The South Pole (First English Edition)

Amundsen's first hand account of his successful attempt to reach the geographic South Pole in 1912. Notably, he reached the pole ahead of Scott's rival expedition by mere weeks (unbeknownst to Scott at the time of his journey), making Amundsen's party the first people to reach the South Pole.

Amundsen writes about the meticulous planning that went into the expedition, including his strategic use of sled dogs rather than ponies, his establishment of supply depots along the route, and his team's expertise in polar conditions gained from years in the Arctic. The Norwegian explorer describes the gruelling journey across the Ross Ice Shelf and up the Axel Heiberg Glacier to the polar plateau.

This first edition set, published by John Murray, is renowned for its quality when compared to other comparative publications from the same period. In a controversial decision, the publishers decided to put the Norwegian flag on the cover binding, despite the opinion at the time that this would hinder the book's sales perception due to the British disappointment in being beaten to the Pole.

2 Volumes. First edition. London: John Murray, 1912. Thick Royal 8vo. Original red publisher's cloth. Pages: Vol.1: xxxv, [iv], 392, fold-out map at rear; Vol.2: x, 449. 63 photographic plates, as well as numerous diagrams, and illustrations. 3 fold-out maps.

Translated from Norwegian by A. G. Chater. Original Deep Red Publisher's Cloth. Spine lettered in gilt with stamped Norwegian flag illustration. Cover stamped in gilt and ruled in red with stamped Norwegian flag illustration blocked in red, white, and blue. Top edge gilt, others uncut. Near fine. Three very minor discolouration spots to the spine of vol I. Age toning to endpapers of both volumes. Minor foxing along edges and some very occasional foxing throughout. All plates, illustrations, and maps in excellent condition. Contents bright, clear, and well preserved.

Full title: The South Pole: An Account of the Norwegian Antarctic Expedition in the "Fram," 1910-1912.

Provenance: From the library of Warwick H. Williams.

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