The Last Viking: The Extraordinary Life of Roald Amundsen - Hardcover

Stephen R. Bown

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1845138449 ISBN 13: 9781845138448

Publisher: Aurum Press, 2012

Synopsis

Roald Amundsen is largely remembered as the man who beat Scott to the South Pole. This gripping biography reveals the full scope of his achievements, including his 1905 discovery of the Northwest Passage and the 1926 expedition that was the first to reach - beyond dispute - the North Pole. It charts the life of the visionary showman who put newly independent Norway on the map, his trailblazing use of technology, and his mysterious disappearance on an Arctic rescue mission in 1928.

About this title

About the Author:

Stephen Bown was born in Ottawa and graduated in history from the University of Alberta. Specialising in the history of science and exploration, his books include Sightseers and Scholars: Scientific Travelers in the Golden Age of Natural History and the internationally successful Scurvy: How a Surgeon, a Mariner, and a Gentleman Solved the Greatest Medical Mystery of the Age of Sail.

Review:

Stephen Brown celebrates this pioneering explorere and redresses the balance of an enigmatic man who was a footnote to another story for far too long Wanderlust Overall this is a well-researched volume and a jolly good read Wall Street Journal 'Fascinating biography. As a depiction of an explorer's life however, it is intelligent and often thrilling. Perhaps it is time for the British to jettison their pique, and learn to admire this complex and deeply modern figure.' -- James McConnachie Sunday Times 'Mr. Bown has produced a solid, entertaining account of Amundsen's adventures, through which he scrolls with pleasing attention to detail. This is a real "Boy's Own" narrative, one that conjures the rasp of hickory ski on thin ice, the patter of a hundred dogs, and the whiff of tobacco after a long day on the trail.' -- Sara Wheeler, author of The Magnetic North: Notes From the Arctic Circle This work is a lovingly written tribute to one of humankind's greatest thrillseekers We Love This Book 'The work is sharp-eyed, thorough and convincing, and constitutes a significant addition to the Arctic canon.' Globe and Mail 'Stephen Bown delivers an intensely researched, thoroughly enjoyable life of one history's best explorers.A superb biography of a fiercely driven explorer who traveled across the last inaccessible areas on earth before technical advances made the journey much easier.' Kirkus Review 'An enjoyable and informative biography' Booklist 'Captivating...Bown makes a compelling case that Amundsen deserves renewed recognition for his outstanding achievements.' Publishing Weekly

About this edition

• Publisher: Aurum Press
• Publication date: 2012
• ISBN 10: 1845138449
• ISBN 13: 9781845138448
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 357