
Scott and Amundsen
Their Race to the South Pole
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Narrated by:
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Tim Piggott-Smith
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By:
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Roland Huntford
About this listen
Critic reviews
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Race for the South Pole
- The Expedition Diaries of Scott and Amundsen
- By: Roland Huntford
- Narrated by: Bronson Pinchot
- Length: 14 hrs and 38 mins
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For the first time ever Roland Huntford presents each man's account of the race to the South Pole in their own words. In 1910, Robert Falcon Scott and Roald Amundsen set sail for Antarctica, each from his own starting point, and the epic race for the South Pole was on. 2010 marks the centenary of the last great race of terrestrial discovery. For the first time Scott's unedited diary entries run alongside those of Amundsen and Bjaaland, never before translated into English.
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Great account, might be better in hard copy
- By Error9312 on 05-24-22
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The Worst Journey in the World
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This gripping story of courage and achievement is the account of Robert Falcon Scott's last fateful expedition to the Antarctic, as told by surviving expedition member Apsley Cherry-Garrard. Cherry-Garrard, whom Scott lauded as a tough, efficient member of the team, tells of the journey from England to South Africa and southward to the ice floes. From there began the unforgettable polar journey across a forbidding and inhospitable region.
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What a story!
- By A. Massey on 05-25-04
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The Last Viking
- The Life of Roald Amundsen
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The Last Viking unravels the life of the man who stands head and shoulders above all those who raced to map the last corners of the world. In 1900, the four great geographical mysteries - the Northwest Passage, the Northeast Passage, the South Pole, and the North Pole - remained blank spots on the globe. Within twenty years Roald Amundsen would claim all four prizes.
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Outstanding.
- By Leon Miller on 12-01-15
By: Stephen R. Bown
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Madhouse at the End of the Earth
- The Belgica's Journey into the Dark Antarctic Night
- By: Julian Sancton
- Narrated by: Vikas Adam
- Length: 13 hrs and 28 mins
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In August 1897, the young Belgian commandant Adrien de Gerlache set sail for a three-year expedition aboard the good ship Belgica with dreams of glory. His destination was the uncharted end of the earth: the icy continent of Antarctica. But de Gerlache’s plans to be first to the magnetic South Pole would swiftly go awry. After a series of costly setbacks, the commandant faced two bad options: turn back in defeat and spare his men the devastating Antarctic winter, or recklessly chase fame by sailing deeper into the freezing waters.
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Excellent story
- By Ginger 3701 on 05-23-21
By: Julian Sancton
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In the Kingdom of Ice
- The Grand and Terrible Polar Voyage of the USS Jeannette
- By: Hampton Sides
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In the late nineteenth century, people were obsessed by one of the last unmapped areas of the globe: The North Pole. No one knew what existed beyond the fortress of ice rimming the northern oceans. On July 8, 1879, the USS Jeannette set sail from San Francisco to cheering crowds in the grip of "Arctic Fever." The ship sailed into uncharted seas, but soon was trapped in pack ice. Two years into the harrowing voyage, the hull was breached. Amid the rush of water and the shrieks of breaking wooden boards, the crew abandoned the ship.
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Superb tale that unravels at an iceburg's pace
- By Mel on 03-19-15
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Realm of Ice and Sky
- Triumph, Tragedy, and History's Greatest Arctic Rescue
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Arctic explorer and American visionary Walter Wellman pioneered both polar and trans-Atlantic airship aviation, making history’s first attempts at each. Wellman has been cast as a self-promoting egomaniac known mostly for his catastrophic failures. Instead he was a courageous innovator who pushed the boundaries of polar exploration and paved the way for the ultimate conquest of the North Pole—which would be achieved not by dogsled or airplane, but by airship.
-
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a great book, read by a good naratator
- By Amazon Customer on 02-27-25
By: Buddy Levy
-
Race for the South Pole
- The Expedition Diaries of Scott and Amundsen
- By: Roland Huntford
- Narrated by: Bronson Pinchot
- Length: 14 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For the first time ever Roland Huntford presents each man's account of the race to the South Pole in their own words. In 1910, Robert Falcon Scott and Roald Amundsen set sail for Antarctica, each from his own starting point, and the epic race for the South Pole was on. 2010 marks the centenary of the last great race of terrestrial discovery. For the first time Scott's unedited diary entries run alongside those of Amundsen and Bjaaland, never before translated into English.
-
-
Great account, might be better in hard copy
- By Error9312 on 05-24-22
By: Roland Huntford
-
The Worst Journey in the World
- By: Apsley Cherry-Garrard
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 20 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This gripping story of courage and achievement is the account of Robert Falcon Scott's last fateful expedition to the Antarctic, as told by surviving expedition member Apsley Cherry-Garrard. Cherry-Garrard, whom Scott lauded as a tough, efficient member of the team, tells of the journey from England to South Africa and southward to the ice floes. From there began the unforgettable polar journey across a forbidding and inhospitable region.
-
-
What a story!
- By A. Massey on 05-25-04
-
The Last Viking
- The Life of Roald Amundsen
- By: Stephen R. Bown
- Narrated by: Stephen Hoye
- Length: 12 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Last Viking unravels the life of the man who stands head and shoulders above all those who raced to map the last corners of the world. In 1900, the four great geographical mysteries - the Northwest Passage, the Northeast Passage, the South Pole, and the North Pole - remained blank spots on the globe. Within twenty years Roald Amundsen would claim all four prizes.
-
-
Outstanding.
