Long-listed for the BC National Award for Canadian Non-Fiction
One of the Toronto Globe and Mailandrsquo;s Globe 100: The Globeandrsquo;s Top Non-Fiction Books of the Year
Named to Kirkus Reviewsandrsquo;s andldquo;Best Books of 2012andrdquo; list
Named a San Francisco Book Review Staff Pick for andldquo;Best Books of 2012
Winnipeg Free Press, andldquo;Best of the Bestandrdquo; roundup, 12/22/12
Kirkus Reviews (starred), 8/15/12andldquo;An intensely researched, thoroughly enjoyable life of one historyandrsquo;s best explorersandhellip;A superb biography of a fiercely driven explorer who traveled across the last inaccessible areas on earth before technical advances made the journey much easier.andrdquo;
Booklist, September 2012andldquo;[An] enjoyable, informative biography.andrdquo;
Publishers Weekly, 8/27/12andldquo;[A] captivating account of the Norwegianandrsquo;s extraordinary lifeandhellip;Bown makes a compelling case that Amundsen deserves renewed recognition for his outstanding achievements.andrdquo;
London Sunday Times 9/16/12andldquo;[A] fascinating biographyandhellip;As a depiction of an explorerandrsquo;s life it is intelligent and often thrilling.andrdquo;
Boston Globe, 9/30/12andldquo;Author Stephen Bown hopes to repair Amundsenandrsquo;s reputation and re-introduce his achievements to readers at a time when exploration on a grand geographic scale seems like ancient history. He succeeds; his Amundsen is complicated and compelling, capable of leading men through deadly danger and telling self-deprecating stories to rapturous lecture audiences laterandhellip;The New York Times published hundreds of articles chronicling his voyages, and Bown gracefully weaves together these and other journalistic records, along with journals kept by Amundsen and his men, to paint a surprisingly intimate portrait of a complex, at times difficult, yet eminently admirable man.andrdquo;
Denver Post, 9/30/12andldquo;A deep, spine-chilling look at the life of Roald Amundsen, Norwegian polar explorer.andrdquo;
Tucson Citizen, 10/4/12andldquo;An outstanding biography of a focused, determined manandhellip;Bown has served up a crisply written book that is exciting, meticulously researched, and an appropriate literary tribute to one of historyandrsquo;s greatest explorers.andrdquo;
Bookviews blog, October 2012andldquo;The story of a man who accomplished in two decades when other explorers of his day couldnandrsquo;t do in a lifetimeandhellip;The world needs heroes like Amundsen, warts and all.andrdquo;
WomanAroundTown.com,9/27/12andldquo;Details both the good and the bad about his extraordinary man.andrdquo;
InfoDad.com, 10/18/12andldquo;Brownandrsquo;s biographyandhellip;breaks some new ground in detailing the explorerandrsquo;s time spent in New York and the evidence of his sense of humor, which stands in contrast to the usual picture of him as cold, methodical and harsh.andrdquo;
Winnipeg Free Press, 10/6/12andldquo;Bown's tension-packed narrative recounts the illustrious career of the most accomplished polar explorer of all time.andrdquo;
Shipwreckology.com, 10/25/12andldquo;In a world where little is left to explore, Bown transports his readers to a time when great men battled nature to explore the earthandrsquo;s last remaining terra incognita. As the winter months approach, readers would be well served to buy The Last Viking and curl up in front of a roaring fire to enjoy Bownandrsquo;s gripping account of Amundsenandrsquo;s epic polar adventures.andrdquo;
Macleanandrsquo;s, 10/26/12andldquo;Bown draws on extensive research and access to the personal journals of Amundsen and his travel companions to paint rich and gripping accounts of his perilous voyages. These are often marvelously entertaining.andrdquo;
Calgary Herald, 10/19/12andldquo;Sheds new light on the life and legend of Roald Amundsen.andrdquo;
