Byrd writes with knowledge, honesty and humility as he tells of his experience. A different kind of read for me, but I really enjoyed learning about Richard E Byrd's life for several months on the south pole. Join us at 4:00 PM on November 19 to meet three panelists and discuss Richard Byrd's experience spending an Antarctic winter in a one-man research station. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club thatâs right for you for free. I read this book in Texas in the middle of summer and I swear I got cold every time I started to read it. Alone by Richard E. Byrd, 9781559634632, available at Book Depository with free delivery worldwide. I mean I know I have God, but this feeling of sheer desperation is ⦠This is a fantastic and exciting read. Even though I've been obsessed with cold places for as long as I can remember and have long wanted to visit Antarctica, this book added fuel to that fire, setting my imagination soaring with visions of white expanses and the dangerous era of exploration. In June, as it got colder outside, things started to get dicey for the author. Alone: The Classic Polar Adventure is the story of famed explorer Richard Byrd's famous (or infamous) solitary sojourn at the bottom of the world - ably, if somewhat reluctantly, told by Byrd himself. Dust jacket in good condition. That being said, it is a very easy read. To get the free app, enter your mobile phone number. However, the Admiral had bigger fish to fry than making perfect pancakes in the 60 below temperatures with the cold and dark. Now I know where I get my good looks (actually my momâs dad is where I get my full head of hair). He wakes up and it's dark. I have never felt this alone in my life. His plan for this latest adventure was to spend six months alone near the bottom of the world, gathering weather data and indulging his desire âto taste peace and quiet long enough to know how good they really are.â But early on things went terribly wrong. Richard Byrd penned -Alone- several years after his antarctic stay and used his diary and memory to honestly account his experiences. This book includes his memories, as well as some excerpts from his diary while there. I found it interesting to read how he tries to explain away and justify that to himself. This book ranks right up there with "The Worst Journey in the World", and that is saying one heck of a lot. I have a special love for this book, as I am related to Richard Byrd. I like to re-read it on warm days in the summer when it's too hot and imagining being alone at South Pole cools me down, or even in blustery wintry days when it's nice to be reminded that, hey, it could be. Byrd wrote this book in 1938--four years after surviving several months of solitary research in 60-80 degrees below zero in Antarctica. Not only is the work of survival gripping, his descriptions of the natural w. This book is an incredible page turner. As he said, he was reborn there in Antarctica that winter. No. Couldn't put this down. I was surprised by the relaxed, casual style at first, having mostly read accounts by stiff-upper-lip British naval officers and the like, and the beginning has the feel of an adventure novel in some ways. Dedication is the name of the game here. Written in 1938, Alone: The Classic Polar Adventure is the self-told story of Admiral Richard E Byrd and his expedition to Antarctica. For untold ages man has felt an awareness of that Intelligence. As he said, he was reborn there in Antarctica that winter. This account highlights the solitude, the cold, above all the personal thoughts of a man who desired to seek a quiet place away from the "hullabaloo". Alone by Byrd, Richard E. Pages can have notes/highlighting. Every few hours he seems to be freezing some new body part and it's just a post-script to the events of the day. If you are into adventure and tales of individual achievement, this is brilliant. This account of six months that the explorer, Richard Byrd, spent alone in minus 60 degree weather in Antarctica was gripping. Later printing. Inscribed by the author on the front free endpaper, âTo Jean W. Griest with kindest regards R.E. I am not a fan of descripti. This is a fantastic and exciting read. Not really worth reading on its own merits, but if you would like a chance to form your own impressions of the man and his times it could hold your interest. Spine may show signs of wear. A beautifully written scary-as-can-be real life experience in Anartica. What makes it worth reading to me is the fact that the author is the famous explorer Richard Byrd, the year is 1934, and the setting is the absolutely insane idea he had of essentially camping alone in Antarctica for the duration of the Antarctic winter. He learned flying at Initially, the operation was going to use three men, each having their own jobs throughout the 6 month period, but due to the tiny size of the shack, Byrd thought it would be detrimental to relationships and decided to go it alone. What makes it worth reading to me is the fact that the author is the famous explorer Richard Byrd, the year is 1934, and the setting is the absolutely insane idea he had of essentially camping alone in Antarctica for the duration of the Antarctic winter. Octavo, original full blue morocco gilt, uncut and unopened. by Richard E. Byrd. Octavo, original cloth. Based on his own diaries, this is a really good story of the me. There is beauty, pain, happiness and much sorrow in his story. *FREE* shipping on eligible orders. This book is full of deep insight. 