‘An elegant, densely textured work, like a tapestry … A welcome
contribution to polar studies.’ Sara Wheeler, Spectator
‘[MacInness] handles the whole thing with masterly skill…takes
us to the heart of the hope, love, anguish and grief’ The Times
The men of Captain Scott’s Polar Party were heroes of their age,
enduring tremendous hardships to further the reputation of the
Empire they served by reaching the South Pole. But they were also
husbands, fathers, sons and brothers. For the first time, the story
of the race for the South Pole is told from the perspective of the
women whose lives would be forever changed by it, five women who
offer a window into a lost age and a revealing insight into the
thoughts and feelings of the five heroes. Kathleen Scott, the
fierce young wife of the expedition leader, campaigned relentlessly
for Scott’s reputation, but did her ambition for glory drive her
husband to take unnecessary risks? Oriana Wilson, a true help-mate
and partner to the expedition’s doctor, was a scientific mind in
her own right and understood more than most what the men faced in
Antarctica. Emily Bowers was a fervent proponent of Empire, having
spent much of her life as a missionary teacher in the colonies. The
indomitable Caroline Oates was the very picture of decorum and
everything an Edwardian woman aspired to be, but she refused all
invitations to celebrate her son Laurie’s noble sacrifice. Lois
Evans led a harder life than the other women, constantly on the
edge of poverty and forced to endure the media’s classist
assertions that her husband Taff, the sole ‘Jack Tar’ in a band
of officers, must have been responsible for the party’s downfall.
Her story, brought to light through new archival research, is
shared here for the first time. In a gripping and remarkable feat
of historical reconstruction, Katherine MacInnes vividly depicts
the lives, loves and losses of five women shaped by the unrelenting
culture of Empire and forced into the public eye by tragedy. It
also reveals the five heroes, not as the caricatures of legend, but
as the real people they were.
General
Imprint: |
William Collins Publishing
|
Country of origin: |
United Kingdom |
Release date: |
February 2023 |
Authors: |
Katherine MacInnes
|
Dimensions: |
198 x 129 x 36mm (L x W x T) |
Format: |
Paperback
|
Pages: |
512 |
ISBN-13: |
978-0-00-839469-1 |
Categories: |
Books >
Humanities >
History >
General
Books >
History >
General
|
LSN: |
0-00-839469-5 |
Barcode: |
9780008394691 |
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