An Empire of Ice: Scott, Shackleton, and the Heroic Age of Antarctic Science

by Edward J. Larson

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Published to coincide with the centenary of the first expeditions to reach the South Pole, An Empire of Ice presents a fascinating new take on Antarctic exploration. Retold with added information, it's the first book to place the famed voyages of Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen, his British rivals Robert Scott and Ernest Shackleton, and others in a larger scientific, social, and geopolitical context.Efficient, well prepared, and focused solely on the goal of getting to his destination and show more back, Amundsen has earned his place in history as the first to reach the South Pole. Scott, meanwhile, has been reduced in the public mind to a dashing incompetent who stands for little more than relentless perseverance in the face of inevitable defeat. An Empire of Ice offers a new perspective on the Antarctic expeditions of the early twentieth century by looking at the British efforts for what they actually were: massive scientific enterprises in which reaching the South Pole was but a spectacular sideshow. By focusing on the larger purpose, Edward Larson deepens our appreciation of the explorers' achievements, shares little-known stories, and shows what the Heroic Age of Antarctic discovery was really about. show less

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Polar exploration
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Author Information

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18+ Works 3,501 Members
Edward John Larson (born in 1953) is an American historian and legal scholar. He is University Professor of history and holds the Hugh & Hazel Darling Chair in Law at Pepperdine University. He received the 1998 Pulitzer Prize for History for his book Summer for the Gods: The Scopes Trial and America's Continuing Debate Over Science and Religion. show more The book argues that Inherit the Wind (both the play and the movie) misrepresented the actual Scopes Trial. Larson was born in Mansfield, Ohio, and attended Mansfield public schools. He graduated from Williams College and received his law degree from Harvard University and his Ph.D. in the history of science from the University of Wisconsin--Madison. In 2004, Larson received an honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters from The Ohio State University. He held the Fulbright Program's John Adams Chair in American Studies in 2000-2001. In 2015 his biography The Return of George Washington: 1783-1789, became listed on the New York Times bestseller list. (Bowker Author Biography) show less

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Common Knowledge

Canonical title
An Empire of Ice: Scott, Shackleton, and the Heroic Age of Antarctic Science
Original publication date
2011
People/Characters
Robert Scott; Ernest Shackleton; Roald Amundsen; T. W. Edgeworth David; Hartley Ferrar; Clements Markham (show all 11); Douglas Mawson; Raymond Priestley; James Clark Ross; Robert Falcon Scott; Edward A. Wilson
Important places
Antarctica; Beardmore Glacier, Antarctica; Cape Royds, Antarctica; Mount Erebus, Antarctica; Great Ice Barrier, Antarctica; South Pole
Important events
Antarctic expedition of Robert Scott (1912); Antarctic expedition of Roald Amundsen (1912)
Dedication
IN THE SPIRIT OF
Robert Falcon Scott,
who wrote to his wife from his final camp on the Polar Sledge Journey
about their young son,
"Make the boy interested in natural history, if you can";
I dedicate thi... (show all)s book to our son,
Luke Anders Larson,
who has expressed interest in all things Antarctic
First words
PREFACE
When I tell friends that I'm writing a book about the Heroic Age of Antarctic exploration, they typically respond in one of two ways.
Blurbers
Lightman, Bernard; Numbers, Ronald L.; Bowler, Peter; Harrison, Peter; Kevles, Daniel

Classifications

Genres
Nonfiction, History, Travel, Science & Nature, General Nonfiction, Biography & Memoir
DDC/MDS
919.8History & geographyGeography & travelGeography of and travel in Australasia, Pacific Ocean islands, Atlantic Ocean islands, Arctic islands, Antarctica and on extraterrestrial worldsPolar regions
LCC
G872 .B8 .L37Geography, Anthropology and RecreationGeography (General)Arctic and Antarctic regions
BISAC

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165
Popularity
198,558
Reviews
2
Rating
½ (3.57)
Languages
English, Portuguese
Media
Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
ISBNs
10
ASINs
2