The South Pole: The Norwegian Expedition in "The Fram", 1910-1912 - Softcover

'Roald Amundsen planted the Norwegian flag on the South Pole on December 14, 1911: a full month before Robert Falcon Scott arrived on the same spot. Amundsen's The South Pole (Hurst) is less well-known than his rivals, in part because he is less of a literary stylist, but also, perhaps, because he survived the journey. His book is a riveting first-hand account of a truly professional expedition; Amundsen's heroism is understated, but it is heroism nonetheless.' -Erica Wagner, The Times'Amundsen was the supreme exponent of Polar technique. He towered above his rivals; he brought an intellectual approach to exploration and stood, as he still stands, the antipole to the heroic delusion. [A...] The journey to the South Pole remains his masterpiece, the culmination of the classical age of Polar exploration and, perhaps, the greatest snow journey ever made.' -Roland Huntford, The Last Place on Earth: Scott and Amundsen's Race to the South Pole

This is a first hand account of the first successful expedition to the South Pole, written by the leader Roald Amundsen. It constructs the character of the expedition and provides insight into Amundsen's philosophy of exploration and his own professionalism, in the age of the amateur explorer. On October 18, 1911, Amundsen's party set out to reach the South Pole. They were three weeks ahead of the Scott expedition and, unlike the Scott party, they were using dogs and skis to achieve their goal. On December 14, 1911, Amundsen's party raised the flag of Norway at the South Pole, beating the Scott expedition by one month. This account captures the drive and ambition, and the skill and expertise of Amundsen and his men.