Peary to the Pole
By Walter Lord
4/5
()
About this ebook
On March 1, 1909, only 413 miles of formidable ice separated Robert E. Peary from realizing his lifelong dream of becoming the first man to set foot on the North Pole. On that dark morning on Canada’s Ellesmere Island, it was cold enough to freeze a bottle of brandy. The ice looked solid enough, but it sat atop seawater—and shifted violently according to the whims of the ocean below.
Peary was used to the conditions—he’d barely survived them just three years before when he first tried, and failed, to reach the earth’s northernmost point. But this time around, no amount of peril could dissuade Peary and his party from their expedition. With a cry of “Forward, march!” the journey of a lifetime began.
Written with thrilling detail and heart-pounding suspense by the author of Day of Infamy and other bestselling histories, Peary to the Pole is the definitive account of one man’s trek through some of the world’s most treacherous terrain, in search of adventure, discovery, and immortality, a classic for readers of books like In the Kingdom of Ice or The Last Place on Earth.
Walter Lord
Walter Lord (1917–2002) was an acclaimed and bestselling author of literary nonfiction best known for his gripping and meticulously researched accounts of watershed historical events. His first book was The Fremantle Diary (1954), a volume of Civil War diaries that became a surprising success. But it was Lord’s next book, A Night to Remember (1955), that made him famous. Lord went on to use the book’s interview-heavy format as a template for most of his following works, which included detailed reconstructions of the Pearl Harbor attack in Day of Infamy (1957), the battle of Midway in Incredible Victory (1967), and the integration of the University of Mississippi in The Past That Would Not Die (1965).
Read more from Walter Lord
The Miracle of Dunkirk: The True Story of Operation Dynamo Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Incredible Victory: The Battle of Midway Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDay of Infamy: The Bombing of Pearl Harbor Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Time to Stand: The Epic of the Alamo Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Dawn's Early Light: The War of 1812 and the Battle That Inspired Francis Scott Key to Write "The Star-Spangled Banner" Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Good Years: From 1900 to the First World War Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The World War II Collection: The Miracle of Dunkirk, Day of Infamy, and Incredible Victory Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Past That Would Not Die Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWorld in Crisis: Classic Accounts of World War II Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Good Years: From 1900 To The First World War [Illustrated Edition] Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Related to Peary to the Pole
Related ebooks
The Stowaway: A Young Man's Extraordinary Adventure to Antarctica Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Worst Journey in the World: Antarctic 1910-1913 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSir John Franklin’s Erebus and Terror Expedition: Lost and Found Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Trapped Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThirty Years in the Arctic Regions: The Narrative of a Polar Explorer Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Last Viking: The Life of Roald Amundsen, Conqueror of the South Pole Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Journey to the Arctic: The True Story of the Disastrous 1871 Mission to the North Pole Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Captain James Cook Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Down the Great Unknown: John Wesley Powell's 1869 Journey of Discovery and Tragedy Through the Grand Canyon Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Arctic Obsession: The Lure of the Far North Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Journey to the Polar Sea Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFrozen in Time: The Fate of the Franklin Expedition Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5An Empire of Ice: Scott, Shackleton, and the Heroic Age of Antarctic Science Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Endeavour: The Ship That Changed the World Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Icebound: Shipwrecked at the Edge of the World Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Labyrinth of Ice: The Triumphant and Tragic Greely Polar Expedition Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Worst Journey in the World: With Scott in Antarctica 1910-1913 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5On the Edge of Survival: A Shipwreck, a Raging Storm, and the Harrowing Alaskan Rescue That Became a Legend Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Shackleton's Forgotten Expedition: The Voyage of the Nimrod Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Sealand: The True Story of the World's Most Stubborn Micronation and Its Eccentric Royal Family Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Voyage of the 'Fox' in the Arctic Seas Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLast Hours on Everest: The gripping story of Mallory and Irvine’s fatal ascent Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Death on the Ice: A Novel Based on the Terra Nova Expedition Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Rescue of the Bounty: Disaster and Survival in Superstorm Sandy Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Deep Descent: Adventure and Death Diving the Andrea Doria Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Sinking of RMS Tayleur: The Lost Story of the Victorian Titanic Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Voyage For Madmen Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Day the World Ended: The Mount Pelée Disaster: May 7, 1902 Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Fatal Forecast: An Incredible True Tale of Disaster and Survival at Sea Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Storm Too Soon: A True Story of Disaster, Survival and an Incredib Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Adventurers & Explorers For You
