RACE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE EARTH Surviving Antartica

Author Rebecca Barone contrasts the 1910 race to the South Pole between Scott and Amundsen with the 2018 race to complete the first successful solo crossing of Antarctica between Louis Rudd and Colin O'Brady. These twin stories of polar exploration, endurance, and national pride could easily have been reduced to feats of men against the harsh elements, but Barone and narrator Kate Mulligan combine efforts to add emotional depth and broaden the appeal. Mulligan's easy pacing and warm, clear voice smoothly pull the listener into the grueling journeys. We hear Scott's bitter disappointment upon discovering the Norwegian flag at the Pole and O'Brady's happiness as he chats with Paul Simon on his satellite phone. Particularly poignant is Rudd's carrying the family crest of his friend Henry Worsley to honor the fallen explorer. A.B. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine [Published: MARCH 2021]