- By Leon Miller on 12-01-15
By: Stephen R. Bown
-
Madhouse at the End of the Earth
- The Belgica's Journey into the Dark Antarctic Night
- By: Julian Sancton
- Narrated by: Vikas Adam
- Length: 13 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In August 1897, the young Belgian commandant Adrien de Gerlache set sail for a three-year expedition aboard the good ship Belgica with dreams of glory. His destination was the uncharted end of the earth: the icy continent of Antarctica. But de Gerlache’s plans to be first to the magnetic South Pole would swiftly go awry. After a series of costly setbacks, the commandant faced two bad options: turn back in defeat and spare his men the devastating Antarctic winter, or recklessly chase fame by sailing deeper into the freezing waters.
-
-
Excellent story
- By Ginger 3701 on 05-23-21
By: Julian Sancton
-
In the Kingdom of Ice
- The Grand and Terrible Polar Voyage of the USS Jeannette
- By: Hampton Sides
- Narrated by: Arthur Morey
- Length: 17 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the late nineteenth century, people were obsessed by one of the last unmapped areas of the globe: The North Pole. No one knew what existed beyond the fortress of ice rimming the northern oceans. On July 8, 1879, the USS Jeannette set sail from San Francisco to cheering crowds in the grip of "Arctic Fever." The ship sailed into uncharted seas, but soon was trapped in pack ice. Two years into the harrowing voyage, the hull was breached. Amid the rush of water and the shrieks of breaking wooden boards, the crew abandoned the ship.
-
-
Superb tale that unravels at an iceburg's pace
- By Mel on 03-19-15
By: Hampton Sides
-
Realm of Ice and Sky
- Triumph, Tragedy, and History's Greatest Arctic Rescue
- By: Buddy Levy
- Narrated by: Will Damron
- Length: 12 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Arctic explorer and American visionary Walter Wellman pioneered both polar and trans-Atlantic airship aviation, making history’s first attempts at each. Wellman has been cast as a self-promoting egomaniac known mostly for his catastrophic failures. Instead he was a courageous innovator who pushed the boundaries of polar exploration and paved the way for the ultimate conquest of the North Pole—which would be achieved not by dogsled or airplane, but by airship.
-
-
a great book, read by a good naratator
- By Amazon Customer on 02-27-25
By: Buddy Levy
What listeners say about Scott and Amundsen
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- John s.
- 01-23-16
A wonderful story
Little fast paced at some points but the history that's displayed here would have taken countless years to tell, great read nonetheless
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- Max Kuper
- 08-04-19
Very good read.
5 stars I reserve for the best of the best. this was a good historical read
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- Ilinca
- 10-17-13
Excellent account of amazing story
Not having read the story when I was 12, I found it completely engrossing now. I'll have to read another account as well, just to make sure that Huntford is not unduly harsh on Scott. But if his account is even remotely true, then he - umm, spoiler alert - was a selfish, self-indulgent s.o.b. with half a brain, who pretty much effed up a serious expedition killed his companions through his moronic inability to prepare, learn his lessons, take advice and generally display intelligence at every stage of the journey. By contrast, Amundsen was careful, alert, a great planner etc etc. It might be just that the story is told in contrasting scenes and that Huntford was biased, but whatever the case, I found it a fascinating read.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Amazon Customer
- 04-15-17
Incredible story
After 1912 Scott was presented as the perfect hero with many facts hidden. 50 years later the truth about his weakeness and management style were finally presented with the historical facts. This books is from that period. This said the book is excellent.
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- Annette G
- 10-03-15
Brilliant
What a great story. I couldn't stop listening to it as it was so fascinating and I wanted to learn more about two very different approaches to reaching the South Pole for the very first time. Terrific book and highly recommend.
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Overall
- Lara
- 09-22-09
A Compelling Read (or Listen)
Very excellent. Huntford's done an excellent job here of comparing Scott's and Amundsen's expeditions to the South Pole, alternating back and forth between the two parties, beginning with their backgrounds. It's easy to see who's the villain in Huntford's view; Scott comes across here as nothing more than a stubborn, arrogant, unintelligent bumbler. I'm thinking this is not the most balanced of accounts, but it's certainly well-told! Sometimes it feels a little too generalized or surfacy, but this is an abridged version of Huntford's book, so I imagine there are quite a few details that got left out for time's sake. In any case, I highly recommended it.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Chris J.
- 03-18-19
Fantastic Story!
Loved the book. Just the right length and detail to capture your interest. I really liked the comparison and contrast between Amundsen and Scott. I also appreciated that the drama of the death of Scott and his compatriots was not played out and not dragged on. Amundsen is rightly enshrined as the model explorer to which future generations should emulate.
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- Anonymous User
- 08-19-19
RIVETING ACCOUNT OF POLAR EXPLORATION
Well narrated, packed with previously unknown details, wait until you find out how Amundsen's team dealt with there waste while wintering in the Antarctic . The competent against the incompetent.
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- Jeffrey L. Smith, PE
- 05-22-16
Simply fantastic
While other stories of great voyages offer great insights, the example and counter-example of Scott and Amundsen is the best there is. Two people trying to achieve the same goal at the same time with completely different philosophies. To hear Amundsen's life of preparation and attention to detail versus Scott's uneven preparation and hasty plans is both a great story and a great life lesson.
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- Denzil Newman
- 11-06-22
The truth eventually comes out - but in this case way too late!
This is a story that I recommend to EVERYONE! I have read Cherie Garrard’s account too, and wow, is this one ever different. What a cover-up in favor of Scott, that this book finally exposes.
I wonder, however, whether this book leans a bit too far to discredit Scott. But I agree - if ever there was an explorer that deserved to die sue to really stupid errors, it was him
The book is very well read by Piggot-Smith, and is apparently well researched, and written in a convincing style.
The tragedy is that it came about 40 years too late. Amundsen is the real hero, no question about that
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