Richard Evelyn Byrd (1888–1957)

If you're interested in polar exploration then this is probably a good one. Things have, obviously, changed alot since these days. Now, even "Drunkard" magazine had an article about drinking at one of the poles & there's an employment agency that specializes in hiring people for polar jobs. Friends of mine & I applied for some. After reading this bk I incoporated a few of the things I learned into a movie I made called "The Ledger of St Dermain" - wch is a sortof fake polar exploration flick shot in mining tunnels - some of them painted white. Amongst enthusiasts of Hollow Earth theories, rumor has it that Admiral Byrd reported seeing a hole at the pole w/ vegetation in it - theorized to be an entrance to the Hollow Earth. That's one of the reasons why I read this. I didn't find anything like that mentioned here.… (altro)

In 1934, the author headed to Antarctica to spend a few months on his own inland (while people he was working with were a ways away, and they were in radio contact on specific days/times), while taking weather readings at various times throughout the days. They had built him an underground shelter to live in. In June, as it got colder outside, things started to get dicey for the author. This book includes his memories, as well as some excerpts from his diary while there.

It took a little bit to get going, as I wasn’t as interested in the technology in how they built his shelter and such, but once it was built and the rest of the crew left Byrd alone, it got much more interesting. The cold, oh, the cold! Described very well. (Of course, it’s relative when anywhere from 0 to -30F was “warm”! The coldest day was -83F) He was there over winter, so between April and October (this book covers April through August when he was on his own). It read in kind of a conversational tone, which I liked.… (altro)