The Worst Journey in the World (INSCRIBED First Edition)

EXTREMELY RARE INSCRIBED FIRST EDITION IN PUBLISHER'S VARIANT BLUE CLOTH. THIS VARIANT IS SIGNIFICANTLY LESS COMMON IN THE FIRST EDITION.

Apsley Cherry-Garrard served as assistant zoologist on Robert Scott's tragic 1910-12 expedition to Antarctica. Dr. Wilson chose Bowers and Cherry-Garrard as his companions for a winter journey in 1911 to Cape Crozier to collect Emperor Penguin eggs. On their return five weeks later Scott described their journey as "the hardest that has ever been made" a phrase which later suggested to Cherry-Garrard the title of his narrative of the fortunes of the whole expedition: The Worst Journey in the World.

When at the base, Cherry-Garrard edited the camp newspaper, The South Polar Times. The following summer he accompanied Scott's polar party as far as the summit of the Beardmore Glacier, helping to establish supply and fuel depots. Scott arrived at the Pole only to find that a Norwegian team headed by Roald Amundsen had beaten him there by a month. On the return journey, plagued by blizzards and illness, the sledge party perished near One Ton Depot, where their bodies and diaries were found eight months later by a search party that included Cherry-Garrard.

Illustrated with sketches made by Edward Wilson, the science officer of the expedition, who died returning from the pole with Scott; with photographs by expedition members Debenham and Wright.

2 Volumes. First edition. London: Constable and Company, LTD., 1922. Large 8vo. Original blue publisher's cloth. Pages: Vol.1: lxiv, 304; Vol.2: viii, 284. 10 fold-out panoramas, 5 fold-out maps. Numerous photographic and illustration plates.

Original publisher's variant blue cloth. Gilt lettering to spine. INSCRIBED BY CHERRY-GARRARD ON THE FFEP OF VOL.1. Very Good. Binding on both volumes slightly cocked, though still tight. Rubbing and very mild chipping to head and feet of both volumes. Slight sunning to spines. Some markings to front cover of vol.I and rear cover of vol.II. Contents of both volumes in excellent condition. End papers slightly toned. Very mild age toning at edges and some spotting here and there.

Full title: The Worst Journey in the World: Antarctic 1910-1913.

Provenance: From the library of Warwick H. Williams.

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