If you want to read a great adventure book – one of those that you can not put down, but you also feel that it would be good to study some planning and leadership, we have a coup here. ‘The last place on Earth” by Roland Huntford tells the electrifying story of the race for the conquest of the South Pole, undertaken simultaneously by rivals Robert Scott and Roald Amundsen.
The Englishman Scott is an idealistic leader, almost romantic, that seems to condense in his attitude the whole expeditionary spirit that made the UK an empire. On the other hand, the Norwegian Amundsen is a pragmatic leader who pushes planning and execution to the state-of-the-art, applying on his expedition knowledge and methods often learned by the humble observation Eskimos.
The end result is widely known: despite having fewer resources, Amundsen reached the pole first and returns safely, while Scott dies of exhaustion, with all his men, just a few meters from one of their supply caches. But it’s the way this builds up that is breathtaking. The book is a lesson in planning, organization and focus on results.
Go check it:
Title: The Last Place on Earth
Paperback: 640 pages
Publisher: Modern Library
Language: English
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