Saturday, January 21, 2012

History lessons

There is a recent rewrite history to insist that the doomed Scott expedition to the south pole was "better" than the successful one by Amundsen by insisting that Amundsen merely got there first, but Scott was there as a scientist, collecting all this important "scientific" data.

Sorry, but Scott forgot the most important item: The welfare of his men.

Another person can collect "scientific data" but your men's lives cannot be replaced.


in contrast, when faced with dwindling supplies, Shackleton turned back:

Shackleton pioneered the route up to the polar plateau by way of the Beardmore Glacier, which he named for the expeditions patron. By January 9, 1909, the foursome had trudged on foot to within 96 miles of the South Pole before being forced by dangerously dwindling supplies of food to turn and run for home. It was the hardest decision of Shackleton's life, telling his wife Emily later: "I thought you'd rather have a live donkey than a dead lion."


his later expedition, of the Endurance, was famous not for it's scientific data, but because they survived..

FILM LINK another one HERE

Photographer FrankHurley not only survived, but his photos are a stunning reminder of that expedition: silent film excerpt here.

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