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SUMMARY:Roald Amundsen\, the Attainment of the South Pole\, and the End of
  the Age of Discovery - Mr Roland Huntford\, Wolfson College
DTSTART:20130522T120000Z
DTEND:20130522T130000Z
UID:TALK44669@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Simon Elsaesser
DESCRIPTION:When Roald Amundsen\, first of all men\, reached the South Pol
 e in December 1911\, he did more than win the historic race for the last g
 eographic goal. He closed the Age of Discovery. This was the exploration o
 f the globe by Western seafarers\, and the establishment of the great mari
 time empires. It began in the mid fifteenth century when the Venetian Ca' 
 da Mosta first sighted the Cape Verde Islands\, off the coast of Africa an
 d\, continued with the discovery of the Americas and the sea route to the 
 East\, conventionally ending two centuries later in the sighting of Austra
 lia and New Zealand by Dutch sailors. In fact\, the process lingered on un
 til the only undiscovered territory lay in the polar regions. Amundsen's a
 rrival at 90º South latitude finally brought the epoch of terrestrial dis
 covery to an end. Few movements have had such profound consequences. It ex
 ploded intellectual boundaries in the arts and sciences. The men who accom
 plished this revolution were a motley crowd of ambitious sailors\, fantasi
 sts\, earnest pioneers\,  ruthless conquerors\, buccaneers\, investors out
  for the main chance and down at heel adventurers like the Spanish conquis
 tadores. Amundsen combined within his person some of these qualities\, so 
 he may be said to have been their heir in more senses than one. In sailing
  to Antarctica\, he reprised in whole or part some of the great voyages of
  discovery. He ended a whole epoch\, and paved the way for the leap into s
 pace.
LOCATION:Old Combination Room\, Wolfson College
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