Alone: The Classic Polar Adventure [Paperback]

 

 

Create your own review

Alone: The Classic Polar Adventure is the story of famed explorer Richard Byrd's famous (or infamous) solitary sojourn at the bottom of the world - ably, if somewhat reluctantly, told by Byrd himself. It is not a tell of adventure so much as survival, as the peaceful and scientific adventure Byrd had anticipated all too quickly became a months-long fight for survival in the most inhospitable of places. Only a small shack with dangerously faulty ventilation stood between Byrd and the elements during the continually dark days of the winter of 1934. The temperature routinely hit 60 degrees below zero and rarely wandered upwards of twenty below, as Byrd - laid low by carbon monoxide poisoning - fought a daily battle to survive a situation that would have killed almost any other man.

Over the years, much has been made of Admiral Byrd's decision to singly man a small meteorological station far south of the main Antarctic base of Little America on the Ross Ice Shelf. Byrd first envisioned a three-man crew (he thought two men stuck together that long would end up killing each other during the long winter months without a third person present to break the monotony), but it seems pretty clear from this account that he yearned to do the job alone. Certainly, there is something to be said for the perfect peace and introspection he expected to find there, but it seems equally clear that Byrd, having already achieved great fame with past adventures at the North and South Poles, sought the attention and acclaim that would come with this mission. Whatever his reasons, however, it was unarguably a most daring and brave decision - as if the living conditions were not difficult enough, he knew that no help would be forthcoming if something went wrong.

Byrd's daily tasks were to man the meteorological equipment, take measurements, and make observations from his position. This was no small job given the damaging effects that the cold had on everything, but Byrd's biggest job was to stay alive. Unfortunately, his greatest ally in that struggle - the stove - became his greatest enemy. Several weeks into the mission, Byrd began suffering the effects of carbon monoxide poisoning. Unable to solve the ventilation problems responsible for the danger, he had no choice but to run the stove as little as possible. Often close to death, even his best of days left him far too weak to accomplish more than the most essential of tasks. To his credit, he did the best he could to hide his condition from his men at Little America, knowing full well that any rescue attempt made on their part during those winter months would be incredibly dangerous.

This was not a book that Richard Byrd was eager to write, for it meant revealing to the world the vulnerable and perhaps foolish side of a man who was already legendary for his daring exploits. To his credit, however, he certainly seems to have held nothing back, especially in regard to the sufferings he endured on this mission. While Byrd's motives - and even some of his accomplishments - have come into question over the years, even as his fame has diminished, Alone: The Classic Polar Adventure reveals this man to be one of the last great adventurers of history, a man whose raw courage and unmatched strength is best revealed in the depths of his weakest moments.

It never ceases to amaze me how far people will go when they have made up their minds.
This is a story about Admiral Byrd who sets up camp in Antarctica and decides to spend the winter there in a small hut in the ice. It's a story about how he manages to get from day to day, both psychologically and physically. Apart from being slightly eccentric and brave, he shows amazing self-control as even when he is close to dying he still decides to go on instead of calling for help.
It is a nice story, well readable and enjoyable.

The exquisite cover and beautiful print of this edition, published by Kodansha in 1995, are a suitable frame for this wonderful book. Its strength lies both in the quality of the prose, which flows naturally, at times poetically, and in the fact that this is a personal account of a true story. The pain is real, the suspense is real.

It tells the story of six long and dark months, in the winter of 1934, which Richard Byrd spent alone in Antarctica. He struggles to survive the hardships of the Antarctic winter itself, the diffuculty of being alone, and also the physical and mental sickness that nearly overcome him, illness caused by carbon monoxide poisoning.

If there is a flaw in this book it is that one wishes that Byrd could have gone deeper into the psychological and philosophical themes he brings up. Still, it is a very moving account indeed.

Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review

› See all 12 customer reviews on Amazon.ca

 

4.0 out of 5 stars Admiral Byrd Goes Bipolar
How low can it go.

That's the key question about the thermometer - an average of about -60 degrees - and Admiral Richard Byrd's mental state as he struggled to survive when he... Read more

Published on Dec 28 2000 by Kenneth Blum

5.0 out of 5 stars Stunning!
If you are looking for a book on an Antarctic adventure, perhaps there are better choices to be made. Read more

Published on Nov 29 2000 by Martha S.

5.0 out of 5 stars Alone
Richard E. Byrd's "ALONE" gets off to a slow start, but as soon as Byrd is left alone, 123 miles from the nearest humans at Little America, during the Antarctic winter,... Read more

Published on Sep 21 2000 by Tom Lowe

3.0 out of 5 stars NOT the greastest.
Byrd was in an incredible location but there are many many more interesting books out there. When I read a book that I think is worth reading I will lend it to someone else. Read more

Published on Dec 29 1998

5.0 out of 5 stars Can fundamentally alter one's perception of nature and life.
This book has the capacity to fundamentally alter the way one perceives nature and life. However, the most striking aspect of the book was Byrd's view of religion. Read more

Published on Dec 2 1998 by Matt Taylor

5.0 out of 5 stars A potent antidote for the complacent approach to living
I felt from the beginning that I was there experiencing Admiral Byrd's journey into the outer reaches of our external (and internal) frontiers. Read more

Published on Sep 3 1998 by mrlogan@earthlink.net

5.0 out of 5 stars Profound and humbling account of limits of human endurance!
This autobiographical account of one man's struggle to survive the long Antarctic night contains not only incisive descriptions of -70 degree weather and its horrific effects, but... Read more

Published on May 6 1998 by memento@ix.netcom.com

5.0 out of 5 stars Classic
One of the most exciting adventures ever written. A definite MUST for anyone who likes to read true life adventures. Read more

Published on Feb 20 1998 by panthers@i-plus.net

5.0 out of 5 stars One man's contest against himself.
This journal account of Byrd's months at the South Pole
reveal the most extreme circumstances that force a man
to discover the absolute limits of his will and inner... Read more

Published on Jan 9 1997

Search Customer Reviews
Only search this product's reviews

› See all 12 customer reviews on Amazon.ca

Search Listmania!