Italy and Norway attain the highest latitude yet
AMEDEO OF SAVOY, Luigi , Duke of the Abruzzi. On the "Polar Star" in the Arctic Sea. London: Hutchinson & Co. 1903.
Two volumes, 4to. Original green cloth, image of Polar Star blocked in gilt to upper cover, gilt lettering to spine; pp. xvi, 346, [xvii]-xxii; viii, [347]-702 [ix]-xii, 212 photographic illustrations in the text, 16 full-page photogravures, 2 panoramas, 5 maps including 2 folding maps at rear of volume I; very light marking to cloth, minimal offsetting from endpapers, otherwise a very good set with mid-20th century bookplates.
First edition. The Polar Star expedition, comprising a crew from Italy and Norway, aimed to reach the North Polar by sailing as far north as possible and then continuing by sledge. The Pole was not actually attained but the sledge expedition pushed on to a new highest latitude, and indeed the Polar Star reached the highest latitude ever achieved by a ship following the coast-line. Three of the crew perished during the sledge journey.
Prince Luigi Amedeo, Duke of the Abruzzi, (1873-1933) was an Italian mountaineer and explorer. A member of the royal House of Savoy, he was briefly an Infante of Spain as the son of Amadeo I of Spain and a cousin to King Victor Emmanuel III of Italy.
Arctic Bibliography 10423.
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