Scott of the Antarctic: The Definitive Biography

(Paperback)

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David Crane has given us a magisterial portrait of one of Britains greatest heroes and explorers, acclaimed as the masterpiece on the subject. Reissued for the 100th anniversary of Scotts doomed expedition.
It seems a pity, but I do not think I can write moreFor Gods sake look after our people.

These were the final words written in Scotts diary on 29 March 1912, as he lay dying of exhaustion, starvation and extreme cold, in his tent on his return journey from the South Pole. Since then he has been the subject of many books. Yet in all the pages that have been written about him, the personality behind the legend has been forgotten or distorted beyond all recognition.

David Cranes magisterial biography redresses this completely. By reassessing Scotts life and his substantial scientific achievements, Crane is able to provide a fresh and exciting perspective on both the Discovery expedition of 1901-4 and the Terra Nova expedition of 1910-12. The courage and tragedy of Scotts last journey are only one part of the process, for the scientific enquiry that led up to it transformed the whole nature and ambition of Antarctic exploration.

Written with the full support of Scotts surviving relatives, and with access to the voluminous diaries and records of key participants, this definitive biography sets out to reconcile the very private struggles of the man with the very public life of extremes that he led.

Reviews

Many have trodden this path before but this is the masterpiece. Gildes Foden

Movinga balanced and gripping accountDavid Crane has written a fine biography of Scott, the flawed but timeless hero, and I read it all with pleasure. Guardian

He [Crane] has freed himself from the tyranny of the card index to let Scott live again as a man. Daily Telegraph

Compellingimpressivemoving Sunday Telegraph

Cranes exhilarating biography avoids the excesses of either approach, humanising the man without diminishing his epic endeavour. As the end nears, Crane turns to the mens dignified accounts of their ordeal. It is as Scott prophesied: no heart could remain unstirred. Observer

The most balanced biography yet. Like Scotts own writings, Cranes stylish prose is a sheer pleasure. New York Times

Author Bio

David Crane's first book, Lord Byrons Jackal was published to great acclaim in 1998, and his second, The Kindness of Sisters published in 2002, is a groundbreaking work of romantic biography. In 2005 the highly acclaimed 'Scott of the Antarctic' was published, followed by Men of War, a collection of 19th Century naval biographies, in 2009. His Empires of the Dead was shortlisted for the 2013 Samuel Johnson Prize. He lives in north-west Scotland.