Book: Shparo Dmitry Igorevich “Frederick Cook at the top of the continent. Frederick Cook at the Top of the Continent
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Dmitry Shparo
Frederick Cook at the top of the continent. Returning McKinley to a Great American
Legal support for the publishing house is provided by the Vegas-Lex law firm.
© Shparo D., 2016
© Design. Mann, Ivanov and Ferber LLC, 2016
* * *
Preface
The history of exploration of the Earth's polar regions is rich in dramatic events, the peak of which occurred at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries. At this time, little was known about the Far North and the Far South of our planet, and the inquisitive human mind was eager to learn more and more about these areas. In addition, new ones appeared technical means, contributed to research, and accumulated experience of polar travel.
Particularly polar passions were directed towards the discovery of new lands and the achievement of the North and South Poles - visible but hard-to-reach places on the planet. However, there were other “high-altitude” poles on Earth, that is, mountains. Among them is the highest point of the North American continent - Great Mountain, or Tenada (later McKinley), placed in 1839 on the map of then Russian Alaska. Serious disputes arose over the primacy in its conquest.
The main hero of the events was Frederick Albert Cook, MD, a pioneer of polar expeditions and ascents. However, in a fierce struggle, his achievements were questioned and then completely erased from the pages of history. In his book, Dmitry Shparo, scrupulously analyzing the surviving materials of Frederick Cook’s expeditions and the controversy that arose subsequently, restores justice and proves that Cook was the first to reach the top of Mount McKinley.
Based on documentary sources, the author creates the image of Dr. Cook - a calm, reasonable man with extensive experience as a polar explorer and an outstanding mountaineer, and most importantly, the ability to act correctly in the most unfavorable situations. Under no circumstances can he be accused of recklessness. He is intelligently calculating. On his expeditions there is always everything necessary, and there is nothing superfluous. He strives forward without making “unnecessary movements,” which saves time and ultimately leads to success.
The author of the book notes and throughout his narration proves Cook’s fearlessness and his amazing composure, speaks of medical talent and exceptional expeditionary ingenuity, more than once noted by Robert Peary and Roald Amundsen, with whom Cook went through a huge polar school in his youth.
Cook approached the foot of McKinley as an experienced and inquisitive researcher. Showing remarkable persistence in achieving his goal, after the first unsuccessful assault on the mountain in 1903, he made a new attempt in the summer of 1906, did not give up after an unsuccessful summer campaign and resumed the ascent in the autumn of the same year. This third attempt was successful.
In 1909, after it became known that Frederick Cook had achieved North Pole Having preceded Robert Peary by a year, it became necessary for Peary's friends to discredit Cook, and as the beginning of an attack on his integrity, the first ascent of McKinley was declared a lie. They say it is impossible to climb a mountain so quickly - in eight days - and descend from it in just four days. Undoubtedly, Cook was lucky with the weather, but the main thing was something else - his experience, intuition, composure and determination.
In the first part of the book, based on original diaries and materials published after the ascent, Dmitry Shparo consistently talks about all the vicissitudes of the ascent to McKinley in 1903 and 1906, and in the second part, within the framework of the controversy that arose with Peary’s supporters, he provides convincing evidence that Frederick Cook was right .
The book talks about the noble mission of Cook’s daughter, who organized a special expedition to find evidence of her father’s rightness, and about the Russian expeditions to McKinley, which proved the possibility of Cook reaching the summit in the fall of 1906 and thereby made an important contribution to restoring his honest name.
Drawings of Cook and his companions, maps and photographs of Cook and his followers, given in the book, serve additional arguments in favor of the achievements of Frederick Cook and help correct the mistakes he made.
In my youth, I lived for six months in a polar tent on a glacier in the northernmost part of the Northern Island of Novaya Zemlya, spent two winters at an altitude of 3,700 meters at an ice base on Elbrus, and then, in my mature years, lived for three days in a small Pamir and worked at altitude 5100 meters above sea level on the Akbaital glacier in the Eastern Pamirs. So I understand everything described in Cook’s diary, and I am perfectly aware of how he managed to achieve his cherished goal.
