Roald Amundsen’s Sled Dogs

Mary R. Tahan is a writer, producer, and documentarian, with a professional background in journalism and marketing. Internationally renowned for her educational and informational series, she has authored many scholarly articles and historical books, and produced/directed documentary films.Her scholarly articles and lectures/presentations focus on Antarctica and the "heroic age of exploration", and cover many countries, and she has documented individuals and organizations as well as cities and historical events. As part of her research for her series of films and books on Polar exploration, Mary R. Tahan traveled to Antarctica by invitation of the Dirección Nacional del Antártico (Instituto Antártico Argentino), where she performed on-site photography and videography of the Antarctic landscape and historical sites, as well as conducted interviews with scientists and curators. Her research has also taken her to Argentina, Norway, France, Russia, and England, where she has also interviewed Polar historians and descendants of the early explorers of the Arctic and Antarctic.

“Tahan’s analysis is an exceptional approach because it turns the attention away from a perception of Amundsen as ‘the man who beat Scott’. … Readers who are interested in the history of canines in the Antarctic will find this book more than satisfying. … The views and perceptions of Amundsen and other expedition members that Tahan depicts are revealing about the whole operation and will excite scholars in social sciences as well as psychologists.” (Ursula Rack, The Polar Journal, October 16, 2019) “... In dem vorliegenden Buch hat sie offenbar wirklich alles Wissenswerte über die Hunde zusammengetragen. ... Neben der Beschreibung der Hundeschicksale wird durch den Vergleich der einzelnen Tagebucheinträge der Teilnehmer auch ein detailliertes Bild von Amundsens spontanen Entscheidungen als Reaktion auf unvorhergesehene Ereignisse gegeben. ... hat die Autorin in diesem Buch wahrlich ein würdiges Denkmal gesetzt. Das Buch ist jedem zu empfehlen, der sich mit Amundsens Methode der Schlittenreisen näher auseinandersetzen möchte ...” (Cornelia Lüdecke, in: Polarforschung, 2021)“Mary R. Tahan’s books on polar expedition . . . are a welcomed addition to historical exploration scholarship and the animal studies field. . . . Tahan’s books focus on the interactions and intersectionality between people and nonhuman animals and how this connection spurred humankind forward in its survey of the South Pole. In a unique approach, Tahan’s research and materials center on the animals . . . By adding this aspect of the canines, she gives recognition to the significant role that animals played in this important part of history as well as the indispensable human–animal relationship needed for the Antarctic exploration. . . . In recent years . . . academics have increasingly argued that the inclusion of other voices such as women, native peoples, immigrants, and individuals of varied social class enhances historical accounts. Tahan’s books seek to take this onestep further and argue that the inclusions of nonhuman animals as agents will most certainly enrich historical data. The author certainly hits this mark, and these should be recommended books for anyone with an interest in nonhuman animals, exploration, or history.”‘(Nicholas Miller, Terrae Incognitae, March 23, 2022)’

• Preface. Canine Explorers in the Antarctic.- Acknowledgements.- Maps.- List of Characters and Countries.- Notes on Norwegian and English Names.- Chapter 1. Introduction: Dogs, the Arctic, and Amundsen’s Clandestine Switch to the Antarctic.- Part I. The Strategic Plan, The Secret Ingredient.- Chapter 2. The Vital Importance of Sledge Dogs.- Chapter 3. Two “Eskimos” to Care for Good Greenland Dogs.- Chapter 4. A Perfect Ship, a Professional Crew, and a Home for Pet Dogs.- Part II. From Greenland to Norway.- Chapter 5. The Voyage of the Hans Egede.- Chapter 6. Fram’s Test Voyage and the Island of the Misfit Dogs.- Chapter 7. The Secret Passage and the Circumnavigating Pups.- Part III. Journey Across the Seas to Antarctica.- Chapter 8. The Voyage South – Dogs First, Dogs All the Time.- Chapter 9. The Wooing of Lasse and the Caring for the Dogs.- Chapter 10. The Females and the Mother Ship - Woman Shall Not Come on Board.- Chapter 11. Maren and Her Sons in Madeira; Enduring the Heat.- Chapter 12. The Births and Deaths of October.- Chapter 13. The Lady and the Sea.- Chapter 14. Christmas Among the Ice Floes.- Chapter 15. The Arrival in Antarctica.- Part IV. Depot-Laying, Winter’s Work, and a False Start. Chapter 16. The First Sled Ride.- Chapter 17. Great Surprise!  It’s the Terra Nova!.- Chapter 18. The First Depot Run – Flying on a High.- Chapter 19. The Second Depot Run – Disaster for the Dogs.- Chapter 20. The Third Depot Run – Third Time Is Not the Charm.- Chapter 21. Born and Bred in Antarctica.- Chapter 22. The Divine Trio – Fix, Lasse, and Snuppesen.- Chapter 23. Hjalmar Johansen’s Charges – Camilla, Knegten, Uroa, and Rotta.- Chapter 24. Don Pedro Christophersen, and Balmy Buenos Aires.- Chapter 25. A Midwinter Night’s Dream.- Chapter 26. Now Is the August of Our Winter’s Content.- Chapter 27. The Premature Start.- Chapter 28. The Decisive Ejection and the Change of Plan.- Part V.  Sled Trek to the South Pole and Back.- Chapter 29.Snow Trek.- Chapter 30. The Eastern Party's Expedition to King Edward VII Land.- Chapter 31. The Push to the Plateau – Kjoring Across the Ice Waves.- Chapter 32. Pulling for the Chief – The Climbing of the Mountain Peaks.- Chapter 33. Butcher’s Shop – "The Final Reward".- Chapter 34. A Devil of a Climb – the Devil’s Glacier.- Chapter 35. The Dogs at the South Pole.- Chapter 36. The Return Trek from the South Pole.- Chapter 37. The Search for the Devil’s Depot .- Chapter 38. The Eastern Party, the Fram and an Australian in Antarctica.- Chapter 39. The South Pole Party Returns Home.- Part VI. The Return from Antarctica.- Chapter 40. Their Final Destinations– The South Pole Dogs and Sled Dogs.- Chapter 41. Impressions that Dog Us.- Notes on Original Source Material.- Bibliography.