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The Last Viking: The Life of Roald Amundsen (A Merloyd Lawrence Book)
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About The Last Viking: The Life Of Roald Amundsen
Product Description The Last Viking unravels the life of the man who stands head and shoulders above all those who raced to map the last corners of the world. In 1900, the four great geographical mysteries—the Northwest Passage, the Northeast Passage, the South Pole, and the North Pole—remained blank spots on the globe. Within twenty years Roald Amundsen would claim all four prizes. Renowned for his determination and technical skills, both feared and beloved by his men, Amundsen is a legend of the heroic age of exploration, which shortly thereafter would be tamed by technology, commerce, and publicity. Féted in his lifetime as an international celebrity, pursued by women and creditors, he died in the Arctic on a rescue mission for an inept rival explorer. Stephen R. Bown has unearthed archival material to give Amundsen's life the grim immediacy of Apsley Cherry-Garrard's The Worst Journey in the World, the exciting detail of The Endurance, and the suspense of a Jon Krakauer tale. The Last Viking is both a thrilling literary biography and a cracking good story. Review “Author Stephen Bown hopes to repair Amundsen’s reputation and re-introduce his achievements to readers at a time when exploration on a grand geographic scale seems like ancient history. He succeeds; his Amundsen is complicated and compelling, capable of leading men through deadly danger and telling self-deprecating stories to rapturous lecture audiences later…The New York Times published hundreds of articles chronicling his voyages, and Bown gracefully weaves together these and other journalistic records, along with journals kept by Amundsen and his men, to paint a surprisingly intimate portrait of a complex, at times difficult, yet eminently admirable man.” Denver Post, 9/30/12 “A deep, spine-chilling look at the life of Roald Amundsen, Norwegian polar explorer.” Tucson Citizen, 10/4/12 “An outstanding biography of a focused, determined man…Bown has served up a crisply written book that is exciting, meticulously researched, and an appropriate literary tribute to one of history’s greatest explorers.” Bookviews blog, October 2012 “The story of a man who accomplished in two decades when other explorers of his day couldn’t do in a lifetime…The world needs heroes like Amundsen, warts and all.” “Sheds new light on the life and legend of Roald Amundsen.” Wall Street Journal, 11/9/12 “Mr. Bown has produced a solid, entertaining account of Amundsen's adventures, through which he scrolls with pleasing attention to detail. This is a real ‘Boy’s Own’ narrative, one that conjures the rasp of hickory ski on thin ice, the patter of a hundred dogs, and the whiff of tobacco after a long day on the trail. Mr. Bown is especially good on historical context.” Toronto Sunday Star, 11/4/12 “Bown’s research is impeccable and his writing lucid.” San Antonio Express-News, 11/11/12 “A fascinating look into the life of the Norwegian explorer…Bown deftly captures the true essence of the man instead of merely paying homage to the legend…The Last Viking gives readers an in-depth look into what it was like to travel into some of the last unknown regions of the world without today's fancy gadgets or even the basics such as maps, local guides or reliable communication. Amundsen, perhaps the greatest polar explorer of all time, comes to life once again to ignite the spirit of exploration in all of us.” “The Homestretch” on CBC Radio, 11/26/12 “Reveals the private side of a man whose exploits made him a household name in the early 20th century.” Sacramento Book Review/San Francisco Book Review, 12/7/12 “Stephen Brown makes Amundsen feel real, not just a part of history. Brown’s stories are well-researched and it shows in the book. It is really detailed and covers many different aspects of Amundsen’s life…The pace of the book was excellent and every part is filled with suspense…This is a great book for anyone, especially if you want to relive the mom
