You make a good point. Shackleton’s quirks are diminished in most histories. He could be a bit capricious in decision making. Scott was an utter fool, his reput

You make a good point. Shackleton’s quirks are diminished in most histories. He could be a bit capricious in decision making. Scott was an utter fool, his reputation propped up after his disastrous expedition by the Admiralty and his widdow. Roland Huntford’s twin biography of Scott and Amundson is a study in contrasts. In Antarctica, there are no preditors and no microbes. The only things that can kill you are bad planning and poor execution. Scott died with his polar party from bad nutrition and poor judgement. Amundson’s polar party got there first, got home again, and gained weight on the trip.