Summary
Starting with the final expedition of John Franklin, 19th-century England's most honored and respected Arctic explorer, the opening of the polar regions resulted in the establishment of the multitudes of research stations that produce observations, measurements, and data crucial to all areas of scientific inquiry. The first mariners to venture south signed on for voyages that lasted for years with no guarantee they would return. If they did come back from the frigid zones, it was with their health permanently damaged by bouts of scurvy and months of inadequate diet. Yet, there was never a shortage of eager, courageous men willing to replace the unfit. Exploring the Polar Regions, Revised Edition tells the story of polar exploration and the men who wittingly put themselves in danger to take on the unknown frozen straits.
Coverage includes:
- The mythical stories of a "Great Southern Continent" and the numerous Spanish, French, and British explorers who searched for it
- A description of the race to the North Pole, including various explorers' theories on how to achieve this goal
- Roald Amundsen's and Robert Scott's race to the South Pole in 1911 and 1912
- How developments in equipment, machines, and communications changed exploration
- Ernest Shackleton's epic voyage between 1914 and 1916 to Antarctica
- Aerial exploration of Antarctica.