Description

pp. 206, “The U.S. exploration of the northernmost regions of the world in 1925 was mounted by three extraordinary individuals: Richard E. Byrd, a young naval aviator set on making a name for himself as an explorer; Donald B. MacMillan, a colleague of Robert Peary’s and renowned polar explorer in his own right; and Eugene E. McDonald, the man responsible for the Zenith Corporation’s prominence in the radio industry. Their combined efforts led to the expedition’s success as the first modern expedition to the Arctic. That is, it was the first time both aviation and shortwave radio were used in systematic exploration. Their hard-won accomplishments not only changed the future of polar exploration but the lives of the native people of the north. The authors’ access, through a series of fortunate coincidences, to the private papers of all the principals involved has allowed them to reveal a gripping tale of adventure. // Considered one of the most heroic missions in the annals of naval aviation, the expedition included the overflight of some 30,000 square miles of the High Arctic in open-cockpit Loening amphibian biplanes and a series of other events in which the explorers knowingly and deliberately risked their lives in the unforgiving environment to add to the store of human knowledge. The authors’ dramatic account fully documents this important work against the backdrop of a ruggedly beautiful Arctic landscape and provides significant insight into the character and early career of one of the most famous and controversial polar explorers of all time. Polar specialists and historians alike will welcome the new and unbiased material these authors provide, and general readers will thoroughly enjoy the excitement of the adventure.”