Alone

Mar 29, 2013 Eugene Miya rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: exploration, travel

I've had it suggested to me that this is not a good book to read while you are depressed.

After the British-Norwegian "race" to the South Pole, what was there for the late plucky Americans to do in the Antarctic? Stay the winter, as far South if possible. That's what Richard Byrd decides to do. He can't make decision whom he should assign or send South, so he takes his own assignment.

Well, this isn't all the way to the South Pole (Byrd at least flew over it and the North Pole (give him take much...more

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Mar 07, 2012 Daniel rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Alone: The Classic Polar Adventure is the story of famed explorer Richard Byrd's famous (or infamous) solitary sojourn at the bottom of the world - ably, if somewhat reluctantly, told by Byrd himself. It is not a tell of adventure so much as survival, as the peaceful and scientific adventure Byrd had anticipated all too quickly became a months-long fight for survival in the most inhospitable of places. Only a small shack with dangerously faulty ventilation stood between Byrd and the elements dur...more Alone: The Classic Polar Adventure is the story of famed explorer Richard Byrd's famous (or infamous) solitary sojourn at the bottom of the world - ably, if somewhat reluctantly, told by Byrd himself. It is not a tell of adventure so much as survival, as the peaceful and scientific adventure Byrd had anticipated all too quickly became a months-long fight for survival in the most inhospitable of places. Only a small shack with dangerously faulty ventilation stood between Byrd and the elements during the continually dark days of the winter of 1934. The temperature routinely hit 60 degrees below zero and rarely wandered upwards of twenty below, as Byrd - laid low by carbon monoxide poisoning - fought a daily battle to survive a situation that would have killed almost any other man.

Over the years, much has been made of Admiral Byrd's decision to singly man a small meteorological station far south of the main Antarctic base of Little America on the Ross Ice Shelf. Byrd first envisioned a three-man crew (he thought two men stuck together that long would end up killing each other during the long winter months without a third person present to break the monotony), but it seems pretty clear from this account that he yearned to do the job alone. Certainly, there is something to be said for the perfect peace and introspection he expected to find there, but it seems equally clear that Byrd, having already achieved great fame with past adventures at the North and South Poles, sought the attention and acclaim that would come with this mission. Whatever his reasons, however, it was unarguably a most daring and brave decision - as if the living conditions were not difficult enough, he knew that no help would be forthcoming if something went wrong.

Byrd's daily tasks were to man the meteorological equipment, take measurements, and make observations from his position. This was no small job given the damaging effects that the cold had on everything, but Byrd's biggest job was to stay alive. Unfortunately, his greatest ally in that struggle - the stove - became his greatest enemy. Several weeks into the mission, Byrd began suffering the effects of carbon monoxide poisoning. Unable to solve the ventilation problems responsible for the danger, he had no choice but to run the stove as little as possible. Often close to death, even his best of days left him far too weak to accomplish more than the most essential of tasks. To his credit, he did the best he could to hide his condition from his men at Little America, knowing full well that any rescue attempt made on their part during those winter months would be incredibly dangerous.

This was not a book that Richard Byrd was eager to write, for it meant revealing to the world the vulnerable and perhaps foolish side of a man who was already legendary for his daring exploits. To his credit, however, he certainly seems to have held nothing back, especially in regard to the sufferings he endured on this mission. While Byrd's motives - and even some of his accomplishments - have come into question over the years, even as his fame has diminished, Alone: The Classic Polar Adventure reveals this man to be one of the last great adventurers of history, a man whose raw courage and unmatched strength is best revealed in the depths of his weakest moments.
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Oct 15, 2012 Jim George rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Admiral Richard E. Byrd single handedly manned a weather base in the Antarctic winter night of 1934. His scientific expedition came close to costing him his life, his men at Base Camp made a heroic trip to rescue him. The book is a composite from his own personal diary, and an account of the expedition from Base Camp records. This expedition was a very brave undertaking in weather which at times resembled a winter-hurricane, with temperatures which dipped to an all time low of minus 82 degrees!...more

