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Photo: No known restrictions on publication.1920 [Roald Amundsen, full-length portrait, facing left, walking on pier, with group of people]   http://JohnBatchelorShow.com/contact http://JohnBatchelorShow.com/schedules Parler & Twitter: @BatchelorShow The Last Viking: 1of4: The Extraordinary Life of Roald Amundsen Kindle Edition. by Stephen R. Bown (https://www.amazon.com/Stephen-R-Bown/e/B001HCV3UQ/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1)   (Author)  Format: Kindle Edition https://www.amazon.com/Last-Viking-Extraordinary-Roald-Amundsen-ebook/dp/B009IU5CIS In the early 1900s, many of the great geographical mysteries that had intrigued adventurers for centuries remained unsolved: the polar regions -- the Northwest Passage, the South Pole, the North Pole and the Northeast Passage -- despite having claimed countless lives, were still shrouded in mystery. One man would claim all these prizes within a span of 20 years. Roald Amundsen was larger than life, arrogant and competitive. He was also a meticulous organizer and planner, willing to learn from the mistakes of others, and humble enough to seek the advice of indigenous peoples skilled in arctic survival -- thus avoiding the early death that was so common among other explorers. But Amundsen's life was one of sharp contrasts: reviled by the British for defeating Robert Falcon Scott, he was loved by his men, hailed as a hero in his native Norway and idolized as a charming and eccentric celebrity in the US. Drawing on hundreds of recently uncovered press clippings, The Last Viking goes beyond Amundsen's conflicted legacy, revealing a humorous, self-deprecating storyteller and a visionary and showman who who won over both his sponsors and his audiences with the same verve that characterized his geographical conquests.