I have no doubt at all about the correctness and sincerity of Frederick Cook, and the main argument for me is the accuracy and detail of the descriptions of nature in his field diaries, articles and books. Such notes cannot be composed after the fact, they can only be left after directly experiencing the trip. It is very important that Cook talks in detail about natural phenomena, at that time still unknown to science. And this characterizes him in the most positive way, unlike Piri. Cook's diaries reveal the image of an inquisitive man, a scientist, while Peary gives the impression not of a researcher, but of an athlete eager to set a record.
It is necessary to restore justice and recognize Frederick Cook as the first ascent of McKinley. He brought no less glory to the United States than Robert Peary, and, of course, should be among the most famous heroes America. Cook's homeland could be proud of its citizen and honor him on a geographical map.
Dmitry Shparo's book is an important and timely contribution to polar geographical literature.
This story testifies to the strength of the human spirit, its extraordinary capabilities and at the same time - about human weaknesses, envy and betrayal.
Scientific director of the Institute of Geography of the Russian Academy of Sciences,
Honorary President of the Russian Geographical Society,
Academician V. M. Kotlyakov
Introduction
In this book we restore the truth: first on Mount McKinley 1
In 2015, Mount McKinley (elevation 6,194 meters) was renamed Denali, its local name. Note ed.
September 16, 1906 was Frederick Cook. The same famous American polar explorer who discovered the North Pole to humanity on April 21, 1908.
For more than a hundred years, the pedestal of the conqueror of the highest point of the North American continent was occupied by the Reverend Hudson Stack, who climbed McKinley in 1913.
We return the prize to Frederick Cook and move into second place the respected Stack, who used to say: “Climbing this mountain is preferable to me than discover the richest gold deposit in Alaska" (52).
Major fix! But it's not just about history geographical feature. We will rehabilitate an innocent victim, Dr. Frederick Albert Cook, MD. Remember the words of Boris Pasternak: “And behind me is the sound of a chase”? The sufferer Cook also heard the noise of the chase; By the way, best author in world polar literature.
Already in 1909, Cook was called a liar, then presented as crazy and sent to prison. He died in poverty in 1940. The main offender, or better yet, the persecutor of Dr. Cook was the famous commander Robert Peary. Having devoted half his life to the conquest of the North Pole, Peary eventually reached it 2
Today, many, including the author, believe that Peary did not go to the North Pole. (Hereinafter, notes by Dmitry Shparo, except where otherwise noted.)
But, as it turned out, he was second only to Cook, who had been at the top of the world a year earlier. This “injustice” was unacceptable to Peary, and after a telegram from the Arctic, which said that the stars and stripes were driven into the pole, he sent another, where he categorically stated: do not believe Cook - he is simply fooling the public. The wealthy and influential Peary Arctic Club was mobilized for large-scale action against Dr. Cook.
The commander’s henchmen did not spare Dr. Cook’s previous, pre-polar achievements and announced his brilliant ascent to the top North America Swindle.
Justice brings the good name of Frederick Cook back to the people. He was pardoned by US President Franklin Roosevelt on all counts of prosecution. Scientific discoveries, made in the Central Arctic in the middle of the twentieth century, confirmed the authenticity of Cook’s descriptions, and, it would seem, the main prize of the century - the North Pole - was to return to his hands. However, the McKinley hoax accusation has unfortunately taken on a life of its own and continues to drag Dr. Cook down into infamy. For example, the world famous British traveler Wally Herbert 3
In 1968–1969, Herbert and three companions crossed the Arctic Ocean on dog sleds from Cape Barrow in Alaska to Spitsbergen, visiting the North Pole.
Taking fraud in Alaska as an axiom and relying on it, he rejects Cook's victory over the Pole. In 2001, Dr. Cook’s book “My Finding the Pole” was republished in the United States with a foreword by the American researcher Robert Bryce, who considers Cook a liar. Bryce's introduction to Cook's narrative, which contains a lot of true discoveries and revelations, is angry and angry, and again the idea is heard that the deception with the pole is secondary, the first lie was born on the slopes of McKinley.
It is believed that if someone has once been deceived, then most likely he will do it again; and those around him seem to be waiting for the next failure. Dr. Cook can only be saved by proving that he was the first to reach the top of McKinley, and his enemies attributed the lie to him. This is the purpose of this book.
Frederick Cook tried to conquer the polar peak in Alaska three times: in 1903, in the summer of 1906, and finally in September 1906. Enviable persistence! It is also remarkable that at the beginning of the three-year siege of the Big Mountain, as McKinley was called by the Russians, Cook was the only US citizen who wintered in both the Arctic and Antarctic.
