Narrative of the first expedition to navigate the Northwest Passage in a single vessel, the expedition that brought Amundsen to prominence as a polar explorer. In 1901 he gave up the idea of medicine and decided to become an explorer. After several months in Hamburg studying the science of terrestrial magnetism, he purchased an old ship, the Gjoa, 70ft long and thirty years old. He put in a 14 hp engine; then, with six dogs and enough provisions on board, he got under way with a crew of six on 17 June, 1903. His aim was to find the North-West Passage which had been sought in vain since the time of John Cabot. In September, he crossed Peel Sound and anchored in a sheltered bay on King William Island. Eskimos came up to him who knew of the existence of white men by oral tradition only. Seventy-two years earlier, James Ross, had sailed in these regions with Parry. Amundsen bought tooth and bone necklaces and clothes which later enriched the Oslo museum. He also spent two winters learning about the Eskimo way of life. In October, 1905, he set out again for the North-West Passage. On August 30th the Gjoa entered the Nome roadstead. For the first time in world history a ship sailing north of America had found a way from the Atlantic to the Pacific.

Reissued in its 1908 English translation, this engaging two-volume account charts the first successful voyage through the North-West Passage.

A history of the various voyages of search and final triumph.

These essays trace the history of the British search for the Northwest Passage – the Arctic sea route connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans – from the early modern era to the start of the nineteenth century.

A look at the life of Roald Amundsen, a Norwegian adventurer who explored polar regions and led the first successful expedition to the South Pole.

Covers the entire history of Arctic and Antarctic exploration, from the voyage of Pytheas ca. 325 B.C. to the present, in one convenient, comprehensive reference resource. Exploring Polar Frontiers: A Historical Encyclopedia is the only reference work that provides a comprehensive history of polar exploration from the ancient period through the present day. The author is a noted polar scholar and offers dramatic accounts of all major explorers and their expeditions, together with separate exploration histories for specific islands, regions, and uncharted waters. He presents a wealth of fascinating information under a variety of subject entries including methods of transport, myths, achievements, and record-breaking activities. By approaching polar exploration biographically, geographically, and topically, Mills reveals a number of intriguing connections between the various explorers, their patrons and times, and the process of discovery in all areas of the polar regions. Furthermore, he provides the reader with a clear understanding of the intellectual climate as well as the dominant social, economic, and political forces surrounding each expedition. Readers will learn why the journeys were undertaken, not just where, when, and how.

This scarce book was first published in 1908. It is a fascinating account of the Norwegian polar explorer, Amundsen's, exploration of the Northwest Passage. Not only the first person to traverse the Passage, Amundsen was also the first to reach the North and South Poles. A fascinating autobiographical report from a bygone era of exploration and adventure. Contents: Introduction, Making for the Polar Sea, In Virgin Water, The First Winter, Towards the Pole, Summer, The Second Winter, The Inhabitants at the Magnetic North Pole. Contains original black and white images.

The Unseen Leader delivers one simple but immensely powerful point: we need to radically rethink how we discuss leadership. In this book, American historian Martin Gutmann passionately challenges the received wisdom that history's great leaders were individuals with a proclivity for action and brash words. Drawing on extensive historical scholarship and contemporary leadership theory, Gutmann delves into the journeys of four unknown or misunderstood leaders who achieved remarkable successes in vastly different environments—the Polar North, the deserts of Arabia, the sugar plantations of the Caribbean, and Second World War London. What emerges is an entirely new narrative on leadership. Contrary to the perception of heroic protagonists forging ahead boldly, history's truly great leaders were often precisely those who didn't need to generate excessive noise or activity. Instead, they skillfully minimized dramatic circumstances. Their stories challenge our present-day conception of leadership and can inspire the leaders of tomorrow.

This book is an analytical account of how Roald Amundsen used sledge dogs to discover the South Pole in 1911, and is the first to name and identify all 116 Polar dogs who were part of the Norwegian Antarctic Expedition of 1910–1912. The book traces the dogs from their origins in Greenland to Antarctica and beyond, and presents the author’s findings regarding which of the dogs actually reached the South Pole, and which ones returned. Using crewmember diaries, reports, and written correspondence, the book explores the strategy, methodology, and personal insights of the explorer and his crew in employing canines to achieve their goal, as well as documents the controversy and internal dynamics involved in this historic discovery. It breaks ground in presenting the entire story of how the South Pole was truly discovered using animals, and how deep and profound the differences of perception were regarding the use of canines for exploration. This historic tale sheds light on Antarctic exploration history and the human-nature relationship. It gives recognition to the significant role that animals played in this important part of history.