Posted by alan truelove on 01/16/00 from cache-2.spg.va.webcache.rcn.net:
As mentioned in another thread, Nansen's Furthest N. has been
republished (pb) & avail from Amazon.com-- a jolly good read..
I forget if Tarboard has already discussed the question of why AR
chose Nansen as the theme for WH rather than (say ) Scott or
Shackleton .. (which question occurred to me when first reading
WH in 1945.. )-- I suppose:
(a) Nansen's trip was well-planned,& prudent, no one died-- (The Scott last
expedition is of course Duffer-like from start to finish, even though
Britain tried to put the best face on it..)
(b) Both Scott & Shackleton are too dramatic .. Nansen was tamer and
could be replicated (and even bettered, since they got to their goal)
by the SAD's.. the base ship Fram was there all the time and survived..
(c) Three words-- North, not South.
(d) AR's experience in Russia and surrounding countries probably
emphasized Nansen just as much as the Brit expeditions..