A History of Polar Exploration
Mountfield, David
First Edition
The age of discovery received its strongest Impulse from the rediscovered knowledge that the world is round. And once it was established that a ship sailing east- or west-could theoretically return to its home port from the opposite direction, speculation grew about the possibility of using this knowledge to establish more routes to the East and its coveted products. The land route was known from ancient times; but the Turks now held dominion over those lands. The way by sea had been found by voyaging south-but what of the northern seas? The terrible cold of Arctic waters was well known; but a north-west or north-east route would be much shorter, if one could be found. The epic story of the exploration of the top and bottom of the world began.
The nature of the quest-into uncharted seas and virgin territory under appalling conditions and with, at first, no knowledge of how to deal with the unpredictable ice and murderous cold-offered a challenge that might, on the face of it, be hardly worth taking up. But all sorts of men, from many nations, took part, and these were äs remarkable for their diversity äs for their daring. Martin Frobisher, the Elizabethan adventurer; Willem Barents, the heroic Dutchman who was the first man to winter in the Arctic; Vitus Bering, a Dane in the service of Peter the Great, who forced a way east across Siberia and found Alaska, Cook-these were pioneers. They paved the way for Nordenskjold, Nansen, Shackleton, Amundsen, Scott, Peary, Byrd; for the charting of polar seas and the mapping of polar lands; for vastly increased scientific knowledge and for new ways of not only surviving the cold but of living in it.
David Mountfield opens his book with a thoughtful essay on the motives of the explorers and what we have learned from their achievements. His history of the exploration begins at the beginning-with Pytheas of Massalia in the 3rd Century BC, and examines what is known of the voyages of the Vikings. The book ends in the present, with the massive expeditions and international co-operation, but the story goes on. Man has found his way to the ends of the earth; now he will try to understand them, and will no doubt find a way of exploiting them. What will their future be? On this question David Mountfield closes his fascinating book.
Hardcover with dust jacket, large format
208 Seiten / pages
Over 200 illustrations, 24 in colour, map
good condition
London - New York - Sydney - Toronto - 1974 - The Hamlyn Publishing Group
Art.Nr. 21541