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Jun 17, 2012 L rated it 3 of 5 stars

Byrd's ego seems to have driven this "adventure" of "exploration." That is so troubling, given what he put at risk. He makes observations of how "simply" he could live, how little he needed. How disingenuous! The resources that went into getting him to the Ross Ice Shelf, provisioning him for the Arctic winter, and rescuing him are incredible. "Simple" and "little," my eye! That said, the tale of the hazards/harshness of the unforgiving Antarctic environment are fascinating. There is nothing qui...more

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Sep 18, 2012 Mary rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: People interested in new lands, exploration, Arctic & Antarctic, journals/diaries.

Recommended to Mary by: GoodReads

Fascinating page-turner. Informative & entertaining info about one man's experience dealing with an Antarctic Winter. The Antarctic is rather akin to another planet with an unfriendly tho fascinating climate, & Byrd's few months contending with the most hostile Winter season is surprisingly enthralling. Here you find pieces woven together about what you're up against weather wise as well as emotionally in a dark, frigid barren yet beautiful world. It's not a mere scientific approach, nor...more

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Apr 13, 2013 Eddy Allen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arts-and-historical

When Admiral Richard E. Byrd set out on his second Antarctic expedition in 1934, he was already an international hero for having piloted the first flights over the North and South Poles. His plan for this latest adventure was to spend six months alone near the bottom of the world, gathering weather data and indulging his desire “to taste peace and quiet long enough to know how good they really are.” But early on things went terribly wrong. Isolated in the pervasive polar night with no hope of re...more

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Mar 07, 2013 Rob rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: adventure

This was a marvelous story by one of the great explorers of the 20th century. It turns out that Admiral Byrd was also a decent author (or perhaps he had a good ghostwriter). I read recently about how things are at the US bases on Antarctica; it's amazing how routine things seem now, compared to Byrd's era. It seems almost foolhardy to me to have attempted what he accomplished several times, to winter over in Antarctica, relying on machines and equipment that were never designed or tested for the...more

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Feb 18, 2012 Maciej rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

300 stron o facecie zamkniętym na pół roku w budzie pośrodku pustkowia - i jest ciekawe! Byrd we wciągający sposób opisuje swoje doświadczenia z samotnego pobytu na wysuniętej placówce meteorologicznej "Advanced Base" na Antarktydzie podczas nocy polarnej. Pamiętać przy tym należy, że rzecz miała miejsce w latach 30tych ubiegłego wieku. Możemy więc zapomnieć o GoreTexie, GPS, a nawet (co opisuje Byrd) z radiem bywa kłopot. Już sam opis tego, jak wyglądały ekspedycje naukowe w latach prawie sto l...more

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Mar 05, 2013 Virginia Welch rated it 5 of 5 stars

I didn't think I would like this old book, but that was not the case. His writing is intelligent and beautiful, and I enjoyed every page. Admiral Richard E. Byrd set out on his second Antarctic expedition in 1934 to spend 6 months gathering scientific data. He recounts his solitary confinement in that beautiful polar palace, despite the fact that many things go wrong and that he nearly loses his life to carbon monoxide poisoning. This was a bestseller in the 1930s, and I can see why: he's a stro...more

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Feb 09, 2013 Walk rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: polar-regions, exploration

A book on my reading list for a number of years the fact Ranulph Fiennes is attempting to walk through the polar night made it a perfect time to read this book.

The account is of Admiral Byrd self imposed exile during a polar night. While Byrd makes effort to explain the logic of ending up there on his own it fails to ring entirely true. He surely is underplaying the fact he sought this adventure purely for its own sake. A test of his mettle.

As expedition leader it seems foolhardy and grows more...more A book on my reading list for a number of years the fact Ranulph Fiennes is attempting to walk through the polar night made it a perfect time to read this book.

The account is of Admiral Byrd self imposed exile during a polar night. While Byrd makes effort to explain the logic of ending up there on his own it fails to ring entirely true. He surely is underplaying the fact he sought this adventure purely for its own sake. A test of his mettle.

