My Attainment of the Pole: Being a Record of the Expedition that First Reached the Boreal Center, 1907-1909, with the Final Summary of the Polar Controversy.

8vo, original red cloth lettered in gilt, illustrated, xx, 604 pp. Spine faded, (no DJ, but doesn't appear to come with one), slight some soiling and discoloration to covers; else very good. On April 21, 1808, Frederick Cook wrote in his diary that he reached the North Pole. This would be the start of an intense debate, which continues to the present day, and is reflective of a tragic figure in Artic exploration, that would be hailed by one president and pardoned by another. The present work in addition to providing much detail on Polar exploration, presents Cook's side of the story. After having to spend months in a cave to wait out the Polar night of 1908-09, Cook returned to the world to announce his successful reaching of the pole, a few days before Robert E. Peary would announce his own accomplishment of that feat. Initially, Cook got considerable attention, but in a bitter media battle Cook came out the loser. Despite the fact that Cook was part of Peary's failed effort to reach the Pole in 1902, and one of which he received praise from Peary, he was accused of being a fake. Peary's camp even accused him of lying about climbing Mt. McKinley in 1906, which was an accomplishment that was hailed by President Teddy Roosevelt. As Peary gained the recognition for reaching the Pole, Cook faded from public eye. In 1924 he was convicted of mail fraud for promoting oil stocks, which later proved to be attached to rich oil fields and served five years in prison. Cook was granted a full pardon in 1940 by President Roosevelt shortly before his death. In recent years Cook's exploits, including his claim of climbing Mt. McKinley, are being given more serious scientific consideration, and some have concluded they are possible and probable. Artic Bibliography 3389.