Bound for Antarctica

Abstract

The British National Antarctic Expedition left England in 1901 to spend the following three years in Antarctica. Under the leadership of Robert Falcon Scott the officers and crew on board Discovery were provided with an extensive library for research and recreation during their long sojourn in the south. From the men’s diaries, official reports, and correspondence, it has been possible to account for the diversity and intensity of reading experiences throughout this period. Contrary to the confident official reports that came out about the expedition, the men’s relationships with print suggest a far more complex and contending situation.