The South Pole

Amundsen told his crew they were sailing for the Arctic and only revealed the real destination at Madeira. His account, published in Norwegian in 1912, explains how his party reached the South Pole on 14 December 1911 and came back without losing a man: a base at the Bay of Whales that sat closer to the goal, depots laid early and flagged so they could actually be found again, sledge dogs used without sentiment, and skis in the hands of men raised on them. It reads less like a race narrative than a professional’s notebook, exact about rations and daily distances, which is precisely why it still repays attention. Free PDF and EPUB editions are available here.