Roald Amundsen's diaries. The Northwest Passage 1905-1907
Roald Amundsen writes with great enthusiasm about the enormous effort he and his
crew does in the work of scientific research and his own studies of the Inuit
and their way of life in the area around Gjøahavn. In the end, we know so much about the expedition, about life
aboard Gjøa and among the Inuit, it feels as if we ourselves have been on the trip.
Amundsen is generous in his description of his comrades and treats all contact with, and all
information from, the Inuits with great respect. Most of all, Roald Amundsens appears as a
outstanding planner. The expedition proceeded exactly as he presented the plan to the Norwegian
Geographical Society in 1901, more than 18 months before the departure of Gjøa.
These two volumes are far more than a diary from Gjøa's journey through the Northwest Passage. Overall
The books cover a large part of Roald Amundsen's life from 1900 to 1907. From Roald Amundsen's
We have included the diaries from his studies of terrestrial magnetism with Professor
Neumayer in Hamburg in 1900, the takeover of Gjøa in Tromsø and the subsequent capture and
research expedition to the Arctic Ocean in 1901. Furthermore, his personal letters to his brother Leon
and most of his correspondence with his mentor Fridtjof Nansen included. In addition
follows letters to and from other people with whom Amundsen had contact during and after
expedition. Also included are lectures, reports, newspaper clippings, articles, invitations, menus,
songs and other documents related to the expedition, the celebration of the return in 1906 and
Amundsen's lecture tour at home and abroad.
In addition, the diaries are illustrated with more than 700 illustrations, including Amundsen's own.
sketches and the largest collection of photographs related to the Gjøa expedition ever
are collected.
