With Scott before the Mast (Special Limited Edition)
These are the Journals of Francis Davies Leading Shipwright RN when on board Captain Scott's "Terra Nova"
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Reardon Publishing
Published:31st Aug '20
Should be back in stock very soon
My interview with Captain Scott, he explained what would be expected of me. My principal job, he said, would be the erection of Winter Quarters for the Southern party, which was to make an attempt to reach the South Pole..... He also told me that I would be paid GBP40 a year, adding that if I made a success of the job, he wouldn't say what he would do for me, but if on the other hand, I failed to come up to scratch, I would be for the high jump. The geographic and scientific accomplishments of Captain Scott's two Antarctic expeditions changed the face of the Twentieth Century in ways that are still not widely appreciated over a hundred years later. The fact of accomplishment has tended to be lost in speculative argument as to how Scott should have done this instead of that, supposedly to achieve the extra few yards per day to save the lives of the South Pole Party in 1912. Also lost to a generation overwhelmed with information, however, is the sublime sense of adventure into the unknown, which Scott's expeditions represented to his generation. We have forgotten what it is to take the awesome life-gambling risk of sailing beyond the edge of the map into nothingness and rendering it known. We send robot explorers instead. As a result, after two millennia of maritime and exploration history, we have become detached from the sea which surrounds our island and the tradition of exploration which it represents. With Scott: Before the Mast is a unique account that serves as an antidote to this disconectedness. It is no fictional 'Hornblower', although it may seem so at times. This is a true story. It presents one man's account of his part in a great act of derring-do, the assault on the South Pole in 1912. Most records of Captain Scott's British Antarctic Expedition aboard Terra Nova (1910-1913) are the accounts of officers. With Scott: Before the Mast is the story of Francis Davies, Shipwright, R.N., and Carpenter. The title says it all but may be lost on landlubbers. Before the mast means 'to serve as an ordinary seaman in a sailing ship'. This makes it a rare and hugely important account, presenting a...
David Wilson Through the eyes of the sailors who were its backbone, the heroism of derring-do seems to become all the more human, humdrum and every-day; To me, this makes the accomplishments all the more real and remarkable. I commend this book to collectors, enthusiasts, historians and to those looking for a casual read on Captain Scott, in equal measure; David M. Wilson Polar Historian and Gt. Nephew, Edward Wilson of the Antarctic - As a former Royal Navy Officer, who came from the ranks, I was hugely interested in this book and potential insights that it offered from a very different perspective than other books I have read about Scott. I am delighted to say that I was not disappointed and actually, the writings of Francis Davies offered not only an insight into Scott and the Terra Nova Expedition, but also the norms and the way that both the navy and society operated. In itself, this combination allows for a detailed consideration of the basis by which the expedition was undertaken and Scott's leadership was executed. Paul Hart As a fellow naval Officer, who has led mixed groups of military and civilians in highly challenging environments and with a background of 30 years of expedition across the globe, I understand the complexities of managing mixed groups where the leadership of the military might necessarily be different to that needed to motivate and manage the civilians. I also understand how the reverse perspective of those being led, can lead to issues when the military contingent expect the civilian contingent to be led according to the same rules of military discipline as they are subject to. In my experience, when these forces combine, discontent and unruliness can commonly be the case unless the leader is able to establish a very high level of trust and respect. In doing so, the leader must walk the narrow margin between enforcing group compliance and being able to engage with every person at an individual level. There are many instances in the book where this is presented as a reality of Scott's leadership, but the book is also very honest about some of his traits that were less desirable and this is essential to understand the man, as well as the expedition itself. The book is well written, with some quite comical observations on the operation of the Royal Navy and on Societal values at the time. It is also littered with a range of interesting photographs that enhance and support visual understanding of the writer's words. As an avid reader of all things Antarctic and a practicing Historian who speaks regularly on Scott and Shackleton, I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in such matters. Review by; Lieutenant Commander Paul Hart FRGS MPhil (Cantab) Royal Navy. Leader of the first party to make a man-haul crossing of the Antarctic Peninsula to conduct science and exploration, to commemorate the 100th Anniversary of Captain Robert Falcon Scott reaching the South Pole
ISBN: 9781901037692
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: 1600g
152 pages