Was Scott Of The Antarctic So Wrong?

Posted by timothy on Tuesday September 18, 2001 @12:55AM from the maybe-not dept.

rm-r writes: "The commonly held view, amongst scientists and the public, is that British explorer Scott of the Antarctic was hideously under-prepared for the expedition which claimed his and most of his crew's life. However, new evidence presented here suggests that he wasn't all that bad. Suggests that he was perfectly prepared for *normal* conditions but was caught out by an extreme cold spell, a lesson here for all of us whatever our technical/scientific pursuits -- Be prepared ..." That is, "an extreme cold spell" for the Antarctic, not for, say, Brisbane.

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Re:Abnormal conditions by refactored · 2001-09-18 10:25 · Score: 3, Interesting

If I remember the books correctly, Amundsen was nearly back to base when the extreme conditions hit. Amundsen was good, nay superb, but he was also lucky.
My greatest hero is Shackleton. Now there is a story to inspire! He failed, but he got every last man home under the worst conditions imaginable.
Bravery, skill and leadership of the highest order. And then, he came home to the first world war where the leaders threw away lives by the tens of thousand.Bah!
What a stark comparison between one who wouldn't sacrifice a single man and the Generals.