Research is thorough but publication poor

WHAT SHIP? Lieutenant Harry Pennell's Antarctic legacy<br><b>David Harrowfield</b><br><i>Self-published</i>
WHAT SHIP? Lieutenant Harry Pennell's Antarctic legacy<br><b>David Harrowfield</b><br><i>Self-published</i>
No, this is not a ship-spotters guide; the title refers to the repeated plaintive request by a signaller for the mysterious tall-masted ship anchored off Oamaru harbour to reveal its name.

Robert Falcon Scott's brave and ultimately fatal adventures in the Antarctic are well known. This book goes over that history again in a concise account, then introduces a ''respected mariner'' Lieutenant Harry Pennell and details his important role skippering Scott's ship Terra Nova.

The book's subtitle focuses on Lt Pennell's contributions but the author could reasonably have substituted the name ''Oamaru'', as the town's Antarctic legacy is thoroughly examined and celebrated.

The book becomes the story of a breaking news event and its cunningly staged release. Anyone with a media bent will appreciate the dedication Harrowfield has made to gather all the facts regarding Oamaru's involvement - the port watchman and town harbourmaster played a role in the cloak-and-dagger manner in which the precious information of Scott's death was carefully brought ashore by rowing boat and sent onward by discreet telegram.

Unfortunately, those same media types will find the book's self-published lack of proofreading and polish an irritant: the more-than-occasional strangled sentences left this reader out in the cold, and the use of black and white for many of the present-day illustrations gives the book an el cheapo feel below the standard set by the author's thorough research.

- Peter Dowden is a Dunedin reader.

Add a Comment