed on large format in good quality and probably the most complete collection currently published.
Spending a few hours leafing through the pages is to step back in time. The shot of Cherry-Garrard having a first meal after his Worst Journey realy sums up the joys and misery of polar exploration.
Also consider Shackletons volume in the same format South with Endurance: Shackleton's Antarctic Expedition 1914-1917