A world of words has been written about this stirring book. For how many tomes were penned at the cost of the author’s life? What other book was discovered next to the frozen hands of the man who had written his last thoughts on icy paper nearly a year before? This is the expedition diary of Captain Robert Scott, the fabled British explorer who lost his life in 1912 while attempting to reach the South Pole, and on these pages is the tremendous story of how he set out to lead a tiny team of men towards a dangerous geographical mystery.

When Captain Peary of America claimed to have reached the North Pole in 1909, all eyes turned to the South Pole. The British Empire was at its zenith and national expectations were high that an Englishman should be the one to claim the other ice-bound crown. Captain Robert Scott was elected to carry British honour to that forbidden spot. Yet an element of international suspense occurred when it became known that the Norwegian explorer, Roald Amundsen, was intent on beating the English there.

After careful preparation, Scott set off across Antarctica with four companions on what he hoped would be a successful push to the Pole. After a heroic effort his team reached the southern heart of the globe only to discover that Amundsen had arrived first. Then disappointment turned to death. On the return journey one man died from injuries sustained in a fall. Another, beset with frostbitten feet, disappeared in a blizzard. Finally Scott and his two surviving companions were trapped by horrific weather in their tent. In temperatures too cold to comprehend, they died only eleven miles from safety.

A remarkable and heart-moving account of men who made the ultimate sacrifice in their attempt to claim the Southern Crown, this book has a special Introduction written by the explorer’s grandson, Falcon Scott.

This edition is being produced in an effort to raise awareness of the need to safeguard Scott’s original hut, along with all of the remarkable memorabilia preserved within its frozen walls. The royalties will be donated to the Antarctic Heritage Trust’s efforts to preserve the building listed as one of the most endangered sites in the world.