Of course, we all know that Santa Claus reached the North Pole first. Nevertheless, among the more scientific minded individuals, there remains a great debate as to who was the first man to reach the North Pole. Like the South Pole race I discussed last week, the North Pole was host to a contest between two great explorers to see who would reach the North Pole first. Unlike with the South Pole, the winner is still a matter of debate.
Intrigued by the story of the first explorer to reach the South Pole, I decided to learn about the first explorers to reach the North Pole. So, I checked out the book “True North
” by Bruce Henderson. The book is incredibly fascinating because the book doesn’t just detail the race to the North Pole but looks at the entire history of the two contestants.
The two contestants had actually been friends and shipmates in the U.S. Navy and one of the men, Frederick Cook, had saved the legs of the other man, Robert Peary, after a tragic accident on deck. Nevertheless, the expedition would result in both of them becoming bitter enemies as the wealthy and influential Peary would use all of his money and contacts to slander and discredit the poorer and reclusive Cook, even though now there is great doubt that Peary reached the pole himself.
Still, the tale of both men is fascinating, if not controversial. When relatives of Robert Peary celebrated the 100th anniversary of the date that Peary claimed to have reached the North Pole, they said that “controversy sells”. And if controversy and exciting stories of harrowing adventure intrigue you, I encourage you to grab the book “True North” and learn about the tale for yourself!