Posted on 12/14/2011 5:50:12 AM PST by Cincinatus
OSLO, Norway — Norway’s prime minister, polar adventurers and scientists have gathered at the bottom of the world to mark the 100th anniversary of explorer Roald Amundsen becoming the first to reach the South Pole.
Under a crystal blue sky and temperatures of -40 F (-40 C), the group on Wednesday remembered Amundsen’s feat on the spot where he placed his flag on Dec. 14, 1911.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
Just over a year earlier, American Robert E. Peary reached the North Pole amidst great controversy. Critics claimed he made speeds that were unattainable (several expeditions matched them, including Naomi Uemura's 1980s solo trek---and he didn't have the advantage of Bob Bartlett's trailbreaking parties). In 1983, I was allowed in the National Archives as one of the first to analyze the Peary 1909 Polar Diary since it had been sequestered by the family during the controversies in the 19teens. I published the results in "The Historian," and concluded that the appearance of the diary showed no fraud, no after-the-fact manipulation, that all pages were written in the same style and ink; that he indeed missed some pages at the pole and didn't re-start the diary til later (which I found entirely understandable because they wanted to plant the flag and get the hell out before warm water melted the ice behind them and trapped them), and so on.
Before there were astronauts, Peary and Amundsen were the last of the great explorers.
Some say Scott had much, much worse weather than Amundsen.
In any case, I recommend the brilliant British tv series “The Last Place on Earth.”
I read the book about The Endurance. The crew members, when finally rescued after two years on the ice asked who won the Great War. They were informed that the war was still on and they had to serve.
That’s Shackleton’s story, right? From the Pole to the Somme; some folks have no luck!
That show is brilliant although at the time it upset some one of my British friends. It’s very revisionist but superbly done.
There is another brilliant movie (1982) called “The Flight of the Eagle,” starring Max Von Sydow as a Swedish explorer to the Pole. It’s only available on VHS but boy, was it powerful.
I didn't listen long enough to get any more.
I did vacation in NZ once. Statue of Scott, and a museum has stuff
recovered from the expedition, including his diary.
At McMurdo Station where I operate out of his shack still stands. There is seal meat outside the door and many things inside. Its quite interesting to see all that Scott wa strying to do regarding discovery!
Does anyone remember the movie ‘The Red Tent’ about the expedition of the Italian, Umberto Nobile?
That was a great movie!
When I got out of school, I started listening to talk radio. The guy that was generally always interesting was David Brudnoy. I was pretty clueless at the time when he would talk about how P-town was one of his favorite places.
His show went downhill as the ravages of AIDS took its toll on him, and he too often, pandered to the corrupt pols. RIP.
I saw that series, but a Polar explorer prepares for bad, and worse, weather. Why would you not?
Ha! I’m an armchair traveller.
By the way, I have no idea if John Batchlor is gay. It’s just his voice and manner!
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