The Mentor: The Conquest of the Poles, Serial No. 37

Peary, Robert E. (Robert Edwin), 1856-1920Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

Rating 2.7
Word count
43K words
Chapters
5

Tags

Other World History Science EnlightenmentNature ObservationAdventure JourneyHeroismIllustrated GuideGeography Science

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.The Mentor: The Conquest of the Poles, Serial No. 37 by Robert E. PearyAuthor: Peary, Robert E. (Robert Edwin), 1856-1920,Language: English, Class: G: Geography, Anthropology, Recreation, Release Date: Aug 29, 2015

Editor's review

This is issue No. 37 of The Mentor series, devoted to the conquest of the poles and credited to Arctic explorer Robert E. Peary. Written in English, it is a short early-twentieth-century popular geography reader aimed at a general audience and marked by the narrative tone of its time: it presents polar expedition routes, environments, and figures, and also reflects how Western society then imagined and talked about heroic exploration. For today's readers its value lies mainly as material for the history of geographical exploration and popular publishing, showing how early expedition narratives organized facts and shaped images. Readers should note the period biases and narrative stance that may be present and should not treat it as an authoritative source for contemporary polar science or geography. Suitable as English extensive reading, an introduction to expedition history, or a classroom discussion text.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Not a good fit for

Reading tips

  1. First learn the historical background of Peary's expeditions, then read the text, so as to identify its narrative stance.
  2. Treat it as short English extensive reading material, finish it in two or three sessions, and note key place names.
  3. Compare it with contemporary polar science or histories of exploration to discuss differences in narrative.
  4. Mark period-tinged expressions while reading and use them as entry points for classroom discussion.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

Contents

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5

FAQ

Is this book suitable for learning polar geography? Not really as a source of geographical knowledge. It is an early-twentieth-century popular exploration reader, focused on narrating expedition experiences and period imagination rather than systematic, up-to-date geographical science. For contemporary polar geography, choose modern textbooks or publications from scientific institutions; this book is better read as material for expedition history.
How difficult is the English, and what level of reader is it for? As a short popular reader, the English is generally not very difficult, but place names, personal names, and early expedition terminology may pose obstacles for beginners. Readers with intermediate English reading ability who are willing to look things up will find it easier to finish; it can also be read with annotations or comparison materials.
How does it relate to Peary's other works? This is one issue in The Mentor series, a popular series credited to Peary and centered on the theme of polar conquest. It is short and aimed at a general audience and is not the same as Peary's full expedition narratives; it can be viewed as a topical booklet in the series rather than the full text of his representative work.
What period limitations should readers note? Early-twentieth-century expedition narratives often tend toward heroization, national narrative, and simplification of others, and descriptions of polar environments and local peoples may reflect period prejudices. Readers are advised to distinguish factual statements from narrative stance and, where necessary, consult modern historical discussion, rather than taking the text's views directly as neutral conclusions.

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About the author

Peary, Robert E. (Robert Edwin), 1856-1920 Author · American · 1856–1920

Robert E. Peary (1856–1920) was an American explorer best known for leading several expeditions to the Arctic. He devoted himself to the pursuit of the North Pole and in 1909 claimed to have reached it—a claim that had a profound influence on the history of exploration and has long been debated. Two of his works are included here: The North Pole, an account of his polar journey, and The Mentor: The Conquest of the Poles, Serial No. 37. His writing centers on his firsthand polar experiences and observations, combining documentary detail with an accessible, popular-science tone that offers general readers a direct window into Arctic exploration. Public information on his early life and education is limited, so no speculation is made here.