Apsley Cherry-Garrard (1886–1959)

A fantastic account of the tragic Scott Antarctic expedition of 1910 - 1913 written by Apsley Cherry-Gerrard, a member of the team, in 1922. I have the 2012 Folio Society edition. It includes many excerpts from the author's own diary and from those of Scott, Bowers, and Wilson. There are some beautiful photographs and extensive detailed discussion of every aspect of the continent, the sea, the wildlife, the men and their condition. Cherry-Gerrard wrote a laudably even-handed criticism of Scott and the techniques used by the expedition. There is a strong component of Edwardian stiff upper-lip heroism with frequent mention of how cheerful the sick were right up to the end. There is evidence of British class structure with the discussion of the death of seaman Evans being distinctly different from that of the officers. Of some medical interest - the team members understood that fresh fruits and vegetables could prevent scurvy, but the concept of a vitamin wasn't described until 1912 and the chemical structure of vitamin C wasn't known until the 1930s - some other older theories are held to by the team's doctors. Also, ptomaine poisoning is mentioned several times, since the idea that food poisoning was due to a bacteria-made toxin was not known then. Scott uses the abbreviation DV in his diary. I hadn't seen this, it is for Deo volente, God willing, as in if Evan's feet don't worsen we will make it to the next depot, DV. He also uses the expression Queer street. I've seen this before in some Sherlock Holmes stories and in Brideshead revisited. An example would be, if Evan's feet do worsen we will all be in Queer street. There are some maps in the text and a glossary at the back, so be sure to look for them when you wonder what sastrugi are.
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re:the possibility that Scott had scurvy see: http://www.idlewords.com/2010/03/scott_and_scurvy.htm… (mere)

Originally published in 1921, this book is an account of Scott’s Second Antarctic Expedition written by one of the participants. Apsley Cherry-Garrard has combined his observations with the journals of several members of the party into a narrative of both the scientific and exploratory objectives. He paints a picture of Scott, not as concerned with the “race to the pole” as with the enhancement of human knowledge. Recommended to those who enjoy detailed first hand accounts of explorations.

What I liked:
• Immerses the reader into what it was like to be an Antarctic explorer during the early 1900s
• Provides an in-depth analysis of what happened to Scott and his team, leading to their demise about 11 miles from the depot which likely would have saved them
• The description of the “worst journey in the world” which turned out to be the miraculous survival of three men who traveled over dangerous terrain at night in search of Emperor Penguin eggs

What I didn’t care for:
• Too much detail for my taste, to a degree that it detracted from the story
• Numerous formatting issues in the Kindle edition, such as headings included in the text, references to photos or drawings that were not included, quotations from literature not clearly delineated, etc.
• The various journals did not always take place in chronological order, and it was not always clear to me whose journal was being quoted

Favorite quotes:
“Polar exploration is at once the cleanest and most isolated way of having a bad time which has been devised”

“It is so easy to be afraid of being afraid!”

“Your breath smokes, forming white rime over your face, and ice in your beard; if it is very cold you may actually hear it crackle as it freezes in mid-air!”

“We were primarily a great scientific expedition, with the Pole as our bait for public support”

“Exploration is the physical expression of the Intellectual Passion”… (mere)