Cook and Peary

One of my favorites among my polar exploration books, this ginormous slab of a tome might chill the reader's initial interest with its iceberg-like heft--were it not so absorbing on every page. The author plumbs deeply into the motivations of these two different, yet equally conflicted and complicated men and sketches in fine detail their cultural milieu. When reading of Cook's later career, I was fascinated to get a sense of the vaudeville and chautauqua worlds, not to mention the wildcat oil world in Texas. The icy, haughty Peary comes off as a less sympathetic character, but still fascinating, with a nature of such crusty cast iron that he explored Arctic regions while missing seven frozen-off toes. I like to reread this book every other year or so to reacquaint myself with the frenzied quest for the Pole and the whole bubbling societal swirl accompanying that quest. Favorite quote: "Cook was a liar and a gentleman, and Peary was neither."

As a piece of scholarship, this is a definitive book. I am using it and related materials in a seminar about research methods. It is not an "easy read" and the numerous relevant illustrations are sometimes smaller than is comfortable to examine. However, it is one of the few sources where you can find reams of verifiable references to the lives of Cook and Peary. Those who believe that Cook and Peary told the truth about their polar "adventures" will probably find ways to discount the mountain of evidence that Bryce has made available. The density of detail takes patient reading, but leaves a reader free to compare interpretations with Bryce's clearly marked conclusions. The author has covered the controversy thoroughly, including taking the trouble to evaluate a copy of Cook's diary archived in Denmark. Those wishing to spend time with this book will be rewarded with credible information about one of the fascinating human stories of the last two centuries.

Don't be put off by bulk: despite its 1,151 pages, "Cook and Peary" is a real page-turner. In elegant, concise language, it tells the compelling story of not one but two of the great hoaxes of all time. The story of the two men who falsely claimed to have reached the North Pole is one of mendacity and gullibility and of the victory of faith over knowledge. It highlights the shakiness of the foundations of what we think of as common knowledge. This year marks the 90th anniversary of the start of the great polar controversy, and it shows that the balance is tipping yet again. It began favoring Cook, then swung decisively to Peary, despite many initial doubters. The idea that both men were fakers dates from the 1970s, and it seems to be finally prevailing. Today, the New York Times, once a passionate defender of Peary, reported last November, "most historians believe both explorers lied." In the first part of the book, Robert Bryce, a meticulous researcher who has the wisdom to trust absolutely no one, tells thhis eye-opening story without making any judgments. He leaves you to make your own. In the second part, he examines the available evidence, some of which he was the first to examine, and tries to answer the two essential questions: Did either reach the pole? He concludes that Cook's own long-hidden journals prove he turned back after 100 miles or so on the floating Arctic Ocean ice pack, or less than a quarter of the way. On Peary, he shows convincing evidence that Peary stopped short of the pole, probably between 100 and 50 miles from the northern axis of the Earth. Bryce explains how Peary used his powerful friends to press his case, while Cook relied on his charm, saying over and over, in effect, "trust me." Bryce shows how either would have been believed, even without the proofs that are ordinarily required, if the other hadn't been there to challenge him. But most amazing, he shows the phenomenal chutzpah of both and the credibility of a world before which most of the damning facts were out in plain view. "Cook and Peary" details the slow collapse of the two claims despite a still-vigorous Peary defense by the National Geographic magazine and persistent lobbying work by the Cook Society. It is this collapse that led the Guinness Book of Records to get rid of Peary, replacing him in 1997 by a 1948 Soviet airplane expeditions. The World Almanac, which once tersely reported Peary's conquest of the pole, as had virtually all world reference books since the Encyclopaedia Britannica found for Peary in 1911, now mentions that there are serious challenges to his claim. But this debate is too old to ever die, and someone will no doubt eventually come out with new facts to illuminate a partisan point of view.

As a collector of 1st edition literature and an avid reader, I was very impressed with Mr. Bryces' exhaustive research and an inate ability to stand outside the controversy. The detractors of this wonderful work need do only one thing...try and question the facts he puts forth, and make no attempt at amateur conjecture...simply use his tools and form your own conclusion. This is the purpose of the book and he has done an enviable job. I have found his facts to be beyond reproach and very well researched. It is a very readable work that is extremely well done and I have corresponded with Mr. Bryce on more than one occasion to highlight my knowledge in certain areas that were in need. He has been very sharing in his knowledge and time, and is a very fine and dedicated researcher. I enjoyed his work very much, and have purchased other copies for friends.

Mr. Bryce has done an excellent job , both in research and commitment to "historical fact" in bringing together such an easily read book on such a controversial topic. I especially enjoyed the way he kept the reader firmly entrenched in the 19th century, which is imperative I believe, as it allows for a better understanding of the social causes and events of that day. I am sure that it is with some humor that Mr. Bryce reads the reviews of his labor, as it is quite obvious that the controversy still has more than one camp, human nature ensures it. His proofs to me are only partly in that I hear these new voices of disagreement in a 19th century flavour and now have the tools to make my own decision. Thank you Mr. Bryce.