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The Worst Journey in the World Audiobook
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(4.00) - 1,590 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
This gripping story of courage and achievement is an account of Robert Falcon Scott's last fateful expedition to the Antarctic, as told by surviving expedition member Apsley Cherry-Garrard. Cherry-Garrard tells of the journey from England to South Africa and southward to the ice floes, where began the unforgettable polar journey across a forbidding and inhospitable region. On November 12, 1912, in arctic temperatures, Cherry-Garrard, in a search party, found the bodies of Scott and his companions, along with their poignant last notebook entries, some of them recorded in this work.
Among 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.
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"This is, quite simply, my desert island book. No other book encapsulates the message of hope in amoungst utter futility quite as perfectly as this. Describing the adventures of the Scott expedition, for all its joy and folly, based on the jaded observations of a man who went filled with hope and expectation and looks back at an older, more cynical age. As a travel diary, it has no comparison: this truly was a journey into the heart of darkness. While the famous Scott expedition to the pole is covered in detail, this is not the eponymous worst journey. That journey, taken by Cherry-Gerrard and two other who were later to die on the pole attempt, was months of crawling in utter darkness, all in the name of science. That one chapter is my favourite piece of writing of all time. It covers all emotions from the depths of despair to the awakenings of lost hope. It is, quite simply, utterly stunning to read."
— Tom (5 out of 5 stars)
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“A masterpiece…It is about courage, misery, starvation, heroism, exploration, discovery, and friendship. It vividly illustrates the demands of science and the rigours of travel. It is a record of the coldest darkest days that can be found on our planet. It is written beautifully…with a subtle artistry.”
— Paul Theroux, New York Times bestselling author -
“A great book of Antarctic exploration.”
— New York Times -
“The Worst Journey in the World is to travel writing what War and Peace is to the novel…a masterpiece.”
— New York Review of Books -
“This account of Scott’s last expedition to the South Pole is a true epic of adventure.”
— Times (London) -
“Harrowing…a gripping account of an expedition gone disastrously wrong…Cherry-Garrard’s account is filled with details of scientific discovery and anecdotes of human resilience in a harsh environment.”
— Amazon.com, editorial review -
“[Simon Vance] picks up on Cherry-Garrard’s dry sense of humor, stiff-upper-lip approach to adversity, and appreciation for nature.”
— Audiofile
The Worst Journey in the World Listener Reviews
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" As epic a read as the adventure itself. I had thought it would be an adventure novel. Instead, I found myself in an extraordinarily throrough historical recounting using varied interwoven primary sources thrown together by one of the survivors of Scott's Last Expedition to the South Pole. Having myself been in crazy winter conditions mountaineering in Alaska, it was neat to be able to really picture what they were going through. Then I remembered the fabrics and materials available in 1911, and I realize I have no idea what they went through. The recountings involve huge amounts of specific vocabulary around sailing, mountaineering, and locations, so having the internet close by helps too. "
— Adam, 2/6/2014 -
" Fascinating story of a journey in Antarctica 100 years ago. Not a short book, but some really captivating experiences and the author (who was part of the expedition) makes excellent use of his own and other members' diaries to paint the picture. Couldn't believe myself thinking that -10 sounded like a warm temperature. Has changed my perspective on what "cold" really means! "
— Matt, 2/5/2014 -
" its a marvelous read! "
— Sam, 1/26/2014 -
" I read this over and over as a teenager. Fascinated and horrified at the same time. The author brings the trek and players to life without inserting too much personal ego. A wonderful account of a most challenging experience. "
— Victoria, 1/24/2014 -
" pretty cool antartic travel story. often a bit technical, but worth it for the stories (if you like artic travel stories that is). "
— Nate, 1/14/2014 -
" Good lord. "
— Kristina, 1/13/2014 -
" I thought most of this book was a drag... and it was l-o-n-g. Most of it talks about what they ate for breakfast and how the dogs were that day as it mainly based on their journals. But when they talk about their expeditions it was pretty sweet. "
— Dan, 1/12/2014 -
" Can be slow in places with the recitations of cold temperatures and high winds, but he gets you in the gut with the occasional asides of the physical toll and particularly when he gets to the Polar Party's final days. Powerful stuff. "
— Jessica, 1/12/2014 -
" This was a great book . It is a story of courage, fortitude, poor choices, and relationships based on the need for survival. A fictional book would find it hard to capture the essence of this true story . Loved it ! "
— Deborah, 12/5/2013 -
" Read this book and decide what your penguin's egg is, and what you're willing to pay to get it. "
— Codered, 11/7/2013 -
" What do we know of suffering, cold, darkness and despair? Would any of us have the presence of mind and duty to record the misery in such eloquent prose? This was an amazing recollection, the only drawback was the length. Highly recommend this book if you are interested in polar exploration. "
— Sweetman, 11/7/2013 -
" An amazing story of survival. Shackelton is my hero. "
— Eric, 10/5/2013 -
" Amazing story. Hard to believe people can be so resilient. A bit of a slog reading wise though. "
— Don, 9/18/2012 -
" and boy was it ever. "
— Sally, 8/25/2012 -
" I brutalized a library copy of this, I read it so intently... "
— June, 7/29/2012 -
" One of the greatest books ever written, in any genre. "
— Jeff, 12/26/2011 -
" A very well written book that gripped me totally. "
— Pippa222, 10/11/2011 -
" Solo para entusiastas exploradores. Es muy interesante pero se hace excesivamente descriptivo y reiterativo "
— Calix, 8/8/2011 -
" Extremely long, but not repetitive. Very factual and objective. Not very philosophical. Not funny, except for a few tragicomical instances. Decent language. Fascinating. "
— Gunnar, 5/17/2011 -
" One of the best books ever "
— Alice, 2/25/2011 -
" This is probably the best I've ever read. "
— Chris, 1/2/2011 -
" This is one of the all-time best books I ever read. I enjoyed it more than the first time I read it (in 2003). It's a bit tedious in details at times, but is still an amazing story of amazing men, told with humility and humor and grace. "
— Mikee, 12/26/2010 -
" Mad English bastards. What were they thinking? "
— Barry, 11/29/2010
About Apsley Cherry-Garrard
Apsley Cherry-Garrard (1886–1959) was born in England and educated at Oxford. At twenty-four he was one of the youngest members of Scott's British Antarctic Expedition. He served in the First World War until being invalidated out of the navy in 1915 and during his convalescence started to write The Worst Journey in the World. He also wrote introductory chapters to Wilson of the Antarctic (1933) and Life of Bowers (1938).
About Simon Vance
Simon Vance (a.k.a. Robert Whitfield) is an award-winning actor and narrator. He has earned more than fifty Earphones Awards and won the prestigious Audie Award for best narration thirteen times. He was named Booklist’s very first Voice of Choice in 2008 and has been named an AudioFile Golden Voice as well as an AudioFile Best Voice of 2009. He has narrated more than eight hundred audiobooks over almost thirty years, beginning when he was a radio newsreader for the BBC in London. He is also an actor who has appeared on both stage and television.