Wall Street Journal, 11/9/12andldquo;Mr. Bown has produced a solid, entertaining account of Amundsen's adventures, through which he scrolls with pleasing attention to detail. This is a real andlsquo;Boyandrsquo;s Ownandrsquo; narrative, one that conjures the rasp of hickory ski on thin ice, the patter of a hundred dogs, and the whiff of tobacco after a long day on the trail. Mr. Bown is especially good on historical context.andrdquo;
Toronto Sunday Star, 11/4/12andldquo;Bownandrsquo;s research is impeccable and his writing lucid.andrdquo;
San Antonio Express-News, 11/11/12andldquo;A fascinating look into the life of the Norwegian explorerandhellip;Bown deftly captures the true essence of the man instead of merely paying homage to the legendandhellip;The Last Viking gives readers an in-depth look into what it was like to travel into some of the last unknown regions of the world without today's fancy gadgets or even the basics such as maps, local guides or reliable communication. Amundsen, perhaps the greatest polar explorer of all time, comes to life once again to ignite the spirit of exploration in all of us.andrdquo;
Toronto Globe and Mail, 11/16/12andldquo;Bown writes from the lofty, distancing heights of the fair-minded historianandhellip;The work is sharp-eyed, thorough and convincing, and constitutes a significant addition to the Arctic canon.andrdquo;
Daily Speculations blog, 11/27/12andldquo;[Bown] did his homework. The bibliography is basically every book out there, plus he did a lot of his own work in extensive newspaper story research (NYTandndash;predominantly). There is a lot of controversy about this man and his methodsandndash;a lot of bias that Bown seems to navigate around. If you haven't read about polar exploration it's a good book to read since it relates the entire history of man's search for the final fabled lost lands or undiscovered sea lanes that would make trade travel quicker and cheaperandhellip;In this day of constant communication the book acts like an escape of sorts to a time when years would go by between shoving off on an expedition and returning.andrdquo;
andldquo;Politics and Patriotism Showandrdquo; (blog), 11/21/12andldquo;An eye opening history of the larger-than-life Norwegian explorerandhellip;Intensely researched and passionately written.andrdquo;
Literary Review of Canada, October 2012andldquo;A riveting tale of adventure, political intrigue and achievementandhellip;Exceptionally well researched and eminently readableandhellip;An important contribution to the historiography of polar exploration.andrdquo;
Milwaukee Shepherd Express, 12/4/12andldquo;[A] full-bodied taleandhellip;The book provides detailed insights into the preparations and human elements involved in surveying arctic regions.and#160;Using actual diary entries from the Arctic expeditions to chilling effect, Bown makes the reader feel as though they have embarked on a journey through the worldandrsquo;s harshest climates and inhospitable landsandhellip;[Amundsen] lived a life suited for the pages of an adventure novel. Bownandrsquo;s new biography reads as such.andrdquo;
Portland Book Review, December-February 2012andldquo;Bown is a terrific writer, never sensational, always seeming to share the achievements of a friend. His discretion about Amundsenandrsquo;s personal life leaves us with an endearing, enigmatic hero.andrdquo;
andldquo;Bookworm Sezandrdquo; syndicated column, 12/4/12andldquo;Armchair adventurers will love reading The Last Viking.andrdquo;
andldquo;The Homestretchandrdquo; on CBC Radio, 11/26/12andldquo;Reveals the private side of a man whose exploits made him a household name in the early 20th century.andrdquo;
Sacramento Book Review/San Francisco Book Review, 12/7/12
andldquo;Stephen Brown makes Amundsen feel real, not just a part of history. Brownandrsquo;s stories are well-researched and it shows in the book. It is really detailed and covers many different aspects of Amundsenandrsquo;s lifeandhellip;The pace of the book was excellent and every part is filled with suspenseandhellip;This is a great book for anyone, especially if you want to relive the moments of an unexplored Earth.andrdquo;
