The challenge to be the first to reach the South Pole is one of the most mesmerizing stories of human history. In the early 20th century, the pole represented one of the last unexplored places on Earth—and thus, for a certain breed of men, one of the most irresistible locations on the planet.
Drawing on the extensive archives of the National Geographic Society, The South Pole tells the story of the discovery and exploration of Antarctica through the memoirs, letters, ship's logs, and diary entries of the great Antarctic explorers.
The book begins with the first glimpse of the pole in the eighteenth century by James Cook, and then moves on to the remarkable story of Ernest Shackleton's Endurance and of Robert Falcon Scott, who came within miles of his ultimate goal, only to be forced to turn back. Readers will also enjoy the harrowing chronicles of Roald Amundsen, who was first to reach the pole, and Richard Byrd, who spent an entire winter in Antarctica alone. These amazing stories are told in the explorers' own words, each accompanied by an introduction and illustrated with a detailed map.
