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The Worst Journey in the World: Antarctica 1910-1913

Apsley Cherry-Garrard (1922)

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THE A5 BOOK REVIEW

The Worst Journey in the World is an account by Apsley Cherry-Garrard of the 1910-1913 British expedition to Antarctica led by Robert Falcon Scott that ended in tragedy, with Scott and four companions freezing to death as they attempted to return to base camp after making it to the South Pole, only four weeks after Roald Amundson first reached the South Pole.  The book itself is a true masterpiece in travel writing.  Cherry-Garrard was both honest and modest in his memoir, sharing vivid details on the trials and tribulations of Antarctic exploration and on the preparation, motivation, and teamwork required to battle such harsh conditions.  He also includes numerous excerpts from logs from fellow explorers.  Scott’s team truly tested the limits of human suffering, confronting horrendous weather conditions, frequent frostbite, and a constant (and often realized) fear of plunging into an unseen crevice.  The author’s primary objective for himself was a special expedition with two colleagues to recover Emperor penguin eggs in the name of scientific study, a trek made under complete darkness and terrible weather where they barely made it back to camp alive.  The final part of the book recounts Scott’s final and catastrophic trip to their ultimate destination, the South Pole.  Only five explorers were selected to make the fated final plunge, with Cherry-Garrard and most of the others acting as support crew who returned early to base camp.  All in all, The Worst Journey in the World is a touching and dramatic story, and a must read for travel book enthusiasts.
Click here to see reviews and prices for this book on Amazon.

A5 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THOSE WHO LIKED THIS BOOK

book cover of Endurance
book cover of Into Thin Air
book cover of Farther Than Any Man
book cover of The Long Walk
book cover of The Grapes of Wrath

GREAT QUOTES FROM THE WORST JOURNEY IN THE WORLD

"Generally the risks were taken, for, on the whole, it is better to be a little over-bold than a little over-cautious, while always there was a something inside urging you to do it just because there was a certain risk, and you hardly liked not to do it. It is so easy to be afraid of being afraid!” 

"Thus impiously I set out to die, making up my mind that I was not going to try and keep warm, that it might not take too long, and thinking I would try and get some morphia from the medical case if it got very bad.  Not a bit heroic, and entirely true!  Yes! comfortable, warm reader.  Men do not fear death, they fear the pain of dying."

INTERESTING LINKS:

  • Listen to the NPR "All Things Considered" review on The Worst Journey in the World
  • In 2001, National Geographic Adventure listed the "The 100 Best Adventure Books of All Time", with The Worst Journey in the World named as the best.
  • Wired.com has a very interesting story covering the tragic race between Amundsen and Scott to be the first to reach the South Pole.
  • One of our other recommendations on adventure travel covers another tragic polar exploration.  In 1914, Ernest Shackleton (who had previously sailed under Robert Falcon Scott) attempted a trip across Antarctica.  The book is called Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage.
  • ​Learn more about the author in the biography, Cherry: A Life of Apsley Cherry-Garrard, written by fellow Antarctic explorer Sara Wheeler.​
  • This book is one of our favorite books on exploration.  Click here to see our full list of recommendations on adventure travel books.

LEAVE YOUR OWN REVIEW HERE


TWO DIFFERENT ROUTES TO THE SOUTH POLE
The routes to the South Pole taken by Scott (green) and Amundsen (red), 1911–1912

Antarctic expedition map (Amundsen - Scott)-en

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