Reference and Research Book News, December 2012
andldquo;[Bown] describes Amundsen's approach to expeditions as military operations and portrays his gift for flamboyant self-promotion and publicity seeking on the lecture circuit.andrdquo;
CBC Books, 12/17/12andldquo;Bown draws on extensive research to create a clear and often surprising portrait of a truly adventurous spirit.andrdquo;Library Journal, 12/20/12andldquo;A great new biographyandhellip; Well written and enjoyable, the book uses ample quotes from Amundsen to give readers a sense of the manandhellip; a great title for collections that donandrsquo;t own Amundsenandrsquo;s own books or previous biographies, this volume is recommended for readers high school-age and up who are interested in polar exploration.andrdquo;
Minneapolis Star-Tribune, 1/8/13andldquo;[A] persuasive and highly readable biography/adventure story.andrdquo;
Curled Up with a Good Bookandldquo;A compelling and enjoyable introduction to the man and his adventures. Bown writes Amundsenandrsquo;s story with a sharp eye to whatandrsquo;s importantandhellip;Amundsenandrsquo;s life is without a doubt fascinating, and Bown does it a service by getting out of the way and just telling the story. At about 300 pages, this is a pleasurable, entertaining read that never overstays its welcome.andrdquo;
Internet Review of Books, 12/19/12andldquo;Amundsenandrsquo;s exciting life makes this an amazing read and the sixteen pages of photos are captivating.andrdquo;
Santa Fe New Mexican, 1/18/13andldquo;[A] comprehensive biographyandhellip;An eye-opening mind-blowing page-turner. Bown has the ability to convey reams of facts, figures, and statistics while engaging the reader in Amundsenandrsquo;s many life-and-death adventures.andrdquo;
Canadaandrsquo;s Historyandldquo;Those who love tales of Arctic exploration and discovery will not be disappointed by Stephen R. Bownandrsquo;s fresh look at the man many consider to be the worldandrsquo;s greatest polar explorer. From beginning to end, the Canadian writerandrsquo;s telling of Roald Amundsenandrsquo;s life is a thrilling yet thoughtful narrative.andrdquo;
Phi Beta Kappaandrsquo;s Key Reporter, 5/24/13andldquo;One of Bownandrsquo;s strengths in writing this biography is his ability to write about Amundsenandrsquo;s expeditionsandmdash;often multi-year affairs during which the crew was completely isolatedandmdash;in a way that engages readers accustomed to satellite phones and real-time updatesandhellip;Bownandrsquo;s clear prose never gets bogged down by the vast emptiness of its settings or by Amundsenandrsquo;s regular successes in his expeditions. And when things do go wrong, such as when Amundsen attempts to fly a plane over the North Pole, Bown writes a tense narrative in which men struggle against themselves and nature to survive...The Last Viking should restore this remarkable manandrsquo;s place in the canon of explorers, while winning itself a prized place on the shelves of adventure enthusiasts.andrdquo;
Table of Contents
Prologue: The Last of the Vikings - 5
PART ONE: West
Chapter One: The Boy from the Mountain Kingdom - 21
Chapter Two: Polar Apprentice - 43
Chapter Three: An Extraordinary Plan - 64
Chapter Four: Where Franklin Died - 84
Chapter Five: An Education at Gjoa Haven and#150; 102
PART TWO: South
Chapter Six: and#147;I Resolved Upon a Coupand#8221; - 127
Chapter Seven: The Napoleon of the Poles - 152
Chapter Eight: Dogs and Skis - 176
Chapter Nine: A Featureless Expanse of Snow - 193
PART THREE: East
Chapter Ten: A Hero Returns - 217
Chapter Eleven: A New Battlefield - 235
Chapter Twelve: The Frozen Reaches of Tartary - 254
PART FOUR: North
Chapter Thirteen: Grounded Dreams - 274
Chapter Fourteen: The Arctic Phoenix - 299
Chapter Fifteen: The Dirigible and the Fascist and#150; 319
Chapter Sixteen: A Massed Attack on the Polar Regions - 339
PART FIVE: Lost
Chapter Seventeen: No More Poles to Conquer - 361
Epilogue: The End of the Heroic Age - 382