Race to the Pole: Tragedy, Heroism, and Scott's Antarctic Quest by Fiennes, Ranulph - 2004

New York: Hyperion, 2004. First Edition. Hard Cover. Near Fine/Near Fine. 6x6x9. First edition. Related map laid in. Jacket spine head lightly bumped. Top page ridge faintly foxed. 2004 Hard Cover. xiv, 462 pp. The real story of Captain Robert Scott's legendary Antarctic quest, told by the man whom the Guinness Book of World Records has proclaimed "the world's greatest living explorer," Sir Ranulph Fiennes. During the Golden Era of Exploration, Captain Robert Scott and his competitor Roald Amundsen conquered the unconquerable: Antarctica. This perilous race to the South Pole claimed the life of Scott and became the stuff of legend, as well as endless scrutiny. In this compelling, meticulously researched biography of Captain Scott and his fatal journey, renowned modern-day explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes, holder of 10 expeditionary records, has written what is sure to become the definitive book on this hotly debated subject. Race to the Pole provides a level of immediacy and accuracy that no other account has ever approached. Fiennes gained the exclusive cooperation of the Scott estate, as well as access to the descendants of key players, including those of Amundsen. As an explorer who has led over 30 expeditions, including the first polar circumnavigation of the earth and the first unsupported crossing of the Antarctic continent, he has firsthand knowledge of the grueling feat that Scott and his team undertook, as well as the physical tortures they endured. Infused with the intensity of fiction and exhibiting an exhaustive eye for detail found in the greatest historical biographies, Race to the Pole is a prodigious achievement and certain to become a classic in the literature of exploration.