The Last Viking: The Life of Roald Amundsen

In The Early 1900s, Many Of The Great Geographical Mysteries That Had Intrigued Adventurers For Centuries Remained Unsolved: The Polar Regions -- The Northwest Passage, The South Pole, The North Pole And The Northeast Passage -- Despite Having Claimed Countless Lives, Were Still Shrouded In Mystery. One Man Would Claim All These Prizes Within A Span Of 20 Years. Roald Amundsen Was Larger Than Life, Arrogant And Competitive. He Was Also A Meticulous Organizer And Planner, Willing To Learn From The Mistakes Of Others, And Humble Enough To Seek The Advice Of Indigenous Peoples Skilled In Arctic Survival -- Thus Avoiding The Early Death That Was So Common Among Other Explorers. But Amundsen's Life Was One Of Sharp Contrasts: Reviled By The British For Defeating Robert Falcon Scott, He Was Loved By His Men, Hailed As A Hero In His Native Norway And Idolized As A Charming And Eccentric Celebrity In The Us. Drawing On Hundreds Of Recently Uncovered Press Clippings, The Last Viking Goes Beyond Amundsen's Conflicted Legacy, Revealing A Humorous, Self-deprecating Storyteller And A Visionary And Showman Who Who Won Over Both His Sponsors And His Audiences With The Same Verve That Characterized His Geographical Conquests.