Product Description

The first major biography, exhaustively researched from new material including major revelations involving his previously unknown and secret private life, of Lawrence Edward Grace 'Titus' Oates who became a dashing cavalry officer and hero in the Boer War, a successful jockey and who paid [pound]1,000 to join Scott's doomed South Pole expedition, before becoming a national hero for sacrificing himself to save his comrades. First biography for over 30 years of the enigmatic and private Captain Oates. Substantial new information from previously undisclosed sources, especially relating to his clashes with Scott. Having paid [pound]1,000 to join Scott's South Pole expedition, he was at centre stage in the unfolding tragedy, becoming a national hero for sacrificing himself to save his comrades. Fresh analysis of his military career, both as hero in the Boer War, where he was denied a VC, and later in Ireland. Offers a different perspective from the traditional myth of Scott's heroic failure and Oates' suicide. Examines Oates' private life and the role of his austere mother who exerted a powerful influence during his life and continued to control his memory long after his death, especially by ordering the destruction of his letters and diaries, kept hidden by her, and previously thought to have been destroyed, from her deathbed. Beautifully illustrated with maps and photographs, many previously unpublished.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #650225 in Books
• Published on: 2002-10-29
• Format: Illustrated
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 320 pages

About the Author
The author: (Location:London) gave up a 30 year career as a leading business and political journalist to write the bestselling biography, An Unsung Hero - Tom Crean. He was formerly Political Correspondent and Industrial Editor of the Guardian, City Editor of the London Evening Standard and Business Editor of the Observer. He has a long-standing interest in Polar exploration and this is his second historical biography.

Customer Reviews

A fine biography of complex and reluctant hero
Captain Oates was one of the more complex and unconventional members of Captain Scott's 1911-1912 expedition to the South Pole, and Smith's new biography is the best attempt yet to provide an insight into this maverick cavalry officer's motives and actions. Oates has become synonymous with noble and heroic sacrifice in popular mythology, but thankfully Smith (like Roland Huntford before him in Scott & Amundsen) paints a rather different, less pleasant picture of Oates' decline and death after reaching the South Pole.

This is not a book about glory; whilst Oates' strength of character and physical toughness are simply astounding by modern day standards (as were all polar explorers), one is left wondering why so much suffering (by man and beast alike) had to be expended on such a gruelling 2000 mile trek, in weather conditions barely imaginable.

Oates still emerges as a courageous and heroic young man in Smith's hands, both in his army career and as Scott's horse handler, but Oates was no fool. He saw much of the folly in Scott's inflexible and domineering approach, and suffered much in silence. The central tragedy is forcefully emphasised here: Oates' life was squandered by Scott's incompetance, and his suicide was the last gesture of man who had already endured the unendurable (not only frostbite and starvation, but scurvy - with truly ghastly symptomns, details that most Polar biographers have been happier overlooking).

Michael Smith (author of another notable Antarctic biography of Crean) tries to distance himself a little from Huntford's hatchet job on Scott, but subscribes to many of the same conclusions. He questions some of Huntford's conjectures but makes a few of his own - how can he know that Oates' 10-year old leg wound reopening was as painful as the original bullet impact which shattered the left thigh?

The photographs here are excellent and in many cases unfamiliar -Scott's expedition has been extensively documented and Ponting's images oft-reproduced, but even the better-known shots here are reprinted with a finer quality that is usual, giving an overall freshness to the handsome edition.

The revelatory postscript here is that Oates fathered an illigitimate child in 1900. Smith wisely plays down the sensationalism of these alledged facts but in so doing fails to consider any moral culpability on Oates' part. Oates's "girlfriend" was 11, still a child - he was 20. Even without the resulting pregnancy the legal process would have landed him in prison and completely forestalled his army career.

This is really a minor gripe about what is an impressive, well-researched and absorbing story - even well-read South Polar fiends like myself will find much that is new. Who next for Michael Smith? Meares? Bowers? What about Lashly? There's still many tales to be told.

Michael Smith on form again
Michael Smith delivers a tremendous account of the life of Laurence Oates and continues with his fascination for Antartic exploration by following up his account of the life of Tom Crean with this superb book. This book adds to the already large library of books on the recent revival of interest in the last real expeditions of discovery.

Laurence Oates is always painted as a hero who gave up his own life to save those of Scott and his remaining companions. He is also heroic in his love and treatment of the horses and ponies that he was responsible for. Smith delicately handles Oates' heroism and makes no effort to re-create or alter the myth of Oates.

The hardship of Antartic exploration is vividly conveyed, as is also the fatally flawed decisions of Scott which ultimately doomed him and his men. Oates, the soldier, obeyed Scott's commands - even though led him to his inevitable demise.

Oates sought excitement all his life, and saw the Antartic as an opportunity for heroism and adventure. I feel that he is the type of character that was destined to die tragically, and would surely have persished in the upcoming Great War had he survived the ice.

Smiths's style produces a well written account. If you have not already read his book about Tom Crean, do so soon - you will not be disappointed.

captain Oates a different perspective
Excellent read, gave me a totally different view of the life of captain Oats, could,nt put the book down.