PEARY AT THE NORTH POLE: FACT OR FICTION
by DENNIS RAWLINS
319 pages. Luce. $8.95.
WINNER LOSE ALL: DR. COOK AND THE THEFT OF THE NORTH POLE
by HUGH EAMES
346 pages. Little, Brown. $8.95.
According to the first law of hero-dynamics, every epic action has an equal and opposite reaction. One nation's hero is some other nation's villain; one man's idol is another's voodoo doll. The second law is that legends tend to polarize and absolute legends polarize absolutely.
For most Americans, Rear Admiral Robert Edwin Peary, U.S.N., is an absolute legend that goes like this:...
To continue reading:
or
Log-In