Part 1
Path to the top
Chapter 1
In Greenland with Piri
In 1891, 26-year-old doctor of medicine Frederick Cook read an advertisement in one of the newspapers that Robert Peary was looking for a doctor for his North Greenland expedition. He responded instantly, and later wrote: “I cannot explain my feelings - as if the door of a prison cell had swung open. I felt the first irrepressible, imperious call of the North” (20).
Already during the voyage on the ship "Kite" to the shores of Northern Greenland, Cook showed himself to be a skilled healer. Peary recounts how a piece of ice jammed the steering wheel and a heavy iron tiller caught his leg and broke both bones above his ankle.
He remembers 4
Here and below, quotes from primary sources (except for cases of quoting Russian-language publications) are given in the translation by Dmitry Shparo.
When quoting, the author of the book makes abbreviations without further noting them. Note ed.
Thanks to the professional skill of my physician, Dr. Cook, and the tireless and attentive care of Mrs. Pirie 5
Robert Peary's wife Josephine accompanied her husband on this journey.I have fully recovered. In less than ten months I completed a tedious 1200 mile ski trip without serious consequences, and this fact serves as strong evidence professional excellence Dr. Cook (70).
Book cover by Robert Peary
"By big ice to the North", 1898
And here is another statement from Piri at that time:
The almost complete preservation of the detachment even from minor illnesses can be attributed to the care of Dr. Cook. Personally, I owe a lot to his skill, unflappable persistence and composure in emergency situations. He was always a useful and tireless worker (70).
Yes, on any polar expedition it is very useful, even necessary, to have an experienced, confident doctor. However, the participating aesculapian is rarely relieved of numerous other duties not related to the practice of medicine.
Portrait from the book: Frederick Cook
Portrait from the book: Robert Peary
Cook participated in the boating and skiing circuits. He was entrusted with contacts with the Eskimos and scientific ethnographic work. The young explorer had an excellent opportunity to learn from both the natives and his fellow expedition members. And the inquisitive Cook took full advantage of it. Years will pass, and it turns out that he speaks Eskimo fluently. The famous French ethnographer Jean Malory quotes the words of the Greenlandic Eskimos: “Doctor Cook ruled the dogs like an Eskimo” (83), and this is the highest praise, because it is known: a white musher will never compare in the art of controlling dogs with an Eskimo driver. Peary writes: “Until recently the doctor had not been able to shoot a single deer. Now he has broken the record by killing five” (70).
Commander Peary had to choose a companion for an unprecedented sleigh route through Greenland:
I reminded them [the squad members] that I had to call for volunteers for the long journey and make a choice. They had been on the ice long enough to realize that this was no child's play. I told them that there was no return for anyone who volunteered to go, and that many would find it threatening and even reckless for two people to go into these unknown regions and their safe return would depend only on their own capabilities and health. The doctor became the first volunteer, followed by Gibson and Astrup (70).
I really like that Frederick Cook “became the first volunteer,” and it is not so important that he was not Peary’s companion. The leader continues:
I then determined my command thus: Astrup will come with me. Dr Cook on arrival at Redcliffe 6
The name of the expedition's base in McCormick Bay.Will assume the responsibilities of chief and will remain in this capacity until my return from inland ice {70}.
Peary went on a two-month journey, from which he might well not return, entrusting the fate of his expedition to Frederick Cook.
Chapter 2
In the ice of Antarctica with Amundsen
In 1897, Frederick Cook joined Adrien de Gerlache's Antarctic expedition on the Belgica. The captain was Georges Lecoint, and the chief mate was 25-year-old Norwegian Roald Amundsen, who at that time had very modest experience of two Arctic voyages on whaling ships. The Belgica carried 19 people of five different nationalities.
Dr. Cook became part of the expedition, in a sense, by accident. On August 20, 1897, in the New York Sun, he read an intriguing message from Belgium, which said that the doctor of the Antarctic expedition had refused to participate, and therefore the sailing was delayed. Cook immediately sent a telegram to de Gerlache offering his services. He informed that he could take polar equipment and Eskimo dogs with him and that he did not claim any salary.
