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Mawson's Will: The Greatest Polar Survival Story Ever Written
- Narrated by: Scott Slocum
- Length: 7 hrs and 32 mins
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Publisher's summary
Mawson's Will is the dramatic story of what Sir Edmund Hillary calls "the most outstanding solo journey ever recorded in Antarctic history". For weeks in Antarctica, Douglas Mawson faced some of the most daunting conditions ever known to man: blistering wind, snow, and cold; loss of his companion, his dogs and supplies, the skin on his hands and the soles of his feet; thirst, starvation, disease, snowblindness - and he survived.
Sir Douglas Mawson is remembered as the young Australian who would not go to the South Pole with Robert Scott in 1911, choosing instead to lead his own expedition on the less glamorous mission of charting nearly 1,500 miles of Antarctic coastline and claiming its resources for the British Crown. His party of three set out through the mountains across glaciers in 60-mile-per-hour winds. Six weeks and 320 miles out, one man fell into a crevasse, along with the tent, most of the equipment, all of the dogs' food, and all except a week's supply of the men's provisions.
Mawson's Will is the unforgettable story of one man's ingenious practicality and unbreakable spirit and how he continued his meticulous scientific observations even in the face of death. When the expedition was over, Mawson had added more territory to the Antarctic map than anyone else of his time. Thanks to Bickel's moving account, Mawson can be remembered for the vision and dedication that make him one of the world's great explorers.
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Story
In 1914, Sir Ernest Shackleton sailed south aboard the Endurance to be the first to cross Antarctica. Shackleton's endeavor is legend, but few know the astonishing story of the Ross Sea party, the support crew he dispatched to the opposite side of the continent to build a vital lifeline of food and fuel depots.
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Just OK
- By Michael on 05-17-07
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The Worst Journey in the World
- By: Apsley Cherry-Garrard
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 20 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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This gripping story of courage and achievement is the account of Robert Falcon Scott's last fateful expedition to the Antarctic, as told by surviving expedition member Apsley Cherry-Garrard. Cherry-Garrard, whom Scott lauded as a tough, efficient member of the team, tells of the journey from England to South Africa and southward to the ice floes. From there began the unforgettable polar journey across a forbidding and inhospitable region.
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What a story!
- By A. Massey on 05-25-04
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A Wretched and Precarious Situation
- In Search of the Last Arctic Frontier
- By: David Welky
- Narrated by: Joel Richards
- Length: 15 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
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A remarkable true story of adventure, betrayal, and survival set in one of the world's most inhospitable places. In 1906, from atop a snow-swept hill in the ice fields northwest of Greenland, hundreds of miles from another human being, Commander Robert E. Peary spotted a line of mysterious peaks looming in the distance. He called this unexplored realm "Crocker Land". Scientists and explorers agreed that the world-famous explorer had discovered a new continent rising from the frozen Arctic Ocean.
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it all comes together at the end
- By Kat on 01-30-18
By: David Welky
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Touching the Void
- By: Joe Simpson
- Narrated by: Andrew Wincott, Daniel Weyman
- Length: 6 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
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Joe Simpson, with just his partner, Simon Yates, tackled the unclimbed West Face of the remote 21,000-foot Siula Grande in the Peruvian Andes in June of 1985. But before they reached the summit, disaster struck. A few days later, Simon staggered into Base Camp, exhausted and frostbitten, to tell their non-climbing companion that Joe was dead. For three days he wrestled with guilt as they prepared to return home. Then a cry in the night took them out with torches, where they found Joe, badly injured.
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Wonderfully told true story
- By David Shear on 01-17-14
By: Joe Simpson
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Mountains of the Mind
- Adventures in Reaching the Summit
- By: Robert Macfarlane
- Narrated by: James A. Gillies
- Length: 9 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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Combining accounts of legendary mountain ascents with vivid descriptions of his own forays into wild, high landscapes, Robert Macfarlane reveals how the mystery of the world's highest places has come to grip the Western imagination - and perennially draws legions of adventurers up the most perilous slopes. His story begins three centuries ago, when mountains were feared as the forbidding abodes of dragons and other mysterious beasts.
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Pretentious Narrator
- By karla arens on 09-07-20
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81 Days Below Zero
- The Incredible Survival Story of a World War II Pilot in Alaska's Frozen Wilderness
- By: Brian Murphy, Toula Vlahou
- Narrated by: Richard Ferrone
- Length: 8 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
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The untold story of Leon Crane, the only surviving crew member of a World War II B-24 crash on a remote mountain near the Arctic Circle, who managed to stay alive 81 days in sub-zero temperature by making peace with nature, and end his ordeal by walking along a river to safety. Part World War II story, part Alaskan adventure story, part survival story, and even part inspirational story, this is what we call " a good listen".
