My Life of AdventureA master dog-sledder, wartime hero, and world-renowned explorer recounts the story of his life in an upbeat, plainspoken style. And what a life it is! From his expeditions to Antarctica to his World War II service to his part in rescuing downed pilots in Greenland, Vaughan, at 89, has lived--and is still living--a life of adventure. |
Contents
3 | |
11 | |
17 | |
29 | |
38 | |
43 | |
Chapter Seven | 53 |
Chapter Eight | 61 |
Chapter Seventeen | 122 |
Chapter Eighteen | 129 |
Chapter Nineteen | 138 |
Chapter Twenty | 145 |
Chapter Twentyone | 155 |
Chapter Twentytwo | 162 |
Chapter Twentythree | 170 |
Chapter Twentyfour | 177 |
Chapter Nine | 67 |
Chapter Ten | 74 |
Chapter Eleven | 80 |
Chapter Twelve | 87 |
Chapter Thirteen | 96 |
Chapter Fourteen | 102 |
Chapter Fifteen | 109 |
Chapter Sixteen | 117 |
Chapter Twentyfive | 183 |
Chapter Twentysix | 190 |
Chapter Twentyseven | 198 |
Chapter Twentyeight | 206 |
Chapter Twentynine | 213 |
Chapter Thirty | 218 |
Chapter Thirtyone | 231 |
Common terms and phrases
Admiral Byrd adventure Air Force Alaska Anchorage Antarctic Antarctica arrived asked balloons began bomb sight Boston Byrd called camp captain Carolyn chick-a-boom climb coast Colonel commanding crash Crockett Curtis decided dog driver dog team drive Eddie Eskimos everything excited expedition feet felt finally friends front Greenland Grenfell harnesses idea Iditarod inside Jerry knew Krager land Larry Gould later learned Little America looked loved McMurdo Sound miles Milton Academy morning Mount Vaughan mountain move needed never night Norden bomb sight Norman Vaughan parade Patriot Hills pilot plane pulled Queen Maud Mountains race reached ready rescue returned Rosamond shovel skis sled dogs sleds sleep snow snowmobile soon South Pole stared started stay stop Storm tent thing thought told took trail trip turned Vern Vern Tejas waiting Walden walked wanted weather week Wonalancet yelled
Popular passages
Page 50 - We are beyond or east of the 150th meridian, and therefore in the name of Commander Richard Evelyn Byrd claim this land as part of Marie Byrd Land, a dependency or possession of the United States. We are not only the first Americans but the first individuals of any nationality to set foot on American soil in the Antarctic.
Page 65 - on December 7, 1941, the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, and the United States entered the war.
Page 242 - I could picture the six dog teams crossing below, with six young menNorman among them—skiing alongside as they passed before this magnificent mountain range for the first time. In my mind's eye it was 1929.
Page 241 - We climbed a forty-degree slope most of the way. The weather looked ominous on the horizon. Clouds rolled toward us. Six and a half hours later, we were close to the summit
Page 243 - tried to light them, but the wind blew too hard and our hands were too cold. Instead, we enjoyed the streamers waving in the wind
Page 101 - died after being mentally unbalanced for several days. We are all pretty weak, but should be able to last several more days at least.