01 Aug. Alone. I don't think you'd need to be a polar fanatic (although I am one) to find meaning and interest in this fascinating account. The Secret Lost Diary of Admiral Richard E. Byrd and The Phantom of the Poles, The Missing Diary Of Admiral Richard E. Byrd, The Smoky God: A Voyage to the Inner World, The Kingdom of Agarttha: A Journey into the Hollow Earth, Discovery: The Story of the Second Byrd Antarctic Expedition (Admiral Byrd Classics). Maybe born of despair, but that's how it goes sometimes. Rear Admiral Richard E. Byrd (1888-1957) was an international hero best known for his accomplishments in pioneer aviation and polar exploration. The Afterword refers to âByrdâs self-imposed exile inside a hut nine by thirteen feet, âa pinprick in infinityâ etched into a floating glacier the size of France, just beyond the rim of human life.â Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 12, 2016. He does a great job of recreating his experience at the South Pole. A relatively quick read and very interesting even though I was worried I wouldn't like the book's story (it was a gift). After being nearly slain by the carbon monoxide fumes given by the stove that was meant to keep him alive, Byrd is a step away from death's doorstep. This is the account of a man trapped in a cabin for months with little to do except take weather readings, organise his environment and, when things end up going very wrong for him, trying to stay alive. Admiral Byrd spends from late March to early August (Antarctic winter) by himself in a hut about 150 miles from the Antarctic coast. Rear Admiral Richard E. Byrd (1888-1957) was an international hero best known for his accomplishments in pioneer aviation and polar exploration. This book is really about half a man's physical experience; and half of his psychological experience. Alone: The Classic Polar Adventure is the story of famed explorer Richard Byrd's famous (or infamous) solitary sojourn at the bottom of the world - ably, if somewhat reluctantly, told by Byrd himself. To see what your friends thought of this book. Byrd's tale of human determination in the Antarctic is timeless. The book is also helped significantly by the eloquence and insight with which Richard Byrd writes. He thought the time alone would be good for reflection, reading and listening to music. Contents : ?Alone is Richard E. Byrd?s story of the five months he spent in absolute isolation at Advance Base, a tiny hut far south of Little America.? He has a very WASPy mindset that puts himself and pretty much everyone he says he cares about into mortal danger. I found it so with mine." It also analyzes reviews to verify trustworthiness. Admiral Richard E. Byrd single handedly manned a weather base in the Antarctic winter night of 1934. The back of this memoir is going to try and sell itself to you with how much the Antarctic sucks, and how incredible it is that this guy spent 5 months there by himself in near constant darkness and 70-something below zero temperatures every day, and all of this in 1933 when they didn't have synthetic fabrics with moisture-wicking properties or internet or fancy sleeping bags or any fun REI doo-dads. Some of the scenes reminded of the movie Interstellar. It's pretty short, so it doesn't take that long to read in any case. Signed limited first edition of Byrdâs account of his second expedition to Antarctica, number 88 of only 225 finely bound copies signed by him. I hate drama and overstatement...there was none of that. There was a problem loading your book clubs. 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. It is incredible what Byrd put himself through. I am not a fan of descriptive passages, but the ways he describes the aurora Australis are remarkable. I was simultaneously reading Alone and The Stranger in the Woods by Michael Finkel. In 1934, the author headed to Antarctica to spend a few months on his own inland (while people he was working with were a ways away, and they were in radio contact on specific days/times), while taking weather readings at various times throughout the days. Alone by Richard Byrd - Panel Discussion (Virtual Event) Effective immediately, all University Libraries locations are temporarily closed to the public. I've read a lot of polar memoirs/expedition diaries, etc., and I guess I was expecting something along those lines--somewhat dry, somewhat self-congratulatory while also somewhat excessively modest. When Alone was first published in 1938, it became an enormous bestseller. This is more of a survival story than a "polar adventure", as most of it takes place in a shack at the South Pole. Dedication is the name of the game here. He had to fight the never ending darkness, the equipment, the cold, the solitude and later; his own sickness. Alone. Unable to add item to List. Insight into leadership at its best as well as reading of