The Chronicle: Colloquy: The question

THE QUESTION

Scholars of polar exploration have for many years held that Robert Falcon Scott, the once-revered British explorer, was largely responsible for the fatal outcome of his expedition to the South Pole in 1912. Scott failed to make adequate preparations, and he used poor methods for traveling across the region's ice, scholars have said. But a new book -- The Coldest March, by Susan Solomon and published by the Yale University Press -- argues that Scott's reputation as a bungler is unwarranted. His expedition was doomed, Ms. Solomon argues, by an autumn that was so cold -- even by Antarctic standards -- that nothing Scott did could have saved his men. In fact, she argues, many of his decisions were correct, based on the best information he had. Is Ms. Solomon correct that Scott has received a bum rap from history? Or is the criticism of him fair?

For further information, see this background article:

A Scientist Seeks to Redeem the Reputation of Robert Scott, Antarctica's Lost Son (9/7/2001)

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