The Heart of the Great Alone: Scott, Shackleton and Antarctic Photography

by David Hempleman-Adams, Sophie Gordon, Emma Stuart

Libro usado en buenas condiciones, por su antiguedad podria contener señales normales de uso

Genres: History, Photography, Nonfiction, Travel, Adventure, Reference, Art

256 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[Tittirossa]

Catalogo fotografico sulle due spedizioni più famose al Polo Sud: la Terranova Expedition di Scott del 1910-13 e la Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition di Shackelton del 1914-17.

Oltre a raccogliere le foto di Ponting (Scott) e Hurley (Shackelton), comprende una serie di memorabilia donate ai vari membri della famiglia reale britannica (album fotografici, etc.), foto dei diari dei vari membri, nonché tutte le diverse medaglie che i partecipanti hanno collezionato.

Fondamentale per capire lo spirito di Scott più di mille saggi: tale è la sudditanza psicologica al britannico mood da conquistadores che arrivare 2° al Polo per Scott significa fallire, perdere la faccia, toppare l’obiettivo non solo suo ma del Re&Royal Family, dei cittadini britannici sparsi nel mondo e più in generale dell’Impero britannico. Un fallimento da cui poteva riscattarsi solo sacrificandosi, morendo “casualmente” (che l’harakiri non è ben visto dai british) ha riscattato il suo fallimento, diventando un eroe. Fosse tornato vivo, l’avrebbero spellato.

La parte iconografica e documentale è veramente magnifica, anche se il povero Hurley (fotografo di Shack) ha dovuto lasciare, pena la vita (ogni grammo di zavorra in più avrebbe costituito un aggravio per il viaggio fino a Elephant Island), gran parte della sua produzione, portando con se solo qualche lastra e una macchina portatile.

[Anastasia]

This book is a great addition to the collection of any polar exploration geek. I fell in love with it at first sight as it gave faces to the people whose tales I had avidly been reading and provided stunning visuals to scenes that previously I had but imagined in my mind. For that it is perfect. It also filled in a few details about all of the British expeditions.
However the text is dry and unappealing and the analysis of photographic art feels wholly unnecessary. As an artistically educated person it irked me to read some of the simplistic and/or underwhelming commentary about the composition of an image or intention of the photographer. Had they been backed up by any quotes from the photographers' or crew members notes it may have served to set the tone of the scenes. But for the most part the commentary made me roll my eyes.
The notations (footnotes and references to photos in appendix), which I usually like to follow with the text, were poorly organized and hard to find within the book.

All that said I am still happy to have this book in my Antarctic collection and will be occasionally poring over the images for years to come.

[Alex]

I saw this collection exhibited many years ago, and the title (taken from Herbert Ponting) always stuck with me. This book’s rich selection of essays and appendices places the photographs from Scott and Shackleton’s most famous expeditions in a variety of contexts - historical record, royal memento, commercial product, photographic landmark - but the most important to me is carried y the images themselves. Two journeys from a heroic age, remarkably distant from colonial conquest, in to an unknown and inhospitable land, one ending in tragedy, the other a noble failure to match Apollo 13. These were the predecessors of the astronauts, and to see them dwarfed by the ramparts of Mount Erebus or huddled in camaraderie is to briefly touch the limits of human experience.

[Judy]

This is a table-top book of the photography left to us by the pioneering photographers of the Antarctic expeditions between 1904-1919 - especially Herbert Ponting (Scott) and Frank Hurley (Shackleton). Because I have read extensively of Antarctic exploration, this collection is especially fascinating. All the photos were taken on glass-plate negatives, stored in tin boxes, and miraculously were returned to Britain unscathed. Over 200 of Hurley's plates had to be left behind near the Weddell sea, but Shackleton and Hurley sorted them all and chose the best to keep for posterity.

[Jackie]

I read this a few years ago. Compelling story. Hard to image the hardships of these men!

[Mich]

Photographs and vivid explanations into each other the images.

[Henry Kline]

I liked the different angle on the story and loved the large number of pictures.

[Nicole]

This looks like a coffee table book, but is actually a gorgeous photographic reference of British Antarctic exploration.

[SeaShore]

*When King Alfred reigned in England the Vikings were navigating the ice-fields of the North; yet when Wellington fought the battle of Waterloo, there was still an undiscovered continent in the South.
Robert Falcon Scott was born near Davenport, England on 6 June 1868. He joined the training ship Britannia at age 13. From 1891, Scott took torpedo training aboard HMS Vernon . With no wealth he applied for and joined Markham's expedition.
The many photographs and Map illustrations are really useful for the reader. There is a 1902 photo of Scott, Shackleton and Wilson as they embarked on an expedition. Shackleton was born in County Kildare, Ireland. They had no desire to go to the polar regions but circumstances led them there. Scott succumbed to scurvy due to lack of Vitamin C.
Sadly Scott died a tragic death in 1912 and his journal writing was retrieved in a tent in the frozen Antarctica.
Shackleton went on more expeditions.
Both published books that were presented to King George.

[Lara]

Of course this book gets five stars, but it's not without it's issues; the writing is really the main thing I had a problem with. David Hempleman-Adams' introduction and his comments on various photographs are like something out of a high school art or English class; he's not really saying much that's meaningful and it all feels a little too informal next to the sections by Sophie Gordon and Emma Stuart, whose essays are solid, but uninspired. No matter--the photographs more than make up for it, and the last couple of sections on the photographic processes used at the time and explaining various non-photoghraphic memorabilia related to Scott's Terra Nova expedition and Shackleton's Trans-Antarctic expedition were really great additions. A must-have for anyone interested in Antarctic history and exploration, as well as for folks interested in photographic history. Beautiful, beautiful work by Herbert Ponting and Frank Hurley.

[Kay]

This is the type of book where one has to be interested in the topic, and I am for several reasons: 1) exploration in extreme environments; 2) survivalism (amazing that there were any); 3) photography; and 4) early methods of photography. A little over 100 years ago, Antarctica and the South Pole were the goals of explorers. This book focuses on British expeditions and the photographers who went along and made amazing early photos under very harsh conditions a little over 100 years ago. When reading this, I couldn't help but think these guys were insane but obviously the prestige and resultant honors was why they struggled to be first. Kings and queens found this every bit as fascinating as everyone else so the rewards and attention were great. It's more than a bit sad in the loss of life including the animal support. (Who knew Shackleton thought ponies would work in Antarctica.)

[Joe]

Basically, this book showcases the extraordinary photographs taken during the heroic age of British Antarctic exploration—by Herbert Ponting (with Scott, 1910-13) and Frank Hurley (with Shackleton (1914-17). They remain, as always, beautiful, other-worldly.

There are also some summaries of the expeditions, and an odd set of commentaries by David Hempleman-Adams, a contemporary adventurer and Prince Phillip's (yes, the guy married to Elizabeth) number one fan.

[Allen]

This is a very moving book, and some of the pictures really hit home, particularly those of Scott and his team when they realised they had not made the pole. It is amazing to think of the effort it took to capture these pictures using the equipment that was available at the time and in such harsh conditions. All in all a fascinating book.

[Lindsay]

I bought this book after viewing an exhibition on Antarctic photography at the Queen's Gallery in London. The work of Herbert Ponting and Frank Hurley is stunning. Highly recommend if you are interested in photography and/or the Shackleton & Scott expeditions.