The Last Viking: The Life of Roald Amundsen: A Merloyd Lawrence Book
Autor Stephen R. Bownen Limba Engleză Paperback – 21 oct 2013
The
Last
Vikingunravels
the
life
of
the
man
who
stands
head
and
shoulders
above
all
those
who
raced
to
map
the
last
corners
of
the
world.
In
1900,
the
four
great
geographical
mysteries—the
Northwest
Passage,
the
Northeast
Passage,
the
South
Pole,
and
the
North
Pole—remained
blank
spots
on
the
globe.
Within
twenty
years
Roald
Amundsen
would
claim
all
four
prizes.
Renowned
for
his
determination
and
technical
skills,
both
feared
and
beloved
by
his
men,
Amundsen
is
a
legend
of
the
heroic
age
of
exploration,
which
shortly
thereafter
would
be
tamed
by
technology,
commerce,
and
publicity.
Féted
in
his
lifetime
as
an
international
celebrity,
pursued
by
women
and
creditors,
he
died
in
the
Arctic
on
a
rescue
mission
for
an
inept
rival
explorer.
Stephen R. Bown has unearthed archival material to give Amundsen's life the grim immediacy of Apsley Cherry-Garrard'sThe Worst Journey in the World, the exciting detail ofThe Endurance, and the suspense of a Jon Krakauer tale.The Last Vikingis both a thrilling literary biography and a cracking good story.
Stephen R. Bown has unearthed archival material to give Amundsen's life the grim immediacy of Apsley Cherry-Garrard'sThe Worst Journey in the World, the exciting detail ofThe Endurance, and the suspense of a Jon Krakauer tale.The Last Vikingis both a thrilling literary biography and a cracking good story.
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Specificații
ISBN-13: 9780306822667
ISBN-10: 0306822660
Pagini: 400
Ilustrații: 16-pages of b/w photos
Dimensiuni: 156 x 232 x 29 mm
Greutate: 0.48 kg
Ediția:First Trade Paper Edition
Editura: Hachette Book Group
Colecția Da Capo Press
Seria A Merloyd Lawrence Book
ISBN-10: 0306822660
Pagini: 400
Ilustrații: 16-pages of b/w photos
Dimensiuni: 156 x 232 x 29 mm
Greutate: 0.48 kg
Ediția:First Trade Paper Edition
Editura: Hachette Book Group
Colecția Da Capo Press
Seria A Merloyd Lawrence Book
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Notă biografică
Stephen
R.
Bown
is
the
author
ofScurvy:
How
a
Surgeon,
a
Mariner
and
A
Gentleman
Solved
the
Greatest
Medical
Mystery
of
the
Age
of
Sail,
selected
as
one
of
the
Globe
and
Mail's
Top
100
books
of
2004,
andA
Most
Damnable
Invention:
Dynamite,
Nitrates
and
the
Making
of
the
Modern
World,
selected
for
the
Scientific
American
Book
Club,
the
History
Book
Club
and
the
Quality
Paperback
Book
Club.
He
lives
with
his
wife
and
two
young
children
near
Banff
in
the
Canadian
Rockies.
www.stephenrbown.net
www.stephenrbown.net
Recenzii
“A
compelling
and
enjoyable
introduction
to
the
man
and
his
adventures.
Bown
writes
Amundsen's
story
with
a
sharp
eye
to
what's
important…Amundsen's
life
is
without
a
doubt
fascinating,
and
Bown
does
it
a
service
by
getting
out
of
the
way
and
just
telling
the
story.
At
about
300
pages,
this
is
a
pleasurable,
entertaining
read
that
never
overstays
its
welcome.”
Internet Review of Books, 12/19/12“Amundsen's exciting life makes this an amazing read and the sixteen pages of photos are captivating.”
Santa FeNew Mexican, 1/18/13“[A] comprehensive biography…An eye-opening mind-blowing page-turner. Bown has the ability to convey reams of facts, figures, and statistics while engaging the reader in Amundsen's many life-and-death adventures.”
Canada's History“Those who love tales of Arctic exploration and discovery will not be disappointed by Stephen R. Bown's fresh look at the man many consider to be the world's greatest polar explorer. From beginning to end, the Canadian writer's telling of Roald Amundsen's life is a thrilling yet thoughtful narrative.”
