|
My
Attainment of the Pole
in
two 90th anniversary
reprint editions
| While
it may not be the
first in the
labyrinth of the
reprint publishing
world, Cook's 2001 My
Attainment of the
Pole has the
distinction of being
the only known Polar
title to be issued
by two publishing
houses in the same
month.
This
event may have been
prompted by Robert
Bryce, author of Cook
& Peary: The
Controversy Resolved
(Stackpole, 1997),
who found his 1,133
page tome at $50
consigned to the
remainder houses at
one quarter of that
price (Hamilton,
$12) more than a
year ago, who
presented himself as
the "new
introduction"
authority for Cooper
Square Press, a New
York reprint
publisher. |
 |
Now
Bryce offered his insight
on both Cook and for
Peary's The North Pole,
with the same circular spot
come-on for both: WHO
CONQUERED THE POLE? COOK OR
PEARY? YOU DECIDE changed
to PEARY OR COOK for the
second reprint. Bryce has
30 pages of introduction
for Peary and 38 for Cook.
This
twin pack came out in
April, despite the fact
that this newsletter had
announced in July 2000 that
Polar Publishing was
re-issuing the 1911 My
Attainment with new
updated material,
contributions, photos and
bibliography. Curiously,
the first title
announcement for Cooper
Square Press was My
Attainment of the North
Pole.
The
initial listing on amazon.com
had a cover reproduction
with this title, but the
publishers soon reverted to
the original. Reviews of
the Bryce introductions of
both reprints will be
carried in the 2001 number
of Polar Priorities.
It
should be noted that Bryce,
in a self-descriptive
biographical sketch says
that he is a "25 year
scholar" of the
controversy, even though he
was unknown to the curators
of both Cook and Peary
collections before 1990,
and came to the 1993
international symposium on
Cook only after
arrangements were made for
his presence by the
Society.
The
Cooper Square Press
Editions with Bryce
Introductions
 |
 |
|
My
Attainment of the
Pole
by
Frederick A. Cook
Cooper
Square Press, 2001
618
pages, ISBN:
0815411375 |
The
North Pole
by
Robert E. Peary
Cooper
Square Press, 2001
373
pages, ISBN:
0815411383 |
Copyright
2005 - The Frederick A.
Cook Society
|