The answer in French came a day later: “Pouvez rejoindre Montevideo mais hivernerez pas.” Which meant: “Can you join in Montevideo? But we don’t spend the winter.” “Yes,” Cook telegraphed. A few days later, the expedition leader wrote: “Meet us in Rio at the end of September” (21).
Three weeks later, Cook headed to Rio de Janeiro. He carried fur clothing, tent material, snowshoes, skis and hickory, a North American “steel” wood used to make sled runners.
On October 22, an American doctor stepped aboard the Belgica. Amundsen biographer Roland Huntford notes that “from the very beginning, Amundsen paid special attention to Cook because he was an experienced polar explorer” (47).
In January 1898, the Belgica entered Antarctic waters. At the beginning of March, when the summer warmth in these southern latitudes had already dried up, the ship fell into the grip of ice fields. Amundsen wrote:
"Belgica" in winter. Photo by Frederick Cook
(All photographs of Cook in the book, unless otherwise noted, are courtesy of the Ohio State University Byrd Polar Research Center archives.)
Two people died during the voyage, two went crazy, and all suffered from scurvy. Under these critical conditions, Frederick Cook proved himself to be an impeccable professional. He was, as Roland Huntford puts it, “ahead of the medicine of his time” (47). At the same time, he treated not only the body, but also the soul. Here are Amundsen’s words about Cook: “If anyone was sick, he sat by the bedside and consoled the sick person; if anyone fell in spirit, he encouraged him and inspired confidence in his deliverance” (82).
Scurvy felled both the chief and the captain, and both were so bad that they wrote wills. Leadership passed to Amundsen. He writes:
Dr. Cook and I knew that this disease could be avoided by eating fresh meat. So we spent many difficult hours hunting for seals and penguins. However, the head of the expedition had a disgust for this meat that reached the point of absurdity. He not only refused to eat it himself, but also forbade the entire team (82).
Having become the chief, Amundsen ordered the carcasses to be dug up. All the people on the Belgique, including de Gerlache, ate their portions greedily. Fresh meat in the diet saved the unfortunate people: literally a week later the crew began to recover. The Norwegian speaks about Cook:
During these long 13 months of such a terrible situation, constantly being face to face with certain death, I became better acquainted with Dr. Cook. He was the only one of us all who never lost courage, always cheerful, full of hope, and always had a kind word for everyone. Not only did his faith never fade away, but his ingenuity and enterprise had no limits (82).
With a sense of surprise and admiration, Amundsen talks about Cook’s role in freeing the ship from captivity in the ice:
One fine day, one of us noticed that a small ice hole had formed approximately 900 meters from the ship. None of us gave it much importance. But Dr. Cook somehow saw a good omen in this hole. He expressed his firm belief that the ice would soon begin to break, and as soon as it opened, this ice hole would reach us, and he proposed to us something that at first seemed like a crazy undertaking, namely: to cut a channel through 900 meters of solid ice that separated us from the ice hole, and lead the Belgica there, so that as soon as the ice begins to break, she can immediately take advantage of this favorable moment.
The undertaking seemed foolhardy for two reasons: firstly, the only tools on board for cutting through ice were a few saws and a few explosives; secondly, most of our people were completely unaccustomed to this kind of work. Besides, everyone was weak and exhausted. Nevertheless, Dr. Cook's proposal prevailed. It was still better than sitting idly by and thinking about the expected fate. So everyone perked up and the work began.
We spent long, tedious weeks doing this work until we finally completed our task. Imagine our horror when, upon waking up, we saw that we were covered in ice worse than before.
However, our disappointment soon gave way to joy, as the wind changed and the channel widened again. Without wasting any time, we towed the ship into the ice hole.
And suddenly a miracle happened - just what Dr. Cook predicted. The ice broke, and the path to the open sea passed right through our ice hole. Joy gave us strength, and at full steam we went to the open sea (82).
Frederick Cook (left) and Roald Amundsen on an Antarctic expedition.
Photo by Frederick Cook
Neighbors of the Belgica crew.
In the company of such a down-to-earth polar explorer as Cook, many little things can be learned. Thanks to his acquaintance with the North Greenland Eskimos and his deep study of all things related to polar life, he undoubtedly understands more about these matters than most people. He always has advice, and he gives it in an inviting and tactful manner, without fuss or shouting (47).
Huntford announces: "Amundsen studied from the beginning, and his teacher was Cook."