Phi Beta Kappa'sKey Reporter, 5/24/13
Sacramento Book Review/San Francisco Book Review, 12/7/12
“Stephen Brown makes Amundsen feel real, not just a part of history. Brown's stories are well-researched and it shows in the book. It is really detailed and covers many different aspects of Amundsen's life…The pace of the book was excellent and every part is filled with suspense…This is a great book for anyone, especially if you want to relive the moments of an unexplored Earth.”
Reference and Research Book News, December 2012
“[Bown] describes Amundsen's approach to expeditions as military operations and portrays his gift for flamboyant self-promotion and publicity seeking on the lecture circuit.”
CBC Books, 12/17/12“Bown draws on extensive research to create a clear and often surprising portrait of a truly adventurous spirit.”Library Journal, 12/20/12“A great new biography… Well written and enjoyable, the book uses ample quotes from Amundsen to give readers a sense of the man… a great title for collections that don't own Amundsen's own books or previous biographies, this volume is recommended for readers high school-age and up who are interested in polar exploration.”
Minneapolis Star-Tribune, 1/8/13“[A] persuasive and highly readable biography/adventure story.”
Curled Up with a Good Book
“[Bown] did his homework. The bibliography is basically every book out there, plus he did a lot of his own work in extensive newspaper story research (NYT–predominantly). There is a lot of controversy about this man and his methods–a lot of bias that Bown seems to navigate around. If you haven't read about polar exploration it's a good book to read since it relates the entire history of man's search for the final fabled lost lands or undiscovered sea lanes that would make trade travel quicker and cheaper…In this day of constant communication the book acts like an escape of sorts to a time when years would go by between shoving off on an expedition and returning.”
“Politics and Patriotism Show” (blog), 11/21/12“An eye opening history of the larger-than-life Norwegian explorer…Intensely researched and passionately written.”
Literary Review of Canada, October 2012“A riveting tale of adventure, political intrigue and achievement…Exceptionally well researched and eminently readable…An important contribution to the historiography of polar exploration.”
MilwaukeeShepherd Express, 12/4/12
“Brown's biography…breaks some new ground in detailing the explorer's time spent in New York and the evidence of his sense of humor, which stands in contrast to the usual picture of him as cold, methodical and harsh.”
WinnipegFree Press, 10/6/12“Bown's tension-packed narrative recounts the illustrious career of the most accomplished polar explorer of all time.”
Shipwreckology.com, 10/25/12“In a world where little is left to explore, Bown transports his readers to a time when great men battled nature to explore the earth's last remaining terra incognita. As the winter months approach, readers would be well served to buy The Last Viking and curl up in front of a roaring fire to enjoy Bown's gripping account of Amundsen's epic polar adventures.”
Maclean's, 10/26/12“Bown draws on extensive research and access to the personal journals of Amundsen and his travel companions to paint rich and gripping accounts of his perilous voyages. These are often marvelously entertaining.”
CalgaryHerald, 10/19/12“Sheds new light on the life and legend of Roald Amundsen.”
Wall Street Journal, 11/9/12
“Author Stephen Bown hopes to repair Amundsen's reputation and re-introduce his achievements to readers at a time when exploration on a grand geographic scale seems like ancient history. He succeeds; his Amundsen is complicated and compelling, capable of leading men through deadly danger and telling self-deprecating stories to rapturous lecture audiences later…The New York Times published hundreds of articles chronicling his voyages, and Bown gracefully weaves together these and other journalistic records, along with journals kept by Amundsen and his men, to paint a surprisingly intimate portrait of a complex, at times difficult, yet eminently admirable man.”
DenverPost, 9/30/12“A deep, spine-chilling look at the life of Roald Amundsen, Norwegian polar explorer.”
Tucson Citizen, 10/4/12“An outstanding biography of a focused, determined man…Bown has served up a crisply written book that is exciting, meticulously researched, and an appropriate literary tribute to one of history's greatest explorers.”
Bookviews blog, October 2012“The story of a man who accomplished in two decades when other explorers of his day couldn't do in a lifetime…The world needs heroes like Amundsen, warts and all.”
WomanAroundTown.com,9/27/12“Details both the good and the bad about his extraordinary man.”
