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Summary: first rate adventure and history
Review: There are few books as satisfying as this one, both in the inherent interest of the story and in the literary execution in all its enthralling detail. A few truly excellent books come to mind, such as Rhodes' Making of the Atomic Bomb or Halberstam's Best and the Brightest. This book is indisputably of that caliber and every page exudes the love of the author for its subject.Huntford tells the story of the conquest of the S Pole as a race between Robert Falcon Scott and Roald Amundsen just prior to the outbreak of the First World War. On innumerable levels, the book is utterly fascinating: as pure adventure, as a contrast of extraordinary personalities, and (my purpose in reading it) as a management challenge. It also has plenty on the historical context, set against the beginning of the decline of the British Empire at the same time that a Norwegian nationalism was being forged. It was also the last great exploration that was done largely without higher technological vehicles such as airplanes and land rovers. On the one hand, there is Scott, the quintessential bureaucrat of the British Navy: he is most comfortable in a huge hierarchy that lends him indisputable authority and is driven by a smoldering ambition and hopes to advance himself via the discovery of the S Pole. He is exceedingly rigid, arrogant yet painfully insecure, and pathetically unsuited to command. His failure to learn, in part because he is more comfortable at a desk with books than in observing real life, eventually leads to the ultimate failure. Nonetheless, he embodied a certain British romantic ideal, which he consciously cultivated: the heroic explorer who takes great risks for the sake of discovery and national glory. With his remarkable physical stamina and literary gifts, he created a legend for himself that his ambitious widow spent a lifetime advancing. On the other hand, there is a consummate professional explorer, Amundsen, who decided at age 15 that he would master Arctic travel and live the life of a discover. Amundsen systematically learned how Eskimos lived, from their primitive technology (perfectly adapted to the polar climate) to their languages, and apprenticed to the greatest arctic explorer of the age (Nansen). He was also a shrewd and natural leader, able to lead a "happy ship" without rigid hierarchy of command. It is a case study in highly capable management of a monomaniac, and as we should all know, he succeeds (I give nothing away here). This book explains why in wonderful detail. The reader really comes to feel that he knows these men by the end of the book. At every step, we witness a subtle psychology emerge. Genius though he might have been, Amundsen made plenty of mistakes and lived a lonely and unhappy life, much like a general who spends years, or even decades, planning a decisive victory that is decided in only a few hours of combat and then feels hollow. Scott, for all his disorganization and petty egotism, was better with the media and more in sych with the expectations of his times, which explains why his story of a noble failure eclipsed that of Amundsen for so long. Warmly recommended. This is a great gift book and a truly splendid read. If you are considering getting it, you won't be disappointed.
Rating: 
Summary: Great historical account for the hard core polar enthusiast
Review: This book is an in-depth account into the story of the race to the south pole. Other reviews already covered possible biased and perspectives by the author in this book, so I won't cover the same ground with my vote. My biggest observation of this book is that it is a complete historic account of the race. In 500+ pages, the author delves into complete detail about the lives and backgrounds of both men and their biographies and circumstances. As such, I wouldn't recommend this book for someone who just wants to read this story to be entertaintained on a fansinating subject. For a lighter, and less ponderous read on the same topic, I would recommend "A First Rate Tragedy" instead. However, for those who want to know the complete story in all its glory details, those who are armchair polor enthusiasts, and those who want to get into the minds of both men and understand their core characters, then you won't be disappointed by this book.
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Summary: The Daddy of All Recent Polar Histories
Review: Roland Huntford's The Last Place on Earth (Scott and Amundsen's Race to the South Pole), re-published as part of the Modern Library Exploration Series after its original publication in the 1970s, is the precursor to the whole spate of recent books on Arctic explorations, both North and South, to the delight of many readers, myself hungrily among them. The author tells an exciting story and was able to effectively destroy the grand heroic myth of Scott and his run for the South Pole while resurrecting Amundsen as the genius of exploration that he was. Huntford's influence is easily shown in the various volumes since then specifically trying to re-establish Scott among the pantheon of Arctic heroes instead of the its crown fool. The narrative is handled well and told in an appropriately breathless, gripping manner. The author beats down Scott and builds up Amundsen a little too strongly and frequently instead of letting the story itself make his point a little more quietly but this is a minor quibble for those who love a cold tale of exploring told with such heat. A fine job that has spawned an industry of writing.
