A cultural history of a national obsession with polar exploration and mountaineering, and a study of how the poles have been perceived, dreamed of, even desired... » 

A cultural history of a national obsession with polar exploration and mountaineering, and a study of how the poles have been perceived, dreamed of, even desired. The text sets out to show how Captain Scott's death was the culmination of a long-running national enchantment with perilous journeys. «