As expedition leader it seems foolhardy and grows more so when the reader discovers he is barely able to operate the scientific instruments or the things designed to keep him alive.

Early on we discover he has no alarm clock to wake him to keep regular recording, he can barely cook and that his stove is dangerously cobbled together.

This seems like a man more attuned to the romance of solitude than the practicalities of it surviving alone.

To get this far he has risked a good many lives in setting up this shelter so he can live a simple life.

While Byrd alludes to Thoreau he is more akin to the simple self sufficiency of an Apollo astronaut.

Despite the fact he is stuck alone in a small cabin during a polar night it is a much lighter read than the aforementioned Thoreau who at times got overly preachy. Byrds failings make him one of us.

There were times I felt I was almost in that cabin with him, so spartan are the surroundings and so elemental his problems the sense of place was easily evoked by his words. His account of the period in which his heat source was also his great enemy was particularly vivid.

A large part of the book deals with his significant struggle to merely not die. He is at war with almost every element of his existence. You do not have to do much reading between the lines to get the idea that Byrd is downplaying the misery of his existence, certainly the mental aspects are underplayed. Quite what state he was in is hard to imagine.

An absolutely fascinating and visceral account. Pretty much a must read for anyone interested in polar exploration.(less)

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Nov 15, 2012 John rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is the intriguing autobiographical account of Admiral Byrd’s Second Antarctic Expedition, in 1934, where Byrd willingly spent five winter months alone in an ice-encrusted, hastily-constructed shack for the ostensible purpose of operating a meteorological station, but more likely as a highly technical publicity stunt. Byrd, it seems clear, was a tireless self-promotor in the “hero business.” His decision to go it alone promised to make him the only man in the world to have endured this kind...more This is the intriguing autobiographical account of Admiral Byrd’s Second Antarctic Expedition, in 1934, where Byrd willingly spent five winter months alone in an ice-encrusted, hastily-constructed shack for the ostensible purpose of operating a meteorological station, but more likely as a highly technical publicity stunt. Byrd, it seems clear, was a tireless self-promotor in the “hero business.” His decision to go it alone promised to make him the only man in the world to have endured this kind of hardship, and would likely prove him to to be the first and therefore the best high adventure explorer of this sort.

Byrd’s depiction of his polar surroundings and the “evenness” of the frigid, desolate, and endlessly darkened skies brings the reader directly to his precise location at Latitude 8o° o8' South amid some of the most punishing and severe weather conditions on Earth. I sensed the numbingly persistent cold, and the terror experienced when Byrd loses his path and lifeline after wandering too far from the meteorological station in the thick of gale force “whiteout” weather conditions. “The whole malevolent rush is concentrated upon you as upon a personal enemy. In the senseless explosion of sound you are reduced to a crawling thing on the margin of a disintegrating world; you can't see, you can't hear, you can hardly move. The lungs gasp after the air sucked out of them, and the brain is shaken. Nothing in the world will so quickly isolate a man.”

But, Byrd manages to capture some glimpses of the natural beauty even if his struggle for survival only rarely yields to the mystifying phenomena of the Antarctic like its brilliant aurora, which Byrd describes as a “drapery hanging over the South Pole...like a gigantic curtain, and was composed of brilliant light rays.”

“When Antarctica displays her beauty, she seems to give pause to the winds, which at such times are always still.

Overhead the aurora began to change its shape and became a great, lustrous serpent moving slowly across the zenith. The small patch in the eastern sky now expanded and grew brighter; and almost at the same instant the folds in the curtain over the pole began to undulate, as if stirred by a celestial presence.

Star after star disappeared as the serpentine folds covered them. It was like witnessing a tragedy on a cosmic scale; the serpent, representing the forces of evil, was annihilating beauty.