When I Fell From the Sky Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Republic Of Pirates: Being the True and Surprising Story of the Caribbean Pirates and the Man Who Brought Them Down Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAquanaut: The Inside Story of the Thai Cave Rescue Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Climb: Tragic Ambitions on Everest Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Microadventures: Local Discoveries for Great Escapes Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Art of Resilience: Strategies for an Unbreakable Mind and Body Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Wind, Sand And Stars Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Jungle: A Harrowing True Story of Survival in the Amazon Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Voyage For Madmen Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5How To Be Alone: an 800-mile hike on the Arizona Trail Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5South: The last Antarctic expedition of Shackleton and the Endurance Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Jon Krakauer's Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster Summary Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Uncertain Sea: Fear is everywhere. Embrace it. Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Voyage Long and Strange: Rediscovering the New World Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Exotic Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5South: Shackleton's Endurance Expedition Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Trucker's Tale: Wit, Wisdom, and True Stories from 60 Years on the Road Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Seven Pillars of Wisdom Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Paris Letters: A Travel Memoir about Art, Writing, and Finding Love in Paris Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Unseen Body: A Doctor's Journey Through the Hidden Wonders of Human Anatomy Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Lost!: A Harrowing True Story of Disaster at Sea Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Worst Journey in the World: With Scott in Antarctica 1910-1913 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mother of God: An Extraordinary Journey into the Uncharted Tributaries of the Western Amazon Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Last Viking: The Life of Roald Amundsen, Conqueror of the South Pole Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Wanderer Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Laura Ingalls Wilder: A Life Story Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5438 Days: An Extraordinary True Story of Survival at Sea Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5More: Life on the Edge of Adventure and Motherhood Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFrozen in Time: The Fate of the Franklin Expedition Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The English Governess at the Siamese Court Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5
Reviews for Peary to the Pole
8 ratings2 reviews
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This book is written in a straight non fiction title, which can make it hard to get into. However, that should not deter readers from trying, especially if you are interested in arctic exploration. Walter Lord has written a compelling account of Peary's stubbornness and determination to be the first man to reach the North Pole. The style is basic without elaborating, which left me wanting more, but the story is clearly and succinctly told and compelling enough to keep the reader (or me, at least) engaged and wanting to find out what happens next. Anyone who wants to learn about the early days of arctic exploration should read this book.FTC Disclosure: I recieved a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair review. No other compensation was paid to me, in any form.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Robert Peary spent a lifetime attempting to reach the North Pole. From each of his failures he learned a bit more, making each attempt more and more likely to succeed. Not only did he have to worry about extreme cold, he had to coordinate Eskimo's, dog sled teams and provisions. This massive undertaking finally succeeded. However, upon his return he learned that another man, Dr. Cook, was claiming that he had reached the North Pole nearly a year earlier.This book was very well written and engaging. It was written in a storytelling fashion rather than a dry recitation of facts and details. Since reading the book I have been reading about the controversy of who reached the North Pole first, which I find to be fascinating. This is a quick read, one I think teenagers could enjoy. It might even serve to spark a desire for adventure and exploration in young readers.
Book preview
Peary to the Pole - Walter Lord
Peary to the Pole
Walter Lord
To John M. Woolsey III
CONTENTS
Foreword
Foreward, March!
The Thing That I Must Do
I Shall Win This Time
North to Cape Sheridan
The Long Winter Night
Out Over the Sea Ice
The Final Dash
Return
An Old Friend Reappears
"Somebody Ought to Be Spanked
Bibliography
Index
ILLUSTRATIONS
Peary in Arctic furs
Peary and his daughter, Marie
Peary and Bob Bartlett
Ross Marvin
Matthew Henson
Donald MacMillan
George Borup
Crowd scene aboard the Roosevelt
President Roosevelt inspecting the ship
Butchering a walrus on deck
Seegloo
Ooqueah
The Roosevelt at Etah
Peary and Eskimo women
Bartlett in the crow’s nest
Sledge party at Cape Sheridan
Climbing a pressure ridge
Last halt before reaching the Pole
Ferrying across a lead
Egingwah
Ootah
Four views from the North Pole
Five flags at the Pole
Map of Peary’s and Cook’s route in Frederick Cook
Peary and reporters at Battle Harbor
Cartoon of Peary and Cook
FOREWORD
IN 1906 A THOUGHTFUL historian named John Chisholm Lambert wrote that once the North Pole was discovered, it will be necessary for would-be explorers to sit down, like Alexander the Great, and weep because there are no more worlds to conquer.
