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The Worst Journey in the World  By  cover art

The Worst Journey in the World

By: Apsley Cherry-Garrard
Narrated by: Simon Vance
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Publisher's summary

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. On November 12, 1912, in arctic temperatures, the author, in a search party, found the bodies of Scott and his companions along with poignant last notebook entries, some of them recorded in this work.

Among Apsley Cherry-Garrard's friends and admirers were John Galsworthy, H. G. Wells, Arnold Bennett, and Bernard Shaw. His background in the arts and humanities makes The Worst Journey in the World stand out as a literary accomplishment as well as a classic in the annals of exploration.

Public Domain (P)2003 Blackstone Audio, Inc.
  • Unabridged Audiobook
  • Categories: History

Critic reviews

"Robert Whitfield picks up on Cherry-Garrard's dry sense of humor, stiff-upper-lip approach to adversity, and appreciation for nature, the dogs and ponies on whom the expedition depended, and the polar landscape." ( AudioFile)

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skip to chapter 8 and circle back

if you're having a hard time getting into it!

It's a bit information heavy in the beginning but picks up. By the end, I wanted more information!

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    4 out of 5 stars

Puts things into perspective...

"I would never complain about heat again" that sentence really stuck with me - as did many more. This was not an easy book to get through, but Cherry's astute and sometimes humorous observations about the polar expedition, about Scott, about the men of this era... and about penguins proved well worth the time and effort. This would be a good book for a man coming-of-age in what is comparatively, a different world. A good book for anyone caught up in their own importance. It definitely made me rethink my own insignificant complaints.

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6 people found this helpful

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great read!

fantastic performance - a very interesting and poignant account of this polar journey and tragedy

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Amazing Journey

I was freezing as I listened to this story!
Author describes a glacial world, that
is long gone.

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Exquisite Telling of a Phenomenal True Story

I became fascinated with the story of RF Scott and the Terra Nova upon seeing Terrance McNally’s play of the same name. Was delighted to find and devour the hardcover of The Worst Journey in the World many years ago.

Thrilled to find it read to perfection here. The narrator seems to channel each voice from beyond.

An age of heroism gone by. Stunning. Great listen!

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Great example of grace under extreme circumstances

This book is fabulously entertaining and interesting. From the harrowing saga to the uplifting moral conclusion, it explains much about why the expeditions to the South Pole were undertaken and why they still matter.

Great story. Great performance.

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Deeply interesting and inspiring

I read this book after reading Endurance, about the failed Shackleton expedition, and while traveling to Antartica. The two books provided fascinating information about the history of exploration and the nature of Antartica, as well as inspiring insights about the inner workings of mankind. Both books are highly recommended, even if, like me, you never thought you were interested in Antarctica.

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Heart felt description of Anartica

I felt as if I was part of the exploring party. So much so, that on days when I was tired, I was hesitant to listen. Cambridge's Scott Polar Research Institute has online photos of the people, hut, and ponies - powerful images to go with the reading of this diary. The book is about a British expedition, and read by an eloquent, British gentleman. Quite the right touch. The National Geographic Society has a list of the100 Greatest Adventure Books of All Time and this story is in first place.

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31 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars

worst journey in the world

even though this is long it is worth every minute, waiting to see what would happen, knowing how difficult it was for them and how they endured such terrible conditions and still kept going. I went and bought indivdual biographies and other stories of the members to read more about these folks because I was so fascinated by them after listening to this story. I recommend this and don't stop even though one may think it is tedious. It deserves your time. The narration is great also.

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28 people found this helpful

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The Book to read when you are having a rough day

This is a very gripping story of the ill-fated Scott expedition to try to be the first man to get to the South Pole. If you feel like your life sucks, or you are having a tough day at the office. Going through these pages of everything that Scott expedition endured will make you re-assess just how tough your life is.

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1 person found this helpful