From start to finish Amundsen's life was one of adventure and hazard and struggle, for he had a dream—from the time he was a small boy he wanted to become an Arctic explorer—and he lived to realize that dream. He was the first man to explore both the North Pole and the South Pole and was the only man to navigate the Northwest Passage by sailing across the top of the world from ocean to ocean.

To satisfy his mother's ambition for him, he studied medicine at the University of Oslo. When she died he entered military service, and unlike most men, he relished the rigorous physical training as an important step towards the realization of his dream.

His first big adventure came in 1897 when he signed as first mate with the Belgian Antarctic Expedition heading for the South Magnetic Pole. Here he learned what it was like to be on the brink of death every minute because of the unexpected temperature changes, crashing icebergs, and a sea of floating ice that closed in around the ship and held her fast for months. But the most important lesson was an understanding of men's emotions under strain and the necessity for strict discipline and physical chores to keep them from losing their minds.

Amundsen had physical prowess, an uncanny ability for leadership and the insatiable curiosity of mind that made him the most sought after Arctic explorer. He spent a whole lifetime in the icebound regions, making the trips north and south by boat, by dirigible and finally by plane. He lived in an age when competition in arctic exploration was at its height, and the papers were filled with the exploits of such people as Dr. Fridtjof Nansen, Dr. Frederic Cook, Admiral Peary, Capt. Robert Scott, Sir Ernest Shackleton, Lincoln Ellsworth, Comm. Richard E. Byrd.

He lost his life in 1928 when he flew to the North Pole to rescue the Italian flyer, Col. Umberto Nobile, who was reported in distress somewhere in the Arctic.

The story of Roald Amundsen's life is an epic of unmatched courage and determination that will fire the imagination of young people who set their sights on far horizons.

Peter Freuchen says of this book: "It is wonderful—and every bit of it is true, for I knew Amundsen well and we talked much and often about our experiences in Arctic exploration. Mr. Kugelmass has written an inspiring and wonderful story."

From the book