Today we know better. The moon, the planets, the stars—there seems no limit. Yet distance is not the measure of discovery. Perhaps the greatest explorer of all was the first man daring enough to paddle his primitive raft beyond the sight of the land he knew.
In this sense, the discovery of the North Pole was a truly momentous event. For centuries men had wondered about it. For decades they had tried to reach it. For twenty-two years Robert E. Peary himself had been dazzled by the idea. When he finally triumphed, his success was more than personal—it was a historical breakthrough,
over-brimming with that inspirational quality always present when man achieves some long-sought goal.
Walter Lord
Culver Service
Robert E. Peary stands on the deck of his ship the Roosevelt. For Peary the North Pole was the goal of nearly a quarter of a century of desire and effort. In his fierce determination to reach the top of the world, his resourcefulness knew no limits. These furs, for instance, he adapted from the Eskimos. They were warm at 50° below zero, yet weighed no more than the clothes which the average man wears driving to work in the wintertime.
I
Forward, March!
FORWARD, MARCH!
THE COMMAND came in a crisp, clear voice that could be heard even above the howling wind. One by one a little group of fur-clad figures moved out across a jumbled sea of ice, each guiding a heavily laden sledge drawn by seven yelping, frisking dogs.
The group fell into single file and headed north. Above them, the stars danced and twinkled in the queer half-light of an Arctic day. Beneath them, the snow crunched to the tread of their feet. All around them stretched an endless waste of snow and ice. It was bitterly cold—50° below—so cold that a bottle of medicinal brandy, which one of the men tried to keep warm against his chest, was soon frozen solid.
Yet the men trudged on, heads bowed against the biting wind that slashed their faces, kept them from speaking, and all but hid them from view as it whipped the powdered snow into a fine icy dust. Bringing up the rear was the man who had ordered them forward, ready to throw his support wherever needed.
His name was Robert Edwin Peary, and he was a commander in the United States Navy. He was a big man with bristling moustache and steel-gray eyes that peered through the fringe of his hooded jacket. Hampered by his furs, he moved slowly, but his heart beat fast, for on this first morning of March, 1909, he was setting out to achieve his life’s dream: to be the first man ever to reach the North Pole.
Now it lay only 413 miles ahead. Not much as distances go—about as far as Boston to Washington—but these were miles of solid ice. Worse, it was not ordinary ice … the kind that covers a pond or stream. This was sea ice—the frozen surface of the Arctic Ocean itself. Strange tides and currents were always at work, leaving treacherous gaps of inky water that seemed just waiting to swallow somebody up. But Peary didn’t hesitate as he pushed steadily on.
Behind lay the more familiar world he knew. First, there were the empty igloos at Cape Columbia, the jumping-off place his men had just left. Then, ninety miles behind these, there was the base ship Roosevelt, moored at Cape Sheridan, the farthest north a boat had ever gone. And still farther behind were other things: The memories of twenty-two years of Arctic work, seven expeditions, six attempts on the Pole itself—each defeated by some unexpected, agonizing turn of events.
Could Peary do it this time? Common sense said no. He had always failed. Yet man can profit by failure too, and buried in these past defeats were lessons … important lessons that one day might lead to success.
II
The Thing That I Must Do
IT WAS TWENTY-FIVE YEARS earlier when Robert E. Peary first thought of standing at the top of the world. And it happened not in the frozen north but in the sunny Caribbean.
He was sailing to Nicaragua in 1884 as a young United States naval engineer. At this time there was no canal between the Atlantic and Pacific, and Peary was on a trip to study where one might be built. But as his ship passed the little island of San Salvador his mind was far from canals.
This distant shore had been Columbus’s landfall on his first trip to the new world. Now the very sight filled restless twenty-eight-year-old Peary with excitement. What a thrill to have been Columbus! Here was a man, Peary wrote that night in his diary, whose fame can be equalled only by him who shall one day stand with 360 degrees of longitude beneath his motionless feet and for whom East and West shall have vanished—the discoverer of the North Pole.
At the time it was only natural to think of the Pole this way. The vast, empty Arctic had intrigued men for centuries. At first people hoped that this maze of frozen seas and islands might hide a short cut from Europe to the riches of the Far East, and a long line of explorers searched in vain for what they called the Northwest Passage.
Gaspar Corte-Real was doing this for the Portuguese as early as 1500; Henry Hudson was at it for the English in 1610; each country had its heroes.
Later men knew they would never get to the Orient that way, but the fascination of the Arctic remained. It