Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)Sadly, this book is a disappointment. It starts interestingly enough, but becomes increasingly tedious as one reads further. The author continually repeats statements, quotations, and his own phrases - sometimes in the same paragraph! Chapters end with quick summations of what one has just read - entirely unnecessary, unless the author expected his readers to have attention deficit issues.
The writing style deteriorates at times into mere lists - how many photographs were taken of what subject, how many pounds went to which recipient, which plaques were erected where......
There are other flaws, for example, a statement that the "whiteness" of Scott's expedition must have fostered racial prejudice in Edwardian society - this, from the Programme Director for the MA in Modern British History at Manchester University, who should know that events, like works of art should be viewed in the context of their times - purportedly the (failed) purpose of this book - and that current "political correctness" is irrelevant. To back up this ludicrous statement, the author needed to present evidence that black applicants to the Antarctic Expedition were rejected in favor of white (not, as far as I know, the case).
A far better choice for those interested in Scott's last expedition would be Susan Solomon's "the Coldest March', a fascinating and well-written account.
The cover photograph of "The Last Great Quest" is great. Keep the jacket, discard the book.
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