The North Pole-Its Discovery in 1909 under the auspices of the Peary Arctic Club is a classic true life adventure story by the great American explorer, Robert Peary. Probably few outsiders realize the well-nigh incredible toil and hardship entailed in such an achievement as Peary's; and fewer still understand how many years of careful training and preparation there must be before the feat can be even attempted with any chance of success. A "dash for the pole" can be successful only if there have been many preliminary years ...
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The North Pole-Its Discovery in 1909 under the auspices of the Peary Arctic Club is a classic true life adventure story by the great American explorer, Robert Peary. Probably few outsiders realize the well-nigh incredible toil and hardship entailed in such an achievement as Peary's; and fewer still understand how many years of careful training and preparation there must be before the feat can be even attempted with any chance of success. A "dash for the pole" can be successful only if there have been many preliminary years of painstaking, patient toil. Rear Admiral Robert Edwin Peary Sr. (May 6, 1856 - February 20, 1920) was an American explorer and United States Navy officer who made several expeditions to the Arctic in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He is best known for claiming to have reached the geographic North Pole with his expedition on April 6, 1909. Peary was born in Cresson, Pennsylvania, but raised in Portland, Maine, following his father's death at a young age. He attended Bowdoin College, then joined the National Geodetic Survey as a draftsman. Peary enlisted in the navy in 1881, as a civil engineer. In 1885, he was made chief of surveying for the Nicaragua Canal (which was never built). In 1886, Peary visited the Arctic for the first time, making an unsuccessful attempt to cross Greenland by dogsled which was thwarted by a lack of supplies. He returned in 1891 much better prepared, and by reaching Independence Fjord (in what is now known as Peary Land) conclusively proved that Greenland was an island. Peary was one of the first Arctic explorers to study Inuit survival techniques, which he used to his great benefit. On his 1898-1902 expedition, Peary set a new "Farthest North" record by reaching Greenland's northernmost point, Cape Morris Jesup. He also reached the northernmost point of the Western Hemisphere, at the top of Canada's Ellesmere Island. Peary made two further expeditions to the Arctic, in 1905-06 and in 1908-09. During the latter, he claimed to have reached the North Pole. Peary received a number of awards from geographical societies during his lifetime, and in 1911 received the Thanks of Congress and was promoted to rear admiral. He served two terms as president of The Explorers Club, and retired to Eagle Island. Peary's claim to have reached the North Pole was widely debated in contemporary newspapers (and often contrasted with a competing claim made by Frederick Cook), but eventually won widespread acceptance. However, in a 1989 book British explorer Wally Herbert concluded that Peary did not reach the pole, although he may have been as close as 60 miles (97 km). His conclusions have been widely accepted, although disputed by some authorities.
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Seller's Description:
Facsimile of the 1910 edition (hardback). 8vo (22cm by 14cm), xii, 326pp. Frontispiece, plates, folding map. Original padded brown faux-leather boards with a red title panel to the spine, all edges gilt. Slight lean to the spine, else this copy is in very good condition. This facsimile edition was first published in 1983; this copy is a reprint from 1987. ISBN 0705415066.
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Seller's Description:
F in None Issued jacket. 8vo. original full leather gilt, aeg; pp. xii, 326, with 116 illustrations & a colour folding map. A very fine copy with original bookplate & introductory sheet loosely inserted.
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Seller's Description:
G+ 4to. modern quarter black leather gilt (new endpapers, lacks folding map, 1 leaf with 2 plates between p.12-13 and frontispiece tissue-guard, some foxing to outer leaves and leaf edges, occ. closed tear to leaf margins, one neatly repaired); pp. xii, 326, with 4 tissue-guarded photogravures, 16 plates (stated colour, but actually monochrome), 94 (of 96) black and white plates and figures in text. Heavy item (2.2 kg), additional postage may be required for international delivery. A good copy.