Suddenly the serpent disappeared. Where it had been only a moment before, the sky was once more clear; the stars showed as if they had never been dimmed. When I looked for the luminous patch in the eastern sky, it, too, was gone; and the curtain was lifting over the pole, as if parted by the wind which at that instant came throbbing over the Barrier. I was left with the tingling feeling that I had witnessed a scene denied to all other mortal men.”

Still, the Antarctic is unrelenting. Along the way, and in the wake of some critical errors in judgment from which Byrd narrowly escaped with his life after suffering carbon monoxide poisoning from a poorly ventilated heat stove, Byrd recollects on his discovery of just “how closely a man could come to dying and still not die, or want to die.” Byrd endures his illness, but fearing that any recovery efforts would only jeopardize the lives of his rescuers, he attempts to conceal his ailment. His odd radio transmissions ultimately sound the alarm for the men at the distant base camp supporting Byrd, who then attempt to join him. Ultimately, after two unsuccessful attempts owing to the weather conditions and mechanical troubles, Byrd is rescued where he is in poor physical health, but with his resurrection observes: “A man doesn't begin to attain wisdom until he recognizes that he is no longer indispensable.”(less)

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Apr 14, 2010 Jennifer rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: biography, adventure, favorites

Admiral Byrd traveled to the North and South Pole. In this book he shares intimate details of his experience being alone at the South Pole on a scientific mission. He writes eloquently of the beauty and harmony of nature.

His experiences gave him an increased appreciation for life and what it means to live. Some of my favorite quotes include:

"These are the best times, the times when neglected senses expand to an exquisite sensitivity. You stand on the Barrier, and simply look and listen and fee...more

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Feb 27, 2012 Betsy the Quilter rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: nonfiction, favorites

This is a beautifully written discription of Admiral Byrd's five month stay by himself in a remote cabin in Antartica to study the weather. He is blunt about the decisions that almost resulted in his death and at the same time, his descriptions of the both the beauty and the harshness of the Antartic winter put you there. Even though you know that he ultimately survives (it is his own work, after all), you are still on tenter hooks (whatever they are) as you read.

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Feb 05, 2012 Jim Talbott rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction, male-author

This book is an incredible page turner. Admiral Byrd spends from late March to early August (Antarctic winter) by himself in a hut about 150 miles from the Antarctic coast. He gets relatively carbon monoxide poisoning about 2 months before anyone can get in to help him, and he has to survive, using the stove that poisoned him as well as trying to hide his infirmity from "Little America," the base on the Antarctic coast. Not only is the work of survival gripping, his descriptions of the natural w...more

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Mar 17, 2012 someparts army rated it 5 of 5 stars

Byrd's tale of human determination in the Antarctic is timeless. After being nearly slain by the carbon monoxide fumes given by the stove that was meant to keep him alive, Byrd is a step away from death's doorstep. He only manages to stay alive through sheer determination to keep his men safe. Once you open up this inspirational true story, you won't be able to put it down.

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Feb 13, 2012 Rachael Booth rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Unbelievable first-hand tale of a man alone in the Antarctic, a place where the temperatures went as low as -80 Fahrenheit, putting his life on the line just to take meteorological measurements for the advancement of science. Even though he comes perilously close to death several times and lives in agony from weakness and sickness, he refuses to call for help, fearing that any attempt to save him would put his rescuers at peril just getting to him. The courage, stamina and perseverance of Admira...more

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Jan 18, 2010 Philip Boling rated it 4 of 5 stars

Devin recommended the book and as I love biographies ... I really enjoyed Admiral Byrd's account of the five months he spent alone in 1934 in Antarctica. It was very cool.

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Jan 06, 2010 Ingrid rated it 3 of 5 stars

Very interesting! The book I'm actually reading isn't listed in Goodreads! It's by Edwin P. Hoyt. Title: The Last Explorer:The Adventures of Admiral Byrd. So I'm just going to assume that Byrd never explored Antarctica; that it's not a country; there's not a south pole; and that what I'm reading is a science fiction. There ya have it. And there's no gravity, either.

