Through the First Antarctic Night 1898-1899: Narrative of the Voyage of the “Belgica” Among Newly Discovered Lands and Over an Unknown Sea About the South Pole.

COOK, Frederick A.

$8,800.00

Item Number: 111201

New York: Doubleday & McClure Co, 1900.

Signed limited edition of American arctic explorer Frederick Cook’s narrative of the first expedition to winter in the Antarctic region, in which he saved numerous lives as the ship’s surgeon. Octavo, original illustrated cloth, tissue-guarded frontispiece in color, illustrated. One of one thousand numbered copies signed by the author on the limitation page opposite a tissue-guarded engraved portrait, this is number 92. From the library of James Stephen “Steve” Fossett with his bookplate to the pastedown. American businessman and record-setting aviator Steve Fossett became the first person to fly solo nonstop around the world in 2002 in his 10-story high balloon Spirit of Freedom. He completed the 2002 trip in 13 days, 8 hours, and 33 minutes and set records for both the Longest Distance Flown Solo in a Balloon and Fastest Balloon Flight Around the World. Fossett was also one of sailing’s most prolific distance record holders set the Absolute World Speed Record for airships with a Zeppelin NT in 2004. He received numerous awards and honors throughout his career including aviation’s highest award, the Gold Medal of the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI), which he was awarded in 2002. Fossett disappeared on September 3, 2007 while flying a light aircraft over the Great Basin Desert, between Nevada and California. In near fine condition.

American physician Frederick Albert Cook was the surgeon on Robert Peary's Arctic expedition of 1891–1892, and on the Belgian Antarctic Expedition of 1897–1899. He contributed to saving the lives of its crew members when their ship—the Belgica—was ice-bound during the winter, as they had not prepared for such an event. It became the first expedition to winter in the Antarctic region. To prevent scurvy, Cook went hunting to keep the crew supplied with fresh meat. "His narrative is certainly one of the finest and most interesting from any Antarctic expedition" (Rosove) and the first to contain an extensive photographic record of the region.