• Age: 14
• Grade: 9

"An intensely researched, thoroughly enjoyable life of one of history's best explorers...A superb biography of a fiercely driven explorer who traveled across the last inaccessible areas on earth before technical advances made the journey much easier." -- Kirkus Reviews (starred)

In the early 1900s, many of the great geographical mysteries that had intrigued adventurers for centuries remained unsolved, leaving some large blank areas on the increasingly detailed maps of the world. Despite having claimed countless lives, the polar regions -- the Northwest Passage, the South Pole, the North Pole and the Northeast Passage -- were still shrouded in mystery. One man would claim all these prizes within a span of twenty years.

Roald Amundsen was an adventurer and entertainer of the highest order. Larger than life, arrogant and competitive, he was also a meticulous organizer and planner, willing to learn from the mistakes of others, and humble enough to seek the advice of indigenous peoples skilled in arctic survival -- thus avoiding the early death that was so common among others who challenged the most desolate places on the planet.

But Amundsen's life was one of sharp contrasts: reviled by the British for defeating Robert Falcon Scott in a desperate race to the South Pole, he was loved by his men, hailed as a hero in his native Norway and idolized as a charming and eccentric celebrity in the United States. Drawing on hundreds of recently uncovered press clippings, The Last Viking goes beyond Amundsen's conflicted legacy, revealing a humorous, self-deprecating storyteller who had unusual opinions and dreams; a visionary and showman who won over both his sponsors and his audiences with the same verve that characterized his geographical conquests.

Stephen R. Bown was born in Ottawa and studied history at the University of Alberta. He has long been interested in early travellers and explorers. In the summer of 2001 he hiked for seven days to retrace the famous Scottish botanist David Douglas' route over the feared Athabasca Pass. A former multimedia projects producer and freelance writer, Bown contributes to several magazines, including "Alaska, Mercator's World", "Beautiful British Columbia", and "The Beaver". He is also the author of "Sightseers and Scholars: Scientific Travellers in the Golden Age of Natural History". Bown lives outside Calgary, Alberta, with his wife and son.

Stephen R. Bown's profile page

• Long-listed, BC National Award for Canadian Nonfiction

"I'm obsessed with polar exploration, and a Robert Falcon Scott fan, so it seemed only fair to learn about the other guy and read The Last Viking: The Life of Roald Amundsen by Stephen R. Bown. The book was fascinating and fair, a good read. I'm still a Scott fan, but now I grudgingly admire Amundsen."

Barbara Reid

"A fascinating account of a complex and driven man who trained himself, almost from his childhood, to become an Arctic explorer."

Burnaby Now

The Last Viking: The Life of Roald Amundsen

Amundsen was the first to navigate successfully the Northwest Passage and the Northeast Passage, to reach the South Pole and to fly over the North Pole. In this book, his character and geographical conquests are fascinatingly narrated. The intense preparations for each of the expeditions he led or was involved in as well as an assessment of his achievements are discussed. His adeptness at choosing teams to explore with him and his skillful leadership, decision-making, adaptation to new conditions and ability to surmount threatening obstacles are presented. Also included is Amundsen’s eagerness to learn from the experts —the Inuit— how to survive and thrive in extreme climactic conditions as they had done for millennia. The controversies surrounding Amundsen’s life and achievements are also documented and critiqued.

This book is a Globe and Mail Top 100 Book.