InfoDad.com, 10/18/12
“[A] full-bodied tale…The book provides detailed insights into the preparations and human elements involved in surveying arctic regions. Using actual diary entries from the Arctic expeditions to chilling effect, Bown makes the reader feel as though they have embarked on a journey through the world's harshest climates and inhospitable lands…[Amundsen] lived a life suited for the pages of an adventure novel. Bown's new biography reads as such.”
PortlandBook Review, December-February 2012“Bown is a terrific writer, never sensational, always seeming to share the achievements of a friend. His discretion about Amundsen's personal life leaves us with an endearing, enigmatic hero.”
“Bookworm Sez” syndicated column, 12/4/12“Armchair adventurers will love reading The Last Viking.”
“The Homestretch” on CBC Radio, 11/26/12“Reveals the private side of a man whose exploits made him a household name in the early 20th century.”
“One of Bown's strengths in writing this biography is his ability to write about Amundsen's expeditions—often multi-year affairs during which the crew was completely isolated—in a way that engages readers accustomed to satellite phones and real-time updates…Bown's clear prose never gets bogged down by the vast emptiness of its settings or by Amundsen's regular successes in his expeditions. And when things do go wrong, such as when Amundsen attempts to fly a plane over the North Pole, Bown writes a tense narrative in which men struggle against themselves and nature to survive...The Last Vikingshould restore this remarkable man's place in the canon of explorers, while winning itself a prized place on the shelves of adventure enthusiasts.”
Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, 12/15/2013
“These later stories of Amundsen's life are less frequently told, and Bown has done a good job of restoring them to Amundsen's biography…Since the highly private Amundsen kept his private life to himself, we get little insight into the man (and Bown wisely avoids speculation). What we do get is an overdue acknowledgment of what Amundsen was: the greatest polar adventurer who ever lived, and the man whose life was the capstone on the Age of Exploration.”
The Historian, Vol. 76, No. 2
“Mr. Bown has produced a solid, entertaining account of Amundsen's adventures, through which he scrolls with pleasing attention to detail. This is a real ‘Boy's Own' narrative, one that conjures the rasp of hickory ski on thin ice, the patter of a hundred dogs, and the whiff of tobacco after a long day on the trail. Mr. Bown is especially good on historical context.”
TorontoSunday Star, 11/4/12“Bown's research is impeccable and his writing lucid.”
San AntonioExpress-News, 11/11/12“A fascinating look into the life of the Norwegian explorer…Bown deftly captures the true essence of the man instead of merely paying homage to the legend…The Last Viking gives readers an in-depth look into what it was like to travel into some of the last unknown regions of the world without today's fancy gadgets or even the basics such as maps, local guides or reliable communication. Amundsen, perhaps the greatest polar explorer of all time, comes to life once again to ignite the spirit of exploration in all of us.”
TorontoGlobe & Mail, 11/16/12“Bown writes from the lofty, distancing heights of the fair-minded historian…The work is sharp-eyed, thorough and convincing, and constitutes a significant addition to the Arctic canon.”
Daily Speculations blog, 11/27/12
Internet Review of Books, 12/19/12“Amundsen's exciting life makes this an amazing read and the sixteen pages of photos are captivating.”
Santa FeNew Mexican, 1/18/13“[A] comprehensive biography…An eye-opening mind-blowing page-turner. Bown has the ability to convey reams of facts, figures, and statistics while engaging the reader in Amundsen's many life-and-death adventures.”
Canada's History“Those who love tales of Arctic exploration and discovery will not be disappointed by Stephen R. Bown's fresh look at the man many consider to be the world's greatest polar explorer. From beginning to end, the Canadian writer's telling of Roald Amundsen's life is a thrilling yet thoughtful narrative.”
Phi Beta Kappa'sKey Reporter, 5/24/13
Sacramento Book Review/San Francisco Book Review, 12/7/12
“Stephen Brown makes Amundsen feel real, not just a part of history. Brown's stories are well-researched and it shows in the book. It is really detailed and covers many different aspects of Amundsen's life…The pace of the book was excellent and every part is filled with suspense…This is a great book for anyone, especially if you want to relive the moments of an unexplored Earth.”
Reference and Research Book News, December 2012
“[Bown] describes Amundsen's approach to expeditions as military operations and portrays his gift for flamboyant self-promotion and publicity seeking on the lecture circuit.”
