The Worst Journey in The World

London: Constable and Company Limited, 1922. First edition. Cloth. Good. 9" by 6". Edward A Wilson. A unique example of this highly influential and very scarce work regarding Robert Falcon Scott's doomed quest for the South Pole, containing a signed letter from the author and member of the expedition, Apsley Cherry-Garrard. Truly a special example. The first edition of the work. Very scarce.With a tipped in letter from the author, Apsley Cherry-Garrard to the front free endpaper of volume one, written on the author's personal stationary from his estate, Lamer Park in Wheathampstead, reading:"Dear Commander Maitland,It"s no trouble. I am afraid there is no appendix volume but there is a Life of Edward Wilson of the Antarctic with much of his letters and diaries by George Seaver just published by Murray and in its 3rd impression.With compliments A. Cherry-Gerrard Nov. 21." The recipient, Coventy Makgill Crichton Maitland was a senior officer in the British Army who served as an officer in the Royal Scots Fusiliers during the Second Boer War and the First World War, from which he received multiple mentions in despatches for his heroic actions. Despite retiring in 1937 following appointments in Gibraltar and as an Aide-de-Camp to the King, he returned a an area commander for the first two years of the Second World War, before retiring once more in 1941. The work contains Maitland's armorial bookplate to the front pastedown of both volumes. With additional spine label to volume two tipped in between the front free endpaper and front pastedown.Collated complete with sixty plates across two volumes, six of which are colour and ten of which are folding. Also contains five maps, four of which are folding.Half titles are present. The various folding maps and plates include detailed maps of the route undertaken by the men, alongside specimen pictures of the local wildlife and the explorers themselves. Apsley Cherry-Garrard was an English explorer, of Antarctica, most notably as a member of the Terra Nova expedition, led by Robert Falcon Scott with the aim of reaching the geographic South Pole.The Worst Journey in the World recounts Cherry-Garrard's experiences throughout the expedition, and has been praised very highly for its frank treatment regarding the difficulties of the expedition and the reasons behind its tragic conclusion. The memoir also covers wider themes regarding the meaning of human suffering under extreme conditions. Despite Cherry-Garrard being initially mocked by his colleagues owing to his lack of Antarctic experience, his hard work later won him the accolade as the protege of Edward A. Wilson. Cherry-Garrard was chosen to go with Wilson to recover the eggs of the emperor penguin for scientific study, enduring conditions of total darkness and temperatures as low as -40c. Whilst they eventually made it back safely with the specimens, it was this journey that Cherry-Garrard described as 'The Worst Journey in the World. Perhaps, however, the most striking moment of the influential work is the first hand account of Cherry-Garrard finding the bodies of Bowers and Wilson in the tent following the search party undertaken the following year. It was here that Scott's famous journals were found. The work is a remarkable example of a highly influential memoir regarding the Terra Nova expedition. This particular copy is further impressive in the original publisher's binding and containing a signed letter from the author to a noted senior army officer. A fascinating travel memoir, recounting Captain Scott's expedition, with unique provenance. Presented in the original publisher's quarter cloth binding with paper covered boards. Externally smart with rubbing and shelf wear to the extremities, resulting in some slight loss to the cloth. Marks to the boards. Slight loss to spine labels, although the additional spine label to volume two is tipped in to the front endpaper of the second volume. Hinges slightly strained particularly the rear hinge of volume two. Bookplate to front pastedown of both volumes. Tipped in letter from the author to front free endpaper of volume one. Internally firmly bound. Pages generally bright and clean with the occasional spot, slightly heavier to the half titles and the occasional leaf. Small tidemark to extremity of plate entitled 'Cape Evans From Arrival Heights' facing page 428. The occasional small closed tear and creasing to folding plates and maps, although all maps and plates are complete. Larger closed tear to folding plate facing 184. Good