Captain Scott: icy deceits and untold realities

Abstract

Captain Scott holds a unique position in human exploration in that, despite his failures, he has obtained a status often above and beyond his ultimately more successful adversary Roald Amundsen. In a field which only celebrates the victor how did this come to pass? Perhaps it is because that, although failing to reach the South Pole first, his subsequent demise on the icy continent symbolized the extremes humans undergo in the name of exploration, the very real prospect of failure, and the strength of the human spirit. His untimely death elevated Scott from second place finisher to that of martyr – a man sacrificing himself in the name of discovery. Until now a multitude of books have analysed Scott’s expedition to the Pole in great detail, without ever questioning whether Scott’s legendary status is justified or indeed deserved.