Matthew Henson

by Michael Gilman

Follows the life of the Black explorer who accompanied Robert Peary on the expedition to the North Pole

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography, Childrens

110 pages, Library Binding

First published November 1, 1987

Reviews

[Donna Crane]

A superb study of of the explorer who, with Robert Peary and their Eskimo assistants, were the first men to reach the North Pole. Henson's life story is far more interesting than just this one notable achievement. Because he was an African-American, Henson regularly encountered overt racism and his contributions to the success of the expedition were not appreciated until late in his life. Gilman gives us a full picture of a man of tremendous intelligence, patience, and desire for adventure and gives a feeling of the times in which he lived and the people he knew. The book credits in large part Henson's good relationships with the native people and his ability to master from them the skills necessary to live in this unforgiving environment as the keys to accomplishing the drive to the Pole. Accompanied by a b/w photograph (or map) on every page, this title would be useful for pleasure reading as well as for school reports.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this book was really interesting. Matthew Henson was clearly an incredible person and able to survive so many trips to the Arctic Circle and the "top" of the world. This was a biography of Matthew Henson, a black man who joined Peary on his multiple expeditions to Panama and Greenland in search for the North Pole (they did discover it by the way). It was interesting to read about the way the Eskimos in Greenland adopted Henson as a long lost relative and just how harsh the Arctic is. Peary kept going back and Henson kept going with them but often what they found was cold harsh death. It was disappointing to see how Peary turned his back on Henson at the end. Henson had saved his life and the lives of other men on the expeditions several times and to read about how Peary totally turned his back on him after they got to the North Pole was disappointing. At least Henson did get to go all the way to the North Pole with Peary instead of being sent back, but the reason that Peary gave of not being able to trust a black man to lead a group of men back to the last camp was incredible racist of him, especially when he know it was an outright lie. Henson knew the Arctic as well if not better that Peary. At least Henson was eventually honored for his part in being with the group that first made it to the North Pole, even if it was quite a few years later and well after Peary's death.

[Ruby Hollyberry · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's amazing how much the story changes when you see Peary from outside, just as he was, crippled and cantankerous. It's obvious, reading this, that this man was an unbelievable athlete, brilliant, and practically in need of a superhero outfit. Peary would have died many times over without him. I recommend to any adult or bookworm who enjoyed this one the book Give Me My Father's Body: The Life of Minik, the New York Eskimo, to see more consequences of the trips to the North made by Peary & Co.

[Jessica López-Barkl · Rating 3 out of 5]

I finished this young adult book, yesterday, on the African-American explorer, Matthew Henson (famous for "discovering" the North Pole). This was a decent overview of the man and his biography. I have his autobiography on my shelves right now and I'm looking forward to reading his voice. This is a great book to introduce young students to, especially those that like reading about marginalized history and about exploration.

[Theresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great story about the will and tenacity of these two explorers. They were trailblazers for sure.

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Comprehensive book on Henson includes photos, maps, and Further Reading.