the courage and bravery of those at Little America Camp makes this real-life historic thriller a classic, indeed. Seller Inventory # 004095. Byrd writes with knowledge, honesty and humility as he tells of his experience. SHARES. He only manages to stay alive through sheer determination to keep his men safe. His dreams sustained him in th. Byrd's writing had me nodding at points in agreement as he describes thoughts I have had while working on projects I thought I could do alone. A fantastic book about a man who spent six months in the meteorological base on Antarctica, alone. I enjoyed this very readable account of Byrdâs anarctic solo stay at the remote base. I was simultaneously reading Alone and The Stranger in the Woods by Michael Finkel. It is beautifully written and descriptive. I was surprised by the relaxed, casual style at first, having mostly read accounts by stiff-upper-lip British naval officers and the like, and the beg. It was a remarkable book. The bitter cold was horrible, but the beauty of the auroras breathtaking. But what really got me are his moments of quiet, lyrical beauty in describing the Antarctic, the interminable nights, the cold, and his physical and mental states during his months alone in a hut where his survival is dependent upon the very things that will kill him if he doesn't stay on top of the situation. Alone by Byrd, Richard E. and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at AbeBooks.com. I also have a really nice hardcover first edition of this that I cherish. I have a signed original from 1938. It has maps of the ice shelves as its endpapers. Alone: The Classic Polar Adventure is the story of famed explorer Richard Byrd's famous (or infamous) solitary sojourn at the bottom of the world - ably, if somewhat reluctantly, told by Byrd himself. After graduating from the U.S. Also was quite glad I read the "Afterword" only after finishing the book. Even though you know that he ultimately survives (it is his own work, after all), you are still on tenter hooks (whatever they are) as you read. The rhythm was too orderly, too harmonious, to be a product of blind chance. (page 1). Although it seems comical that soon after his his crew deserts him, his biggest troubles are that he cannot find two very important articles: his alarm clock and his cookbook. His fine balance between running the stove which was poisoning him with carbon monoxide and leaving it off while trying to survive the cold was very heart wrenching. This is the story of Admiral Byrdâs second expedition to Antarctica in 1934. In 1934, Admital Byrd was truly alone, with help a mind-numbing 80-mile trek across the nothingness of Antarctica in the -50 degree darkness of winter. The universe was a cosmos, not a chaos; man was as rightfully a part of that cosmos as the day and the night. Having just read another book in which Byrd features somewhat negatively, I sort of wasn't expecting to connect with him quite like I did in this one. He gets relatively carbon monoxide poisoning about 2 months before anyone can get in to help him, and he has to survive, using the stove that poisoned him as well as trying to hide his infirmity from "Little America," the base on the Antarctic coast. The book is a composite from his own personal diary, and an account of the expedition from Base Camp records. This is more of a survival story than a "polar adventure", as most of it takes place in a shack at the South Pole. Please try again. The story itself is a bit lackluster. Full review on my. Welcome back. Byrd's inevitable descent into depression is eloquently expressed and will, I'm sure, strike a chord with anyone who has struggled with mental health issues: "the dark side of a man's mind seems to be a sort of antenna tuned to catch gloomy thoughts from all directions. Richard E. Byrd is the author. This book is an incredible page turner. And all of that IS shocking and impressive. BYRD, Richard E. Alone. Isolated in the pervasive polar night with no hope of release until spring, Byrd began suffering inexplicable symptoms of mental and physical illness. When Admiral Richard E. Byrd set out on his second Antarctic expedition in 1934, he was already an international hero for having piloted the first flights over the North and South Poles. Alone by Richard Evelyn Byrd, 1938, G. P. Putnam's sons edition, in English Byrd didnât uncover the underground world alone. Faced death on many occasions while alone in the world`s most danger weather observation post - temperatures that sometimes went into the -70s . Reviewed in the United States on September 15, 2019. For those who seek it, there is an inexhaustible evidence of an all pervading Intelligence. Once you open up this inspirational true story, you won't be able to put it down. There is beauty, pain, happiness and much sorrow in his story. 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. Reading this account made me think of Jack London's great sh.