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Summary: A powerful study in leadership
Review: If I were still a military commander, I would require every one of my subordinate officers to read this book. The story is so compelling and fascinating that it reads better than the best mystery novel. By the time you are done reading it, you will "know" these historical figures like old friends. But, aside from that, this book is a powerful study of leaderhip, character, relationships, and even culture. The book evoked in me a strong period of self-examination...in whose footsteps was I treading? Certainly, there are controversies surrounding Huntley's conclusions, and his treatment of Scott. I suspect these issues will be debated and disagreed over for years to come. Huntley's attacks on Scott may be, at times, overly biased. I won't pass judgment here, but rather I would encourage the reader to judge on his or her own. I suspect anyone who reads this book will want to read more about the men of antarctic exploration.
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Summary: Written with extreme bias
Review: This account of the race between Scott and Amundsen has an amazing amount of factual material and could be riveting if it hadn't been so full of prejudice and blatant dislike for Scott.
There is no queston Scott was not as prepared as he should have been and is to be held in some degree acountable for the deaths of his men, but the author's undisguised reviling of the man and near heroic worship of Amundsen (who was no doubt better prepared than Scott) makes the reading annoying to the point of exasperation at times.
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Summary: Amundsen Triumphant
Review: This book is, by far, one of the most interesting reads ever. Huntford is unsparing in his demystification of Scott, and his narrative is thoroughly compelling. Scott comes across as an arrogant tyrant who swept into the Antarctic with the wrong men, the wrong equipment, the wrong food, and the wrong animals. His fate was preordained and one is left with little sympathy for his plight. Amundsen gained the Pole because he was better prepared, and a far more excellent judge of men.
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Summary: A riveting read but questionable
Review: The gripping tale of the 'race' to the South Pole from 1910-1912 is told with a deft hand at narrative by Roland Huntford. It is one of those biographical pieces (It also serves as a bio on Scott and Amundsen) which makes you almost believe that you are there with these men.
In saying this however (And I stress that I am a Shackleton person and don't rate Scott much) I question how exact it is in that there is so much debunking of Scott that Huntford seems to just stop short of accusing him of murder (I am also amazed that Sir Peter Scott did not sue Huntford when the book first came out, it says much about the man)with regards to Oates walking to his death. I do agree that Amundsen was a brilliant tactician at Polar exploration and Scott was an arrogant incompetent, but Amundsen was also a bit of a glory-seeking oppurtunist and Scott did have some decent remarkable talents, telling a good story for one, that would have been best suited in areas other than Polar exploration. If the RGS, Markham, Scott etc.. had a dangerous fault it was that they allowed emotions pervade areas where sentimentality was destructive.
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Summary: Eye-opening analysis of events
Review: Until I read this book, I used to believe that Scott was one of the bravest of Polar explorers. Now, I know what a complete idiot he was. The book clearly and in my opinion, unbiasedly, explains his shortcomings and clearly demonstrates that he was the wrong person to lead an undertaking of such immensity. This book also made me realize what a great explorer and leader Amundsen was. All in all, a refreshing analysis of the two expeditions. This book gives you two great stories for the price of one.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: Antarctic history is my passion, but even for those who do not share this peculiar interest, Mr. Huntford's examination of the quest for the South Pole is riveting. Exhaustive research in the hands of a less capable writer is deadly boring, even to a devotee of the subject matter. Thank goodness this important research was presented by such an eloquent author. It was a very sad day for me when I finished reading this book.
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Summary: One of the best books on Polar exploration
Review: This book was an excellent look at two separate and very unequal expeditions to the South Pole. More importnatly, it focuses on the two men that led these expeditions, Scott and Amundsen. While being full of small details, the writing doesn't get bogged down. The focus, rather, is on the difference in managment styles. Amundsen comes across as a diligent planner, who took every contingency into consideration. Scott, meanwhile, is portrayed as somewhat foolish in his lack of planning and foresight. It would be comic if it wasn't so tragic. A must read for any polar exploration buff.
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