CBC Books, 12/17/12“Bown draws on extensive research to create a clear and often surprising portrait of a truly adventurous spirit.”Library Journal, 12/20/12“A great new biography… Well written and enjoyable, the book uses ample quotes from Amundsen to give readers a sense of the man… a great title for collections that don't own Amundsen's own books or previous biographies, this volume is recommended for readers high school-age and up who are interested in polar exploration.”
Minneapolis Star-Tribune, 1/8/13“[A] persuasive and highly readable biography/adventure story.”
Curled Up with a Good Book
“[Bown] did his homework. The bibliography is basically every book out there, plus he did a lot of his own work in extensive newspaper story research (NYT–predominantly). There is a lot of controversy about this man and his methods–a lot of bias that Bown seems to navigate around. If you haven't read about polar exploration it's a good book to read since it relates the entire history of man's search for the final fabled lost lands or undiscovered sea lanes that would make trade travel quicker and cheaper…In this day of constant communication the book acts like an escape of sorts to a time when years would go by between shoving off on an expedition and returning.”
“Politics and Patriotism Show” (blog), 11/21/12“An eye opening history of the larger-than-life Norwegian explorer…Intensely researched and passionately written.”
Literary Review of Canada, October 2012“A riveting tale of adventure, political intrigue and achievement…Exceptionally well researched and eminently readable…An important contribution to the historiography of polar exploration.”
MilwaukeeShepherd Express, 12/4/12
“Brown's biography…breaks some new ground in detailing the explorer's time spent in New York and the evidence of his sense of humor, which stands in contrast to the usual picture of him as cold, methodical and harsh.”
WinnipegFree Press, 10/6/12“Bown's tension-packed narrative recounts the illustrious career of the most accomplished polar explorer of all time.”
Shipwreckology.com, 10/25/12“In a world where little is left to explore, Bown transports his readers to a time when great men battled nature to explore the earth's last remaining terra incognita. As the winter months approach, readers would be well served to buy The Last Viking and curl up in front of a roaring fire to enjoy Bown's gripping account of Amundsen's epic polar adventures.”
Maclean's, 10/26/12“Bown draws on extensive research and access to the personal journals of Amundsen and his travel companions to paint rich and gripping accounts of his perilous voyages. These are often marvelously entertaining.”
CalgaryHerald, 10/19/12“Sheds new light on the life and legend of Roald Amundsen.”
Wall Street Journal, 11/9/12
“Author Stephen Bown hopes to repair Amundsen's reputation and re-introduce his achievements to readers at a time when exploration on a grand geographic scale seems like ancient history. He succeeds; his Amundsen is complicated and compelling, capable of leading men through deadly danger and telling self-deprecating stories to rapturous lecture audiences later…The New York Times published hundreds of articles chronicling his voyages, and Bown gracefully weaves together these and other journalistic records, along with journals kept by Amundsen and his men, to paint a surprisingly intimate portrait of a complex, at times difficult, yet eminently admirable man.”
DenverPost, 9/30/12“A deep, spine-chilling look at the life of Roald Amundsen, Norwegian polar explorer.”
Tucson Citizen, 10/4/12“An outstanding biography of a focused, determined man…Bown has served up a crisply written book that is exciting, meticulously researched, and an appropriate literary tribute to one of history's greatest explorers.”
Bookviews blog, October 2012“The story of a man who accomplished in two decades when other explorers of his day couldn't do in a lifetime…The world needs heroes like Amundsen, warts and all.”
WomanAroundTown.com,9/27/12“Details both the good and the bad about his extraordinary man.”
InfoDad.com, 10/18/12
Long-listed
for
the
BC
National
Award
for
Canadian
Non-Fiction
One of theToronto Globe & Mail's Globe 100: The Globe's Top Non-Fiction Books of the Year
Named toKirkus Reviews's “Best Books of 2012” list
Named aSan Francisco Book ReviewStaff Pick for “Best Books of 2012
WinnipegFree Press, “Best of the Best” roundup, 12/22/12
Kirkus Reviews(starred), 8/15/12“An intensely researched, thoroughly enjoyable life of one history's best explorers…A superb biography of a fiercely driven explorer who traveled across the last inaccessible areas on earth before technical advances made the journey much easier.”
Booklist, September 2012“[An] enjoyable, informative biography.”