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Diluted and Distracted
- By C. Howe on 09-27-15
By: Brian Murphy, and others
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Canoeing with the Cree
- A 2,250-mile voyage from Minneapolis to Hudson Bay
- By: Eric Sevareid
- Narrated by: John Farrell
- Length: 3 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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In 1930, two novice paddlers - Eric Sevareid and Walter C. Port - launched a secondhand 18-foot canvas canoe from the Minnesota River at Fort Snelling for an ambitious summer-long journey from Minneapolis to Hudson Bay. Without benefit of radio, motor or good maps, the teenagers made their way over 2,250 miles of rivers, lakes, and difficult portages.
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Seems like an abridged version
- By Angela on 12-31-09
By: Eric Sevareid
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Icebound
- A Novel
- By: Dean Koontz
- Narrated by: Jim Frangione
- Length: 8 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
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Conducting a strange and urgent experiment on the Arctic icefield, a team of scientists has planted sixty powerful explosive charges that will detonate at midnight. Before they can withdraw to the safety of their base camp, a shattering tidal wave breaks loose the ice on which they are working. Now they are hopelessly marooned on an iceberg during a violent winter storm. The bombs beneath them are buried irretrievably deep...and ticking. And they discover that one of them is an assassin with a mission of his own.
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Better narrator needed
- By Renee on 08-15-18
By: Dean Koontz
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The Ledge
- An Adventure Story of Friendship and Survival on Mount Rainier
- By: Jim Davidson, Kevin Vaughan
- Narrated by: Jim Davidson
- Length: 7 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
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On June 21, 1992, two best friends summited Mount Rainier. Within hours, their exquisite accomplishment would be overshadowed by tragedy. On their descent, Jim Davidson fell through an ice bridge on Rainier's northeast flank, plunging eighty feet into a narrow crevasse inside the Emmons Glacier and dragging Mike Price in after him. Mike fell to his death; Jim, badly injured and armed with minimal gear, faced an almost impossible climb back out of the crevasse, up a nearly vertical ice wall.
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wholesome and honest account of tragedy
- By Flip on 05-21-18
By: Jim Davidson, and others
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Call of the American Wild
- A Tenderfoot's Escape to Alaska
- By: Guy Grieve
- Narrated by: Steve West
- Length: 13 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
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Trapped in a job he hated and up to his neck in debt, Guy Grieve’s life was going nowhere. But with a stroke of luck, his dream of escaping it all to live in remote Alaska suddenly came true. Miles from the nearest human being and armed with only the most basic equipment, Guy built a log cabin from scratch and began carving a life for himself through fishing, hunting, and diligently avoiding bears. Packed with adventure, humor, and insight, this is the gripping story of an ordinary man learning the ways of the wild.
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Maybe not really kinda true?
- By colleen on 06-01-13
By: Guy Grieve
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The Long Walk
- The True Story of a Trek to Freedom
- By: Slavomir Rawicz
- Narrated by: John Lee
- Length: 9 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
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Twenty-six-year-old cavalry officer Slavomir Rawicz was captured by the Red Army in 1939 during the German-Soviet partition of Poland and sent to the Siberian Gulag. In the spring of 1941, he escaped with six of his fellow prisoners, including one American. Thus began their astonishing trek to freedom.
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Inspiring and absorbing
- By A. Millard on 05-30-07
By: Slavomir Rawicz
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The Cruelest Miles
- The Heroic Story of Dogs and Men in a Race Against an Epidemic
- By: Gay Salisbury, Laney Salisbury
- Narrated by: Barrett Whitener
- Length: 9 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
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The year is 1925. It is sixty degrees below zero. The wind sweeps tons of snow over the deep-frozen Alaskan landscape. The nearest railhead is seven hundred miles away. Airplanes cannot fly. The way to Nome is blocked by a treacherous frozen sound, an icebound port, and mountains to the west. But there is a diphtheria epidemic in Nome. The children need serum from the outside world if they are to survive. Their only hope is a few chosen Eskimo drivers and their teams of dogs.
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The Cruelest Miles Makes Exciting Reading
- By Susan Carter on 01-07-04
By: Gay Salisbury, and others
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Empire of Ice and Stone
- The Disastrous and Heroic Voyage of the Karluk
- By: Buddy Levy
- Narrated by: Will Damron
- Length: 14 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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In the summer of 1913, the wooden-hulled brigantine Karluk departed Canada for the Arctic Ocean. At the helm was Captain Bob Bartlett, considered the world’s greatest living ice navigator. The expedition’s visionary leader was a flamboyant impresario named Vilhjalmur Stefansson hungry for fame. Just six weeks after the Karluk departed, giant ice floes closed in around her. As the ship became icebound, Stefansson disembarked with five companions and struck out on what he claimed was a 10-day caribou hunting trip. Most on board would never see him again.
