While Roosevelt was making his way through the steamy heart of Africa, and Lawrence was digging around in the baking deserts, Roald Amundsen was traveling to a far different climate. Being a Norwegian, he was suited for much cooler climes. He got it in spades as the Arctic explorer went to the one place on earth even colder – Antarctica. He left for the far south in 1910 and made his assault on the pole late in 1911. No one had yet made it to the South Pole, Ernest Shackleton having fallen just 100 miles short two years earlier. Meanwhile, another British explorer, Robert Falcon Scott, headed his own expedition racing for the South Pole. Amundsen came better prepared, better dogsled teams, more suitable clothing, and well-placed supplies on the route. He also got a head start, Amundsen beating Scott by a month, and with the assistance of good weather (by Antarctic standards), Amundsen, unlike Scott, made it back alive. That enabled him to write an account. Item 7 is the first edition in English of Amundsen's book, The South Pole. An Account of the Norwegian expedition in the “Fram” 1910-1912. £2,750 (US $4,364).
This next item is a manual for guerrilla warfare by a man who became an icon for leftist revolutionary movements of the second half of the 20th century. Ernesto “Che” Guevara was an Argentine medical student who became radicalized by the poverty he saw. He met up with Fidel and Raul Castro in Mexico City as they plotted revolution in Cuba. He joined them in Cuba and became the most influential leader next to Fidel, later serving numerous important government and diplomatic posts after the revolution succeeded. In 1960, the year after the Cuban government was overthrown, Guevara published his manual, La Guerra de Guerillas. Guevara has inscribed this copy to Poder Hernandez, one of the pressmen whom he thanks for the speedy production of his book. Harrington has only been able to locate one other inscribed copy of this book, to then exiled Argentine leader Juan Peron. After half a dozen years in government positions, Guevara returned to the guerrilla battlefield, but was captured fomenting revolution in Bolivia and was executed in 1967. Meanwhile the Castro brothers, who stuck to government positions after the revolution, control Cuba to this day. Item 118. £8,500 (US $13,490).
Peter Harrington may be reached at +44 020 7591 0220 or orders@peterharrington.co.uk. Their website is www.peterharrington.co.uk