Publishers Weekly, 8/27/12“[A] captivating account of the Norwegian's extraordinary life…Bown makes a compelling case that Amundsen deserves renewed recognition for his outstanding achievements.”
London Sunday Times9/16/12“[A] fascinating biography…As a depiction of an explorer's life it is intelligent and often thrilling.”
BostonGlobe, 9/30/12
One of theToronto Globe & Mail's Globe 100: The Globe's Top Non-Fiction Books of the Year
Named toKirkus Reviews's “Best Books of 2012” list
Named aSan Francisco Book ReviewStaff Pick for “Best Books of 2012
WinnipegFree Press, “Best of the Best” roundup, 12/22/12
Kirkus Reviews(starred), 8/15/12“An intensely researched, thoroughly enjoyable life of one history's best explorers…A superb biography of a fiercely driven explorer who traveled across the last inaccessible areas on earth before technical advances made the journey much easier.”
Booklist, September 2012“[An] enjoyable, informative biography.”
Publishers Weekly, 8/27/12“[A] captivating account of the Norwegian's extraordinary life…Bown makes a compelling case that Amundsen deserves renewed recognition for his outstanding achievements.”
London Sunday Times9/16/12“[A] fascinating biography…As a depiction of an explorer's life it is intelligent and often thrilling.”
BostonGlobe, 9/30/12
“[A] full-bodied tale…The book provides detailed insights into the preparations and human elements involved in surveying arctic regions. Using actual diary entries from the Arctic expeditions to chilling effect, Bown makes the reader feel as though they have embarked on a journey through the world's harshest climates and inhospitable lands…[Amundsen] lived a life suited for the pages of an adventure novel. Bown's new biography reads as such.”
PortlandBook Review, December-February 2012“Bown is a terrific writer, never sensational, always seeming to share the achievements of a friend. His discretion about Amundsen's personal life leaves us with an endearing, enigmatic hero.”
“Bookworm Sez” syndicated column, 12/4/12“Armchair adventurers will love reading The Last Viking.”
“The Homestretch” on CBC Radio, 11/26/12“Reveals the private side of a man whose exploits made him a household name in the early 20th century.”
“One of Bown's strengths in writing this biography is his ability to write about Amundsen's expeditions—often multi-year affairs during which the crew was completely isolated—in a way that engages readers accustomed to satellite phones and real-time updates…Bown's clear prose never gets bogged down by the vast emptiness of its settings or by Amundsen's regular successes in his expeditions. And when things do go wrong, such as when Amundsen attempts to fly a plane over the North Pole, Bown writes a tense narrative in which men struggle against themselves and nature to survive...The Last Vikingshould restore this remarkable man's place in the canon of explorers, while winning itself a prized place on the shelves of adventure enthusiasts.”
Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, 12/15/2013
“These later stories of Amundsen's life are less frequently told, and Bown has done a good job of restoring them to Amundsen's biography…Since the highly private Amundsen kept his private life to himself, we get little insight into the man (and Bown wisely avoids speculation). What we do get is an overdue acknowledgment of what Amundsen was: the greatest polar adventurer who ever lived, and the man whose life was the capstone on the Age of Exploration.”
The Historian, Vol. 76, No. 2
“Mr. Bown has produced a solid, entertaining account of Amundsen's adventures, through which he scrolls with pleasing attention to detail. This is a real ‘Boy's Own' narrative, one that conjures the rasp of hickory ski on thin ice, the patter of a hundred dogs, and the whiff of tobacco after a long day on the trail. Mr. Bown is especially good on historical context.”
TorontoSunday Star, 11/4/12“Bown's research is impeccable and his writing lucid.”
San AntonioExpress-News, 11/11/12“A fascinating look into the life of the Norwegian explorer…Bown deftly captures the true essence of the man instead of merely paying homage to the legend…The Last Viking gives readers an in-depth look into what it was like to travel into some of the last unknown regions of the world without today's fancy gadgets or even the basics such as maps, local guides or reliable communication. Amundsen, perhaps the greatest polar explorer of all time, comes to life once again to ignite the spirit of exploration in all of us.”
TorontoGlobe & Mail, 11/16/12“Bown writes from the lofty, distancing heights of the fair-minded historian…The work is sharp-eyed, thorough and convincing, and constitutes a significant addition to the Arctic canon.”
Daily Speculations blog, 11/27/12