Amundsen Roald - South with the sun: Roald Amundsen, his polar explorations, and the quest for discovery

ALSO BY LYNNE COX

Swimming to Antarctica

Grayson

THIS IS A BORZOI BOOK
PUBLISHED BY ALFRED A. KNOPF

Copyright 2011 by Lynne Cox
Maps copyright 2011 by Diana McCandless
All rights reserved. Published in the United States by Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Random House, Inc., New York, and in Canada by Random House of Canada Limited, Toronto.

www.aaknopf.com

Knopf, Borzoi Books, and the colophon are registered trademarks of Random House, Inc.

Portions of this work were published in slightly different form in The New Yorker.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Cox, Lynne.
South with the sun : Roald Amundsen, his polar explorations, and the
quest for discovery / by Lynne Cox.
p. cm.
A Borzoi Book.
Includes index.
eISBN: 978-0-307-70049-0
1. Amundsen, Roald, 18721928. 2. ExplorersNorwayBiography.
3. South PoleDiscovery and explorationNorwegian.
4. AntarcticaDiscovery and explorationNorwegian.
5. Amundsen, Roald, 18721928TravelAntarctica. I. Title.
G 585. A 6 C 69 2011
919.89dc22 2011008637

v3.1

You knew of marathon. It could be won,

after drafts were drunk from milky fountains of

quest; where star-eyed falcons stun

those frozen seasadrift until you would

wrest them, with sail of snow and sun.

Ronnie J. Smith, The Only Road

There were many people who contributed to the research for this book, who gave generously of their time and knowledge, and who always gave a little more, to make sure that I had all the information and helped me in any way that I needed. I would like to thank everyone who helped as they come to mind, in no particular order. Thank you to Vicky Wilson, my editor at Knopf, who gave me free rein and the best editorial direction, and thank you to Martha Kaplan, my agent, who was enthusiastic about the book from the start and encouraged me all the way to publication.

Thank you especially to Nina Korbu, Special Collections Reading Room, and Anne Melgard, Manuscripts Collection, at the National Library of Norway, who opened the world of Amundsen and Nansen to me and allowed me to see their original letters, documents, and journals. Thank you to Guro Tang-vald, Picture Collection, the National Library of Norway, who helped me discover some of the images in the book. Thank you to Oddvar Vasstveit, expert on Amundsens sled dogs, now retired from the National Library of Norway; Dr. Harald Dag Jolle, University of Troms, expert on Nansen; and Geir Klover, managing director of the Fram Museum, for information on the Fram, Gja, Amundsen, and Nansen. Thank you to Helen Olsen in Norway, who provided me with background and insights about her country.

Thank you to Janike Rod and Mogens Jensenius, M.D., who hosted me in their home in Oslo. Janike spent days with me in the National Library translating Amundsens and Nansens letters and journals, and Mogens introduced me to the Viking ships and Norwegian culture.

Thank you to the British Library Manuscript Collection, for research information on Robert Falcon Scott; Cambridge University, Scott Polar Research Institute, Huw Lewis-Jones, art curator; Len Bruno, Library of Congress Manuscripts Collections in Science and Technology; Laura Kissel, polar curator, Byrd Polar Research Center Archival Program, Ohio State University; Dr. Peter Jakab, associate director for Collections and Curatorial Affairs, Smithsonian Air and Space Museum, whose Wright Brothers exhibition and the exhibitions about flight helped me write this book, and Melissa Keiser, chief photo archivist, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution; Miriam Tuliao, assistant director of the Central Collection Department, New York Public Library; and Jim Delgado, president of the Institute of Nautical Archaeology.

Thank you to Tom Pickering, former undersecretary of state for political affairs, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Russia, India, Israel, El Salvador, Nigeria, and Jordan, and former assistant secretary of state for oceans and international environmental and scientific affairs, for his wise counsel and unwavering support, and for opening diplomatic doors.

Thank you to Michael Donley, secretary of the U.S. Air Force, and Captain Angela Web, USAF, and Technical Sergeant Rebecca Danet, USAF, for granting me approval and unit support for the book project. Thank you to the chief of staff of the air force, General Norton Schwartz, and Lieutenant General Lloyd Utterback for their inspiration, and to Major Samuel Highley, USAF, for supporting the book project.

A very special thank you to Brigadier General Anthony German and the men and women of the 109th Airlift Wing of the New York Air National Guard at Scotia, New York, who helped me understand the very special mission they do for the United States. Thanks for the added instruction to Lieutenant Colonel Kurt Bedore, navigator, triathlete; Lieutenant Colonel Johnson, pilot, triathlete; Major Paul Berconni, pilot; Lieutenant Colonel Mark Armstrong; Lieutenant Colonel Joe Hathaway, pilot; (retired) Lieutenant Colonel Lloyd East, pilot; Master Sergeant Roy Powers, loadmaster, triathlete; Captain Wayne Brown, pilot; Lieutenant Colonel Bruce Jones, maintenance officer, pilot; Major Frank Medicino, pilot; Lieutenant Colonel John Panoski; Major Chris Sander; Chief Master Sergeant Rodney Begin; Lieutenant Colonel Fabio Ritmo; and Technical Sergeant Candace Lundin. Thank you to New York Air National Guard public affairs for coordinating the Greenland trip and thanks to Colonel Kimberly Terpening, Technical Sergeant Brian Terry, Master Sergeant William Gizara, Lieutenant Colonel Robert Bullock; and thanks to Captain Gregory K. Richaert, M.D., Operation Deep Freeze, for his help with hypoxia information.

There were people in the United States Air Force and the Air National Guard who inspired and informed my writing. Thank you very much to Major General Susan Y. Desjardins, currently Director of Strategic Plans and Programs, HQ US. Strategic Command, Offutt Air Force Base, New England; Colonel David Fountain, HQ New York Air National Guard, Albany, New York; Scott McMullen, deputy director, Strategic Plans, Programs, and Requirements, HQ Air Mobility Command, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois; Brigadier General Michael Stough, deputy director, Strategic Plans, Programs, and Requirements, HQ Air Mobility Command, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois; Colonel Thomas (T.J.) Kennett, Air National Guard Advisor to Air Mobility Command, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois; Brigadier General (Dr.) John Owen, Air National Guard Advisor to the Surgeon General, Air Mobility Command, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois.

Thanks to Lieutenant Tim Casares, dive officer, dog team supervisor, flight mechanic, USCG; Jenn Casares, HS2 second-class (retired), USCG; Christopher Shane Walker, ASTC, rescue swimmer, USCG; Paul Terry, rock climber; Kyle Smith, rock climber, who helped me develop the safety swim harness for my Arctic project; and June McKernan who designed the rescue harness.