A few more notes from Amundsen from his book “My Life”: “After a long Antarctic night, he led small reconnaissance parties”; “Then Dr. Cook came up with an ingenious way...”; “And here again we were saved by the ingenuity of Dr. Cook.” “Managed”, “came up with a witty method”, “ingenuity” - what pleasant words, and note that they come from the lips of a reserved Norwegian.
Friendly cartoon. Frederick Cook (left) and Roald Amundsen share the same sleeping bag.
From the book: Huntford R. Scott & Amundsen, 1979
Even today, when the industry of goods for extreme adventures is superbly developed, the most difficult journeys cannot be done without ingenuity, without “golden hands”. And then, at the dawn of the great ascents and great polar expeditions, ingenuity and - most importantly - the desire to invent were in many ways the key to success.
Huntford compares two conquerors of the South Pole: Roald Amundsen and Robert Scott - and, listing the advantages of the first over the second, talks about protective glasses:
Amundsen discovered that Dr. Frederick Cook had designed a radical new type of glasses while he was in the Arctic. They are based on the Eskimo model. This is a wide mask with ventilation slits at the top (47).
Elsewhere, Huntford admires “the original new tent designed by Cook, with an aerodynamic shape to reduce wind resistance, which was far ahead of its time” (47).
The Belgian government highly appreciated the services of Dr. Cook. He was awarded the order Leopold I degree - the highest award in Belgium.
Experimental equipment. Photo by Frederick Cook
Shparo, Dmitry
Frederick Cook at the top of the continent. Returning McKinley to a great American / Dmitry Shparo. - M.: Mann, Ivanov and Ferber, 2016.
ISBN 978-5-00100-187-4
The hero of the book is the outstanding pioneer, MD Frederick Cook, who announced that he was the first to climb North America's highest peak, Mount McKinley, in 1906, and then reached the North Pole in 1908. However, these claims were soon disputed, and for a long time Cook was accused of hoaxes and lies.
Dmitry Shparo, famous traveler, the first person in the world to reach the North Pole on skis, proves in this book that Frederick Cook actually climbed McKinley. This research fundamentally changes many things in the history of the conquest of the North American continent.
The book is addressed to everyone who is interested in travel, history in general and chronicles geographical discoveries in particular.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without the written permission of the copyright holders.
Legal support for the publishing house is provided by the Vegas-Lex law firm.
© Shparo D., 2016
© Design. Mann, Ivanov and Ferber LLC, 2016
It is still generally accepted that R. Peary was the first to reach the North Pole, who then accused Cook of deception. For more than a century, Cook remained in the eyes of the world as a liar, and because of this, his previous achievements were also questioned.
Dmitry Shparo, a famous traveler who was the first in the world to reach the North Pole on skis, makes a discovery in the field of Earth research and restores historical justice. Such discoveries are very rare today. To understand how serious this discovery is within the framework of the history of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, it is worth imagining that suddenly data will appear about landing on the Moon not by Americans, but, say, by Soviet cosmonauts.
Dmitry Shparo’s work was appreciated by American researchers and noted by the honorary president of the Russian Geographical Society, academician Vladimir Kotlyakov.
Review by the Honorary President of the Russian Geographical Society Vladimir Kotlyakov
A wonderful book. I believe that the significance of the book is very great - it talks about the famous, world-famous competition between two outstanding polar explorers, about the inglorious struggle between the supporters of R. Peary and Frederick Cook, about human weaknesses and the fortitude of extraordinary people. The book, if it does not put a final point, then brings us closer to establishing the truth in the first ascent of McKinley.
The book will be of interest to many readers: lovers of travel, adventure in extreme conditions of polar countries and high mountains, not only in Russia, but also in other countries.
The book is written very vividly, all quotes from the diaries and literary publications of the characters in the story are appropriate, the text is structured logically and has a detective character. In general, the book will be read with interest and, perhaps, even in one gulp.
Who is this book for?
This is a book for anyone interested in travel, history in general and the history of geographical discoveries in particular.
Expand description Collapse descriptionAn amazing thing: Russian polar explorer Dmitry Shparo undertook to rehabilitate his American colleague Frederick Cook. Our people accused him of lying for more than a century, and ours restored justice. But first things first.
