I Am Just Going Outside: Captain Oates - Antarctic TragedyExhaustively researched withnew material, including major revelations abouthis previously unknown and secret private life, this is the first major biographyof Lawrence Edward Grace "Titus" Oates who became a dashing cavalry officer and hero in the Boer War, a successful jockey, and part of Scott's doomed South Pole expedition, before becoming a national hero for sacrificing himself to save his comrades. Substantial new information is includedfrom previously undisclosed sources, especially relating to his clashes with Scott. Having paid 1,000 to join the expedition, he was at centerstage in the unfolding tragedy, becoming a national hero for sacrificing himself to save his comrades. Fresh analysis is offeredof his military career, both as hero in the Boer War, where he was denied a VC, and later in Ireland.A different perspective from the traditional myth of Scott's heroic failure and Oates' suicide is offered here. Oates' private life is exploredand the role of his austere mother who exerted a powerful influence during his life and continued to control his memory long after his death, especially by ordering the destruction of his letters and diaries, kept hidden by her, and previously thought to have been destroyed, from her deathbed. Beautifully illustrated with maps and photographs, many previously unpublished." |
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Amundsen animals Antarctic Antarctica army Atkinson badly Barrier Beardmore Beardmore Glacier became Bernacchi blizzard Boers British Bryan camp Cape Evans Captain Caroline Oates cavalry Cherry-Garrard cold colleagues Crean and Lashly death Debenham depot depot-laying diary dog teams earlier Edward Grace Eton expedition expedition's February feet final Frank Debenham Gestingthorpe Glacier going Gran Griffith Taylor horses Hut Point Inniskillings January join judgement Kathleen Scott knew later Laurie Oates Laurie's Lawrence Oates leave Lillian London man-hauling March McMurdo Sound Meares Mhow miles mother never Norwegian Oates family Oates letter officers Polar party ponies Ponting reach the Pole recalled recorded regiment return journey scurvy Shackleton ship skis sledge snow soldier South Pole SPRI struggled suffered Taff Evans Teddy Evans temperatures tent Terra Nova told Tom Crean trip Victorian Violet Oates William Oates winter wounded Wright wrote