Amundsen of the Arctics

KIRKUS REVIEW: Among celebrated explorers of the Arctic and Antarctica, such as Ernest Shackleton and Robert Peary, Roald Amundsen's name doesn't come up as often as it perhaps should; Colman brings Amundsen's legacy to younger generations��(The) prose is straightforward��until Colman gets to Amundsen's actual explorations in the Northwest Passage and becoming the first explorer to reach the South Pole. Then the prose is engrossing, leaning heavily on Amundsen's own writings to create week-to-week,sometimes day-by-day accounts. These accounts comprise the bulk of the book and read like an adventure story. Colman also brings up Amundsen's legacy in relation to the British explorer Robert Scott, who was trying to reach the South Pole concurrent with Amundsen'sexpedition. There was some controversy over credit, and, by some accounts, the British thought Amundsen's expedition was underhanded and so they ignored it in favor of Scott, who had died on his trip��Colman's biography of Amundsen is a worthy read for young students looking for a history of Arctic and Antarctic exploration, and might well spark an interest in the subject for some readers. October, 2011AUTHOR'S SUMMARY:Cast yourself back to the age of Arctic exploration, when men like Peary, Cook, Scott, and Shackleton were striving to reach the Poles. Perhaps the greatest explorer of them all, the ��apoleon of the Polar regions,��was the Norwegian, Roald Amundsen. Amundsen was a different type of leader. He brought an unmatched professionalism to the science of exploration in addition to being a natural motivator. He was fearless and open to learning from other cultures. He was also a practical man. It was hard for him to lie, but he did so on at least two occasions when he felt deception was justified. He loved animals, yet he made the difficult decision on one expedition to kill most of his huskies to provide fresh meat to the remaining dogs. The British criticized Amundsen and misrepresented his achievements. Americans loved Amundsen and provided much of his money by paying for lecture tours or making donations. President Theodore Roosevelt wrote to Amundsen after each of two expeditions. Who was the real Amundsen? Was he as underhanded as the British made out? Or was he a hero as most Americans believed?