An Empire of Ice: Scott, Shackleton, and the Heroic Age of Antarctic Science
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
The heroic age of Antarctic exploration culminated 100 years ago, when Roald Amundsen and Robert F. Scott reached the South Pole within five weeks of each other. In An Empire of Ice: Scott, Shackleton, and the Heroic Age of Antarctic Science, Edward J. Larson presents a new narrative, bolstered by new information gleaned from a decade of research in archives worldwide, that frames this famous chapter in exploration in a larger scientific, social, and geopolitical context.
The Norwegian Amundsen—efficient, well prepared, focused solely on the goal of getting to his destination and back—has earned his place in history as the first to reach the South Pole. The British Scott, meanwhile, has been reduced in the public mind to a dashing incompetent who stands for little more than relentless perseverance in the face of inevitable defeat.
An Empire of Ice offers a new perspective on the Antarctic expeditions of the early twentieth century by looking at the British efforts for what they actually were: massive scientific enterprises in which reaching the South Pole was but a spectacular sideshow.
Without excusing Scott’s mistakes, Larson seeks to restore some balance to his image by looking at the role of science in his polar expeditions and comparing it with the single-minded focus of Amundsen’s pursuit of the pole. Scott may have been trying to do too much on his expeditions, at least as compared to Amundsen, but the British expeditions nevertheless left a lasting legacy in Antarctic research and discovery.
By focusing on the larger purpose, Larson deepens our appreciation of the explorers' achievements, shares little-known stories, and shows what the Heroic Age of Antarctic discovery was really about.
About the Author: Edward J. Larson currently holds the Hugh & Hazel Darling Chair in Law at Pepperdine University, where he is also University Professor of History. Previously, he has been Richard B. Russell Professor of History and Talmadge Professor of Law at the University of Georgia. His numerous books include Summer for the Gods: The Scopes Trial and America's Continuing Debate over Science and Religion, for which he received a Pulitzer Prize in History.
Larson is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Watson-Davis Prize and Pfizer Prize of History of Science Society, the Morris D. Forkosch Award from the American Historical Association, and the Dingle Prize from the British Society for the History of Science. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Williams College, a J.D. from Harvard Law School, and a doctorate in the history of science from the University of Wisconsin. He splits his time between Georgia and California.
Edward Larson’s Schedule of Appearances for An Empire of Ice:
September 8, 2011 The Royal Society, London
October 29, 2011 10th Annual Ernest Shackleton Autumn School, Athy, Ireland
November 10, 2011 Atlanta History Center, Atlanta, GA
January 17, 2012 The Commonwealth Club, San Francisco, CA
For a detailed schedule or to set up an interview with Ed Larson, contact Brenda King at Brenda.King@Yale.edu or 203-432-0917.
An Empire of Ice: Scott, Shackleton, and the Heroic Age of Antarctic Science, by Edward J. Larson
Price: $28.00 * ISBN: 978-0-300-15408-5 Cloth * eBook ISBN: 978-0-300-15976-9 * 326 pages
Publication date: May 31, 2011
Brenda King
Publicity Director
Yale University Press
(203) 432-0917
brenda.king@yale.edu
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