The publishing house "Mann, Ivanov and Ferber" published Dmitry Shparo's book "Frederick Cook at the Top of the Continent. Returning McKinley to a Great American." The author worked on it for 14 years. “I’m trying, I want, I really hope to restore the good name of Dr. Frederick Cook, MD. Dr. Cook is the man who discovered the North Pole. He is my fellow North Pole,” says Shparo. But we got ahead of ourselves again.
McKinley, in case anyone has forgotten, is the highest peak in North America, a double-headed mountain in Alaska. This peak is stormed by about a thousand people every year, but only half of the daredevils can conquer it. For the first time, Dr. Frederick Cook and his companion Edward Burrill had a chance to take in the beauty of the North American continent from its highest point on September 16, 1906. However, not everyone shared this pioneering joy. Two years later, in 1908, Cook conquered the North Pole, but, alas, any intelligent and friendly person, as the author characterizes the doctor, will have not only and not so much friends, but also enemies. His rival, the wealthy Robert Peary, accused Cook of falsifying not only the polar journey, but also the mountain climb... Peary, of course, attributed the conquest of the North Pole to himself. And if only Piri wanted to take the victory away from Cook, but no - entire organizations were dedicated to this. After all, money decides a lot. But, fortunately, not all.
How did Frederick Cook become the “Prince of Liars” (that’s what he titled his autobiographical article written at the end of his life). The real investigation was carried out by Dmitry Shparo, scrupulously studying all the details in the Cook case, analyzing huge amount archival materials, from diaries to photographs, entering into correspondence with relatives of the American traveler.
Frankly, the book reads like an action-packed detective story and in one breath. Shparo's reasoning and statements are interspersed with diary entries by Cook, Burrill, excerpts from opponents' speeches, letters, journalistic materials and many other documents. In addition, the book is rich in illustrations, many of the photographs were taken by Frederick Cook himself. You can just look at them for a few minutes.
At some point, it begins to seem that just a little more and Cook’s superiority will be proven, but that was not the case. Either opponents have new evidence of the “lies” of the conqueror of McKinley, or travelers trying to reproduce the exact route Cook took suffer a fiasco. Moreover, it boggles the mind how his friends and relatives, who undoubtedly wanted to achieve justice, were sometimes so inattentive to details... The reader is constantly in nervous tension and, despite the fact that the denouement is already clear from the title of the book, worrying about the main character, at times it seems that he is ready to believe that Cook really did not set foot on the top of McKinley. Especially when it comes to the main photographic fact. But, as they say, I won’t spoil it. I’ll just say that when the dramatic denouement comes, when everything starts to turn out in Cook’s favor, you just want to exclaim: “Oh yes Cook! Oh yes son of a bitch!”
No wonder Shparo writes that Dr. Frederick Albert’s path to the top was “impeccably logical and infinitely courageous.” And the traveler himself, according to the author, “is an example of loyalty to his dream, duty and his profession as a doctor. He is fearless, decisive, he was a very good comrade. He survived the most dangerous battles with the forces of nature and under the pressure of dishonesty, injustice and betrayal.”
By the way, reading the diaries of a polar climber is a special pleasure. These are not just notes, but wonderful travel notes. “We slowly moved along the steep snowy rise above the celestial granites to the top. Finally! The task that inspired us was crowned with victory; the top of the continent was under our feet. We shook hands, but did not say a word. We wanted to scream, but did not have the strength for an extra breath."
By the way, it is worth noting that it was Russian travelers - Viktor Afanasyev and Oleg Banar - who in 2006 for the first time exactly repeated the path of Frederick Cook to the top of McKinley.
"Much must change after the recognition of Cook's victory over Denali (the new name of Mount McKinley): the descendants of the hero can finally be calmly proud of him; the corrected popular table of records recorded on McKinley will not mislead thousands of people who want to prove themselves in mountains of Alaska; Americans, in all likelihood, will someday return their love to their great compatriot. And perhaps the triumph of justice in the story of Dr. Cook will inspire today's sufferers who are losing in new times and under new circumstances to the corporate power of power and money. ", writes Shparo.
Well, it’s time to rewrite encyclopedias and textbooks: McKinley succumbed to the fearless and true to his dream Frederick Cook. And all the evidence of this is in Dmitry Igorevich’s book. In a very discreet book. Without emotions, but with obvious love for the main character. Written interestingly and with a great desire to rehabilitate his, as Dmitry Shparo himself admits, idol. After all, they have a “common attachment to polar latitudes.”