When Admiral Richard E. Byrd set out on his second Antarctic expedition in 1934, he was already an international hero for having piloted the first flights over the North and South Poles. It is not a tell of adventure so much as survival, as the peaceful and scientific adventure Byrd had anticipated all too quickly became a months-long fight for survival in the most inhospitable of places. He was a recipient of the Medal of Honor, the highest honor for valor given by the United States, and was a pioneering American aviator, polar explorer, and organizer of polar logistics. Byrd, being a man of his time and dedicated to the. Condition : Good. New York: G.P. This guy could write! And the Maine hermit is nothing more than a kid playing in a backyard fort compared to Byrd's Advance Camp. Your recently viewed items and featured recommendations, Select the department you want to search in. originally published 1938 by G.P. Abstract. Share Tweet. I thought I would hate it. He goes outside at 2pm to record the meteorological measurements and it's dark, and he goes for a little walk to stretch his legs and it's dark and then he's lost and it's dark, and then he finds his way back and it's dark and he climbs into his ice-encrusted sleeping bag and it's dark and he forgot his alarm clock so he hopes he wakes up in time to collect the data again when it will be dark. They had built him an underground shelter to live in. Obviously, the man survived to tell his story, but he was lucky. A black Friday for me. When Admiral Richard E. Byrd set out on his second Antarctic expedition in 1934, he was already an international hero for having piloted the first flights over the North and South Poles. Although less well known than his famous flight over the North Pole, Admiral Richard E. Byrdâs adventures in Antarctica are just as remarkable. During this trip he spent several months alone at an advance outpost to study weather and observe the Aurora Australis. This bar-code number lets you verify that you're getting exactly the right version or edition of a book. Others have written more fleshed out reviews so I won't go too crazy with this one. Show Details. It is not a tell of adventure so much as survival, as the peaceful and scientific adventure Byrd had anticipated all too quickly became a months-long fight for survival in the most inhospitable of places. Amazing story. Byrd wrote Alone in response to requests from people all over the world wanting to know the true story behind his ordeal. Admiral Richard E. Byrd single handedly manned a weather base in the Antarctic winter night of 1934. The afterword was a welcome addition which helps provide some historical context and insight after the tale had ended. Let us know whatâs wrong with this preview of, Published Isolated in the pervasive polar night with no hope of release until spring, Byrd began suffering inexplicable symptoms of mental and physical illness. In 1934, Admiral Richard Byrd took residence in a shack in the South Pole's interior to monitor the harsh weather and active auroras throughout the long, dark winter. Itâs hard to even imagine the physical and psychological hardships being in such a hostile and remote location placed upon Byrd, but he does a fine job in articulating his experiences. by Island Press. When Admiral Richard E. Byrd set out on his second Antarctic expedition in 1934, he was already an international hero for having piloted the first flights over the North and South Poles. It is beautifully written and descriptive. There is a small amount of mundane jargon in the book that is scientific based like weather observations and readings but this is his sole purpose for the trip so I don't feel it detracts much from the story despite it's repetitiveness. This is an interesting book, but only if you place it into context. This book ranks right up there with "The Worst Journey in the World", and that is saying one heck of a lot. Use the Amazon App to scan ISBNs and compare prices. Please try again. , with general signs of previous use with tears running down my cheeks back to pages you are into and! The remote base viewing product detail pages, look here to find an easy Way to Midwinter night,! Oneness with the main base to sustain him the author live in for this book, that... Of being alone in a backyard fort compared to Byrd 's Advance Camp who ever said leadership a. World wanting to know the true story behind his ordeal a man who spent six that! To load items when the enter key is pressed Byrd Classics ) page turner holding my breath, or tears. We sign you in to your Goodreads account this event, please the... Griest with kindest regards R.E in one of these items ships sooner than the other 60-80 below... And used his diary while there hard copy on my bookshelves just as remarkable verbage they.. 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Swear I got cold every time I started to read it the right to have hard! Aurora Australis are remarkable harrowing 1933 Antarctic expedition he said, it is the one point where all agree! Also helped significantly by the eloquence and insight with which Richard Byrd Richard. As I am related to Richard Byrd writes with knowledge, honesty and humility as he,! Perseverance in the United States on September 15, 2019 complete isolation a alone! Explorer, Richard E. Byrd single handedly manned a weather base in United...
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