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juushikaTitle: Antarctic Adventure: Scott's Northern Party
Author: Raymond E. Priestley
Published: 1914
Rating: 4 of 5
Page Count: 380
Total Page Count: 567,645
Text Number: 2148
Read Because: cold boys & Wheeler influenced me, as below; Internet Archive has this one.
Review: The story of the Northern Party would have been a tale to tell had it not been overshadowed by the fate of Scott et al.: after a successful, albeit not especially interesting, summer and winter at Camp Adare, the next summer's sledging effort & lack of rescue by the ship resulted in probably the most uncomfortable overwinter stay in Antarctica. I don't say that lightly; this makes the Swedish Antarctic Expedition seem tolerable in comparison.
This got bumped up my TBR because Wheeler's biography of Cherry-Garrard calls it breezy and readable, and it sure is that. Priestley maintains his tone even in the depths of suffering. Funny, honest but oblique (I wish we had more details about everyone's chronic diarrhea—now that's a sentence I never expected to say), with clear illustrations and logistical information about living circumstances in the snow cave; and then quietly thoughtful and evocative, particularly when discussing how the party passed the time and maintained morale: inactivity and escapist daydreaming, song and elevating minor celebrations. This, after recounting another party member's dream: "This account may not seem relevant to the narrative of the winter, but these vivid dreams were the distinct feature of our life, so much so that we may be said to have had two separate existences in these months." That's the good shit. Skim the first half and enjoy the second; this is a good one, and I look forward to reading more about the Northern Party.
Author: Raymond E. Priestley
Published: 1914
Rating: 4 of 5
Page Count: 380
Total Page Count: 567,645
Text Number: 2148
Read Because: cold boys & Wheeler influenced me, as below; Internet Archive has this one.
Review: The story of the Northern Party would have been a tale to tell had it not been overshadowed by the fate of Scott et al.: after a successful, albeit not especially interesting, summer and winter at Camp Adare, the next summer's sledging effort & lack of rescue by the ship resulted in probably the most uncomfortable overwinter stay in Antarctica. I don't say that lightly; this makes the Swedish Antarctic Expedition seem tolerable in comparison.
This got bumped up my TBR because Wheeler's biography of Cherry-Garrard calls it breezy and readable, and it sure is that. Priestley maintains his tone even in the depths of suffering. Funny, honest but oblique (I wish we had more details about everyone's chronic diarrhea—now that's a sentence I never expected to say), with clear illustrations and logistical information about living circumstances in the snow cave; and then quietly thoughtful and evocative, particularly when discussing how the party passed the time and maintained morale: inactivity and escapist daydreaming, song and elevating minor celebrations. This, after recounting another party member's dream: "This account may not seem relevant to the narrative of the winter, but these vivid dreams were the distinct feature of our life, so much so that we may be said to have had two separate existences in these months." That's the good shit. Skim the first half and enjoy the second; this is a good one, and I look forward to reading more about the Northern Party.
