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A review by annikahipple
An Unsung Hero: Tom Crean - Antarctic Survivor by Michael Smith
3.0
I've read other books about the Antarctic in which Tom Crean figured prominently, but I'd never thought to look for a book specifically about this "unsung hero" of three expeditions with the famous polar explorers Robert Falcon Scott and Ernest Shackleton. However, I recently visited Crean's home town of Anascaul on Ireland's Dingle Peninsula and had lunch at the South Pole Inn, the pub he owned after retiring from the adventurous life. The many mementos on display at the pub, along with the stories told about Crean by the pub staff and our tour guide, piqued my interest, and I purchased this book before leaving Ireland.
The story did not disappoint, and Tom Crean himself deserves five stars (and more) for his courage, strength, loyalty, determination, and ability to keep going - and keep his sense of humor - in incredibly difficult and dangerous circumstances. The book itself was more of a mixed bag, with grammatical issues and awkward sentences that marred my enjoyment of the writing. In addition, the author, Michael Smith, has a tendency not to introduce characters properly, often referring to them by last name only the first time they are mentioned, and only providing more information later on. This made it hard to keep track of minor characters, since they might appear once early in the book and then reappear a hundred pages later without any reminder of who they were. I often had to flip to the index at the back of the book to look for previous references to someone whose identity I couldn't recall.
Similarly, during the first part of the book, which deals with Scott's Terra Nova Expedition, there are two major characters named Evans, and it's not always readily apparent which one Smith means, especially when both are in the same place at the same time. I found myself having to read certain paragraphs more than once for clarification.
Smith also has a tendency to mention certain details and then include a quotation that essentially reiterates the same information, often in similar words. Smoothing out the writing and eliminating unnecessary repetition would have made for a better book overall.
It would also have been helpful to have a list of page numbers of map locations for easy reference. I had to flip through the pages looking for the maps any time I wanted to refer to them. Additional maps and more detailed ones would also have been useful, as Smith often referred to locations that were not noted on the exisiting maps. I did enjoy the inclusion of so many photos from Crean's life and the expeditions in which he participated.
Overall, I enjoyed this book despite its flaws. Tom Crean may have been a simple man from rural County Kerry with only a basic education, but his role in the "heroic age" of Antarctic exploration was great, and he seems to have thoroughly deserved the respect, admiration, and affection he earned from fellow expedition members and leaders. His story deserves to be better known, and that alone is reason enough to recommend this book.
The story did not disappoint, and Tom Crean himself deserves five stars (and more) for his courage, strength, loyalty, determination, and ability to keep going - and keep his sense of humor - in incredibly difficult and dangerous circumstances. The book itself was more of a mixed bag, with grammatical issues and awkward sentences that marred my enjoyment of the writing. In addition, the author, Michael Smith, has a tendency not to introduce characters properly, often referring to them by last name only the first time they are mentioned, and only providing more information later on. This made it hard to keep track of minor characters, since they might appear once early in the book and then reappear a hundred pages later without any reminder of who they were. I often had to flip to the index at the back of the book to look for previous references to someone whose identity I couldn't recall.
Similarly, during the first part of the book, which deals with Scott's Terra Nova Expedition, there are two major characters named Evans, and it's not always readily apparent which one Smith means, especially when both are in the same place at the same time. I found myself having to read certain paragraphs more than once for clarification.
Smith also has a tendency to mention certain details and then include a quotation that essentially reiterates the same information, often in similar words. Smoothing out the writing and eliminating unnecessary repetition would have made for a better book overall.
It would also have been helpful to have a list of page numbers of map locations for easy reference. I had to flip through the pages looking for the maps any time I wanted to refer to them. Additional maps and more detailed ones would also have been useful, as Smith often referred to locations that were not noted on the exisiting maps. I did enjoy the inclusion of so many photos from Crean's life and the expeditions in which he participated.
Overall, I enjoyed this book despite its flaws. Tom Crean may have been a simple man from rural County Kerry with only a basic education, but his role in the "heroic age" of Antarctic exploration was great, and he seems to have thoroughly deserved the respect, admiration, and affection he earned from fellow expedition members and leaders. His story deserves to be better known, and that alone is reason enough to recommend this book.