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Alone: The Classic Polar Adventure

Name: Alone: The Classic Polar Adventure
Author: Richard E. Byrd, David G. Campbell, Philip Turner
ISBN: 9781568360683

by Richard E. Byrd, David G. Campbell, Philip Turner

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Overview

When Admiral Richard E. Byrd set out on his second Antarctic expedition in 1933, he was already an international hero for having made the first flights over the North and South Poles. But this undertaking was to be different: six months alone near the bottom of the world, gathering weather data and indulging his desire "to taste peace and quiet long enough to know how good they really are." Little did he know that he would experience less tranquility than he had anticipated. Isolated in the pervasive polar night with no hope of release until spring, Byrd began suffering inexplicable symptoms of mental and physical illness. By the time he discovered that carbon monoxide from a defective stovepipe was poisoning him, Byrd was already engaged in a monumental struggle to save his life and preserve his sanity. When Alone was first published in 1938, it became an enormous bestseller. This edition, featuring a new afterword by Kieran Mulvaney, brings Byrd's unforgettable narrative to a new generation of readers.

A gripping account of the human will to survive, Alone has remained an international best-seller since its original publication in 1938.

About the Author, Richard E. Byrd, David G. Campbell, Philip Turner

Rear Admiral Richard E. Byrd (1888-1957) was an international hero best known for his accomplishments in pioneer aviation and polar exploration. Recipient of the U.S. Congressional Medal of Honor for navigating the first flight over the North Pole in 1926, he also was honored for his 1927 trans-Atlantic flight. In subsequent expeditions to the South Pole he discovered new land and collected important scientific data. His books Little America and Skyward, both straightforward accounts of his polar expeditions, were followed by Alone in 1938. Byrd wrote Alone in response to requests from people all over the world wanting to know the true story behind his ordeal.

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Editorials

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

This reissue of Byrd's account of a grueling five-month stay at the South Pole in 1934 includes original illustrations by Richard Harrison. (June)

Library Journal

In this 1938 volume, the great explorer recounts four months he spent alone gathering scientific data in a shack in Antarctica. The result is a remarkable story of survival and adventure. This facsimile edition is published in a blue typeface.