Another School Task: Hero Or Complete Idiot?

[agchristie]

What do AB'ers think?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/12167963/Pupils-asked-whether-Scott-the-explorer-was-a-hero-or-an-idiot.html

[-Talbot-]

Why the 'or' Are you not allowed to think he was both?

[youngmafbog]

Seems a fair enough question to me. We should invoke debate. Would have been different if the indoctrinating left wing teachers has simply claimed he was an idiot rather than pose a thought provoking question.

[andy-hughes]

divebuddy - //However, if we want to carry on defending/attacking Scott we will. OK. //

OK.

[mushroom25]

whether you believe scott was a hero or idiot will depend whether you believe the accout of sir ranulph fiennes (a polar explorer himself), or that of roland huntford (a journalist and biographer). Read the works of both, then decide.

[Peter Pedant]

hi mushie
I bet you used to teach this

actually i read the diaries of the people there at the time ( primary docs ) and formed a pretty low opinion of the fella. He need the funz and so joined the industry of going around the country telling it like it wasnt - Lawrence was another....

Another shackleton story

he left in the open boat and left a few other living in cave subsisting on seal meat. One used to roll up his kit every day ( mit gepack - but that is a different war and has a different meaning ) - and when asked why, said: "The Boss may be coming today" -
and he said it 500 times - it took some time to organise the rescue

Shackleton landed in South Georgi ( of falklands fame ) and sent someone over a high mountain to where the humans were. So he - the fella - landed up in South Georgia high street where he met a fat moustachioed gentleman who turned out to be the Argentinian Resident. He passed on the need for help and the resident asked where he had come from. He said over the mountain and the resident looked atthe impassable mountgain said : You arent meant to be able to do that " ....

and for along time no one had heard of shackleton

[mushroom25]

PP, the station manager at stromness in shackleton's day was thoralfe sorlle. he was not argentinian but a norwegian, as were most of the whalers of south georgia.

[mushroom25]

to say that scott's orders concerning the use of the dog team to relieve the returning party were disobeyed or ignored, is a bit simplistic. scott knew in 1911 there was a good possibility that cecil meares (the dog driver) would be returning with the terra nova in march 1912 so would not be available for the relief trip. this then fell to dr atkinson, however "teddy" evans collapsed on his return journey, and atkinson had to remain with him to nurse him back to health. thus the only person available to make the relief journey was cherry-garrard, who had little dog experience, was myopic and couldn't navigate all that well. cherry-garrard's orders orders were given by Atkinson, and were verbal, as follows:
•1. To take 24 days' food for the two men, and 21 days' food for the two dog-teams, together with the food for the Polar Party.
•2. To travel to One Ton Depôt as fast as possible and leave the food there.
•3. If Scott had not arrived at One Ton Depôt before me I was to judge what to do.
•4. That Scott was not in any way dependent on the dogs for his return.
•5. That Scott had given particular instructions that the dogs were not to be risked in view of the sledging plans for next season.
cherry garrard reached one ton depot in 7 days; there was no dog food at the depot so in order to proceeed further, he'd have had to kill dogs for food. in view of order 5, cherry-garrard felt he could not do this. had he known the polar party were in trouble less than 20 miles distant he'd have gone on; that he did not haunted him for the rest of his life. my source is "the worst journey in the world" by cherry garrard, one of the best travelogues of the 20th century.

[ToraToraTora]

all part of the anti British brainwashing that goes on in our schools. I suspect all past British protagonists are being portrayed as bad/silly/evil and Nelson Mandella as a saint.

[andy-hughes]

TTT - //all part of the anti British brainwashing that goes on in our schools. I suspect all past British protagonists are being portrayed as bad/silly/evil and Nelson Mandella as a saint. //

Something wrong with your suspecter then!

[Peter Pedant]

yes you are quite right Mushie
I sort of got excited

http://www.coolantarctica.com/Antarctica%20fact%20file/History/Shackleton-Endurance-Trans-Antarctic_expedition4.php

gives the whole story

[david small]

I always thought he was a bit of a plonker. Shame his influence cost others thier lives.