AMUNDSEN, Roald.

Inquire · Offered by Peter Harrington

The South Pole. First edition in English. This is Amundsen's account of his "legendary dash to the Pole, in which he gained priority over Robert Falcon Scott's British Expedition by a month" (Books on Ice).The success of Roald Amundsen (1872-1928) was due to highly disciplined dogsled teams, "more accomplished skiers, a shorter distance to the Pole, better clothing and equipment, well-planned supply depots en route, including more nutritious food with plenty of B vitamins, fortunate weather, and a modicum of luck... Amundsen and four of his colleagues reached the South Pole on December 14, 1911, carefully plotted their location, left messages for Scott and King Haakon VII, and then returned to their Framhein base on January 25, 1912, only nine days after the disheartened Scott party reached the Pole" (Books on Ice). "To their credit, John Murray produced a two volume set of real quality, incorporating the Norwegian flag, despite realising that British disappointment at being beaten to the Pole would ensure that it was not a publishing success in the United Kingdom. Altogether, there are 63 full-page photographic reproductions in this version (as opposed to 53 in the original Norwegian publication)" (Taurus). News of Scott's death came three months after publication.

Found via Rare Books Intel, a search across rare-book dealers, auction houses and marketplaces worldwide.