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Great adventure story
- By Elaine McCollough on 01-06-23
By: Buddy Levy
What listeners say about Mawson's Will: The Greatest Polar Survival Story Ever Written
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Robin in Alaska
- 10-02-16
Classic story of grueling survival in the Antarctic
I read this story about Antarctic survival many years ago, and found it absolutely captivating. I just listened to it on audiobook and once again appreciated the comfort and leisure of my own life while having the privilege of listening to a story by a truly great explorer. It really is one of the greatest survival stories ever told.
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- Mtee
- 05-29-20
Brutal, savage, raw..... and extraordinary!
One of the best accounts of early Antarctic exploration I've come across . A graphic and brutal story taken from Mawson''s personal dairy. Narration was good but, at times, seemed out of step with such a torturous and brutal story (imo). I mean it was good narration but, at times, voice and style just didn't seem harsh enough for what was actually taking place in the story. Nonetheless, it was a fantastic audio book and I would recommend it to anyone who's looking for a true account of what exploration was truly like at the beginning of the 19th century.
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- Gavin Anderson
- 01-27-23
Stunning Story of Days Gone By
The story was amazing, and further amplified by listening to it on my winter commutes. I felt, in some small sense, the Antarctic cold that pervades this true story of survival.
My one star deduction comes from the annoyance of the words quote and unquote on either side of direct quotes from Mawson’s journal. As a radio broadcaster, I was also required to read like that, but I never liked it. It disrupts the flow of the story.
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- A.P.
- 04-05-23
A story amazing as Shackleton and Scott
Douglas Mawson's literal refusal to die makes for one of the greatest stories in polar exploration, a subject abounding with amazing stories. "Mawson's Will" focuses on Mawson's experience, from interacting with Scott and Shackleton to the despair and determination he felt. This is not the only book on Mawson's expedition but it is, in my opinion, the best.
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- anonymous
- 12-12-18
yup it was great
great story. incredible survival. I audibly gasped several times at the trials that had to be overcome.
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- K Nelson
- 08-26-16
Worthwhile read
Really enjoyed this book--so much so that I convinced my book club to read it as well. We had a fine discussion!
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- MTB DC
- 04-08-19
Would that every high school kid reads it
Mawson was a stud and hero by any stretch, but the brutal truth is that this is a study in how to fail. Almost as tragic as Captain Scott's haphazardly planned failure, Mawson's was similar.
To truly understand and appreciate this story, one should also listen to "The Last Viking: The Life of Roald Amundsen" by Stephen R. Bown. Say what we will about Amundsen, but his entire life of hair-raising adventures were meticulously planned and laser-focused "how-to" successes.
But no matter, listen to this story. You will love it.
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- Joel Salter
- 08-25-24
Against all odds, Glaciers, wind and depravation
We humans are an interesting bunch, there seem to be eras when humanity takes on a challenge that defies reason in some circles. Sir Douglas Mawson was a young man when he organized an expedition to eastern Antartica's uncharted area and with know Arial survey to understand the hazards along the course of exploration. This story adapted from his meticulous notes and those of his comrades is an amazing account of just how hard and deadly it is to travers across the glaciers they encountered. It is a well written story full of the full depiction of what the consequences of depravation do to the body. But above all the will of survival against significant odds.
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- Kath Gilliam
- 09-17-18
Mawson's Will of IRON!
I love books about arctic adventure. They are hard books to love. I have a tremendous aversion to cold, I hate to experience human suffering, even vicariously. I have a hard time understanding people who put their loved ones through the accompanying anxiety and deprivation. I find them, however, inspiring and illuminating. The human spirit leaves me awestruck time and again.
I like to listen to books while I knit. But I am LIVID when the performer mispronounces words! And I cannot believe there isn't a better editing method of insertions, when I can detect every.single.one. And why oh why did this performer insist on setting off quotations by saying, "Quote...unquote." DUH! The listener can tell it's a quote, especially if a slightly differing tone is used for them, a technique used by many performers. It was beyond annoying and did not do justice to this amazing story.
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- sharing1
- 01-08-19
Brutal account of survival! Not for sissies!!
Gripping story. Make our American life seem trivial in comparison. If you need to toughen up, proceed.
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