United States
£ GBP
This book is an analytical account of how Roald Amundsen used sledge dogs to discover the South Pole in 1911, and is the first to name and identify all 116 Polar dogs who were part of the Norwegian Antarctic Expedition of 1910-1912. The book traces the dogs from their origins in Greenland to Antarctica and beyond, and presents the author's findings regarding which of the dogs actually reached the South Pole, and which ones returned. Using crewmember diaries, reports, and written correspondence, Roald Amundsen's Sled Dogs explores the strategy, methodology, and personal insights of the explorer and his crew in employing canines to achieve their goal, as well as documents the controversy and internal dynamics involved in this historic discovery. It breaks ground in presenting the entire story of how the South Pole was truly discovered using animals, and how deep and profound the differences of perception were regarding the use of canines for exploration. This historic tale sheds light on Antarctic exploration history and the human-nature relationship. It gives recognition to the significant role that animals played in this important part of history.
Preface. Canine Explorers in the Antarctic
Acknowledgements
Maps
List of Characters and Countries
Notes on Norwegian and English Names
Chapter 1. Introduction: Dogs, the Arctic, and Amundsen's Clandestine Switch to the Antarctic
Part I. The Strategic Plan, The Secret Ingredient
Chapter 2. The Vital Importance of Sledge Dogs
Chapter 3. Two "Eskimos" to Care for Good Greenland Dogs
Chapter 4. A Perfect Ship, a Professional Crew, and a Home for Pet Dogs
Part II. From Greenland to Norway
Chapter 5. The Voyage of the Hans Egede
Chapter 6. Fram's Test Voyage and the Island of the Misfit Dogs
Chapter 7. The Secret Passage and the Circumnavigating Pups
Part III. Journey Across the Seas to Antarctica
Chapter 8. The Voyage South - Dogs First, Dogs All the Time
Chapter 9. The Wooing of Lasse and the Caring for the Dogs
Chapter 10. The Females and the Mother Ship - Woman Shall Not Come on Board
Chapter 11. Maren and Her Sons in Madeira; Enduring the Heat
Chapter 12. The Births and Deaths of October
Chapter 13. The Lady and the Sea
Chapter 14. Christmas Among the Ice Floes
Chapter 15. The Arrival in Antarctica
Part IV. Depot-Laying, Winter's Work, and a False Start
Chapter 16. The First Sled Ride
Chapter 17. Great Surprise! It's the Terra Nova!
Chapter 18. The First Depot Run - Flying on a High
Chapter 19. The Second Depot Run - Disaster for the Dogs
Chapter 20. The Third Depot Run - Third Time Is Not the Charm
Chapter 21. Born and Bred in Antarctica
Chapter 22. The Divine Trio - Fix, Lasse, and Snuppesen
Chapter 23. Hjalmar Johansen's Charges - Camilla, Knegten, Uroa, and Rotta
Chapter 24. Don Pedro Christophersen, and Balmy Buenos Aires
Chapter 25. A Midwinter Night's Dream
Chapter 26. Now Is the August of Our Winter's Content
Chapter 27. The Premature Start
Chapter 28. The Decisive Ejection and the Change of Plan
Part V. Sled Trek to the South Pole and Back
Chapter 29. Snow Trek
Chapter 30. The Eastern Party's Expedition to King Edward VII Land
Chapter 31. The Push to the Plateau - Kjoring Across the Ice Waves
Chapter 32. Pulling for the Chief - The Climbing of the Mountain Peaks
Chapter 33. Butcher's Shop - "The Final Reward"
Chapter 34. A Devil of a Climb - the Devil's Glacier
Chapter 35. The Dogs at the South Pole
Chapter 36. The Return Trek from the South Pole
Chapter 37. The Search for the Devil's Depot
Chapter 38. The Eastern Party, the Fram and an Australian in Antarctica
Chapter 39. The South Pole Party Returns Home
Part VI. The Return from Antarctica
Chapter 40. Their Final Destinations- The South Pole Dogs and Sled Dogs
Chapter 41. Impressions that Dog Us
Notes on Original Source Material
Bibliography
Mary R. Tahan is a writer, producer, and documentarian, with a professional background in journalism and marketing. Internationally renowned for her educational and informational series, she has authored many scholarly articles and historical books, and produced/directed documentary films. Her scholarly articles and lectures/presentations focus on Antarctica and the "heroic age of exploration", and cover many countries, and she has documented individuals and organizations as well as cities and historical events. As part of her research for her series of films and books on Polar exploration, Mary R. Tahan traveled to Antarctica by invitation of the Direccion Nacional del Antartico (Instituto Antartico Argentino), where she performed on-site photography and videography of the Antarctic landscape and historical sites, as well as conducted interviews with scientists and curators. Her research has also taken her to Argentina, Norway, France, Russia, and England, where she has also interviewed Polar historians and descendants of the early explorers of the Arctic and Antarctic.
