PEARY, R. E.

Inquire · Offered by Peter Harrington

Nearest the Pole. First edition. This is Peary's personal account of the notorious expedition to the Arctic, which became the subject of suspicion after the credibility of Peary's word was questioned.Within this work, Peary (1856-1920) claimed to have attained a farthest north world record. Some question the validity of his claim as his diary entries end the day before his achievement, and Peary would have had to sail over 72 nautical miles without camping to achieve his professed latitude. Additionally, in this work, Peary claimed to have discovered "Crocker Island" - a claim which a 1913 expedition and Peary's own diary entry proved fraudulent. "In his continuing assault on the North Pole, Peary had to keep raising funds by any means, including lobbying, lecturing, and publishing books such as this as [his] justification of further attempts. Combined with the financial support of the Peary Antarctic Club and the personal enthusiasm of President Theodore Roosevelt, the 1905-06 expedition was notable for a number of factors, although unsuccessful in its ultimate goal" (Books on Ice).

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