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Oct 31, 2010 Kristin marked it as to-read

Quoted in "Packing for Mars." Apparently he lived/worked alone in Antarctica's winters in perilous conditions and 24 hour darkness/night.

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Apr 06, 2010 Edward rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This account of six months that the explorer, Richard Byrd, spent alone in minus 60 degree weather in Antarctica was gripping. Obviously, the man survived to tell his story, but he was lucky. Even though he thought he was well equipped and capable of dealing with every contingency, happenings occurred that demonstrated his frailty and even hubris in thinking, erroneously, that he had thought of everything He was lucky to have survived. Reading this account made me think of Jack London's great sh...more

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Aug 05, 2008 Megan rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: adventure, cold-places, favorites, memoir, science, to-re-read

Even though I've been obsessed with cold places for as long as I can remember and hav elong wanted to visit Antarctica, this book added fuel to that fire, setting my imagination soaring with visions of white expanses and the dangerous era of exploration. This is a fantastic and exciting read. I like to re-read it on warm days in the summer when it's too hot and imagining being alone at South Pole cools me down, or even in blustery wintry days when it's nice to be reminded that, hey, it could be...more

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May 13, 2012 Kath rated it 3 of 5 stars

Interesting read that gave me lots of things to think about, like isolation, introspection and introversion. For some reason I like to read about cold places and the struggle against the elements. It likely has something to do with my aversion to cold.

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Apr 17, 2011 James rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: adventure-library, travel-adventure

Although less well known than his famous flight over the North Pole, Admiral Richard E. Byrd’s adventures in Antarctica are just as remarkable. This account highlights the solitude, the cold, above all the personal thoughts of a man who desired to seek a quiet place away from the "hullabaloo". This is a fascinating account of man in nature with only his solitary self to sustain him. The journey he takes is both physical and spiritual and fascinating to this reader. His dreams sustained him in th...more

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Dec 09, 2012 Pete rated it 4 of 5 stars

Byrd spends a year alone at the south pole, and probably should have died as a result. Great story, and his drive to complete his mission and lead from the front is an example to all.

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Aug 21, 2012 Jana Knight rated it 5 of 5 stars

Fascinating!

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Mar 01, 2012 Suzie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: nonfiction, memoir

Byrd's account of how he ended up spending four months at a weather station alone in Antarctica. He struggled to keep his strength both mentally and physically, dealing with the cold, the isolation, and carbon monoxide poisoning. Very interesting read.

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Oct 07, 2011 David Golibersuch rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: survival

I have the original 1938 publication. One of the great survival stories of all time. Filled with marvelous descriptions of nature. For example...

"The day was dying, the night being born -- but with treat peace. Here were the imponderable processes and forces of the cosmos, harmonious and soundless. Harmony, that was it! That was what came out of the silence -- a gentle rhythm, the strain of a perfect chord, the music of the spheres, perhaps."

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Jan 07, 2012 Kevin rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: history, non-fiction, adventure, biography

Written by a true explorer when exploring was still a profession. I can't possible imagine having to deal with the conditions he survived. His constant descriptions of various parts of his body simply "freezing" sound excruciating and yet he glosses over those to get to the even more painful details of his experience. A fairly quick read and very interesting. There's no way anyone now would try to replicate what he did.

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Apr 13, 2012 Matthew rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: man-s-book-club

Very interesting story. I'm glad I read this after reading "The Worst Journey in the World" because I can appreciate even more what Byrd was attempting to achieve. That being said, I feel like there is a lot he is not telling. I bet things got much worse inside his head than he lets on. After all, he was on the edge of death for two months in those living conditions. It is amazing what man can endure!

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Jan 24, 2012 Christy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012

Probably not a great one to read while my father is currently researching in Antarctica for two months, but in nearly 40 years of trips there, he hasn't seem to run into this sort of trouble. I really enjoyed this book until the very last chapters, when I began to feel incredibly desperate. It seemed to end very abruptly, but on the whole the writing was beautifully descriptive.

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