Now that you know about Douglas Mawson's 300 mile Antarctic trek check out this video and find out about The Heroic Death of Chariots of Fire’s Eric Liddell: ua-cam.com/video/Vwpx1_hUAnc/v-deo.html
I Love that story so much. I wish they'd make a realistic movie just using what he described in his diary because that would make one hell of a cinema movie.
i dislike this mentality. this guy got trough great suffering. but that does not make smaller suffering less problematic. and denying it for that reason only brings sorrow.
If I'm not allowed to feel bad because some people have it worse than me, then you're not allowed to feel happy, because some people have it better than you.
What I find especially inspiring is Mawson's motivation towards the end of his ordeal, believing that the Aurora had already left and he had no chance of surviving, his only wish was to die somewhere so that one day his remains might be discovered and the story of his expedition be known. That commitment to posterity, to legacy, speaks just as much to his character as the inhuman levels of endurance and determination it took for him to make the trek itself.
Fascinating! I new the key events in the story but I learnt plenty too! One error though - our $100 note features John Monash on one side and Nellie Melba on the other. Mawson was on the $100 note when it was made from paper... but we haven't had paper currency since 1996 (a mere 21 years before this video was made).
i read years ago the story of mawson's extraordinary feat of survival in an article entitled "mawson's will". . .he's one of the rarest breed of men to walked the earth. .an explorer extraordinaire. .
ArmyGrunt1986 there really aren't many stories like this, partially because finding a story as well documented as this one is rare. Simon and crew will only present topics that are well substantiated with lots of evidence.
Actually there are a few Antarctic Expeditions with great stories of survival that he could cover. Are they as horrible as Mawson's? Not quite. Antarctic explorers actually didn't die too often. There have been several books written on the Scott Expeditions and the Shackleton Expeditions. Lots and lots to go on with events sometimes being written about by multiple people in their journals.
This man was so brave, and kind, he took care of his dying friend even when he couldn't help anymore and then trudged on after his friend's death, persisting despite everything stacked against him. A true hero.
I remember an episode of New Tricks where dogs were being killed so their livers could be harvested to poison someone and the case was solved by one of the characters having Mawson's book.
Great story, Thanks Simon! For those of you who still read books and want more try Apsley Cherry-Gerrard's "The Worst Journey in the World". It's worth a read and of course Shackleton's "South" is the classic from the Boss! Simon your picture of "a blizzard" has trees in it! A few pictures from Frank Worsley would have set the tone.
Someone should go find the exposed film from the expedition. Being in the cold like that, some of the latent images might still be able to be developed.
This was a very dark story to think about, so poignant and terrible but also captivating. I’m really glad that at least one of them survived the ordeal, because its crushing to think of what these men must have felt. The horror and despair are beyond words
Highly informative and wonderful narration, Sir Douglas Mawson would be proud of you. The book "Alone on the ice " has also been a true blessing by the Author 2 effectively convey the miraculous journey of this famous explorer.
Holy crap. I wasn't paying attention, playing you in the background, but I was hooked by the end. Not having heard the beginning of the story, I thought he died, so I was mind blown to find out he didn't. Amazing man
This story would make an excellent movie, and if based on the book he wrote about it, they wouldn't have to change history like they did on The Revenant.
Rin615 right i mean thes journals of explorers and scientific discoveries make great use of the literary education they got, they make such great mental images and more times than not either extremely funny or awe inspiring with their descriptions
amazing tale, and love the way you tell it. good writing, and, as always, you always pick the best quotes to add to the depth and impact of the story! Well done!
Thank you for sharing this story. This was a intense story. I never heard of any of this until you told it. It actually gave me hope to push on with my own issues in life. This story is a inspiration of ones mans strength and desire to live. It is sad that the others could not make it. However they live on each time the story is told, never forgotten. :)
I first encountered this story in Les Stroud's "Will to Live." Les pretty much concludes that Mawson is the survivor in idealized form, embodying every characteristic necessary to survive. Overall it's an interesting read with other stories like this one.
DivideByZero If you go great distances in a short time for your body to recover, the skin on the bottom of your foot will peel due to wear. Also guessing the whether was a great factor as well. If you look at the feet of people who 100 mile races you'll see it. It's not pretty at all.
He suffered from vitamin A poisoning, as a result of eating the dog's livers. Skin detaching is one of the symptoms. The skin of the soles would be particularly prone to this because it is under constant stress from walking.
You could also check out some other good ones. I've been reading The Worst Journey in the World written by Apsley Cherry-Garrard. It is about the Scott Expedition of 1910-1913. I'm going to be starting South: The Story of Shackleton's 1914-1917 Expedition soon too. Both are free on Amazon Kindle. Some of the problems they faced and overcame on the ice are impressive.
This video inspired me to read more about antarctic expeditions and research Douglas Mawson more, I just finished the book Alone on the Ice and its a great book about the Australasian (sp?) Antarctic Expedition. It goes more into detail then this video, but after watching several other youtube videos and reading two books I can say Simon Whistler told this story best.
Dude what is this dance you are performing while you speak? Its mesmerizing - I stopped watching your face 30 sec in and found your jiggling and jiving emphatically one of the best visual performances thus far I have seen this year. I'm happy to overlook the inverse hair and mini-conehead skull profile as a burgeoning balding man myself. Keep it up!
Morbid curiosity -- how did his feet end up healing? Did the soles reattach, or did he have to grow new skin? Did the blackened ends of his toes recover, or did he have to have bits debrided or amputated? Very impressed by his persistence in the face of adversity, especially a poem saving him in a dark hour. I've been saved by poetry & music more times than I can count.
As I understand it, the reason the Aurora did not return was that they also had to pick up another part of the expedition, which was less well provisioned than Douglas and the men with him, and they could not pick up both, because there was not enough time before the end of the Antarctic Summer.
Mawson was removed from the $100 note in 1996. He featured on it from the notes creation in 1984 until they introduced our famous polymer notes in 1996.
Sir John Franklin's ill-fated Arctic expedition, and the following searches that slowly pieced together what happened, is another very interesting story. Would be nice to get the finer details on that one too!
btw if you want some more Aussie story ideas, check out Ned Kelly & the Australian war horses in WW1 (particularly the way they were caught/broken - or not, & "Bill the Bastard"
Actually, in matters of survival and rationing, it's alright to eat liver (of carni's too)... Just remember the warnings and don't eat much of it... He'd have been better off to spend some of that liver on the other dogs... and some... just let it go. I hate to waste, too, but it is what it is...
If somebody had seen me reacting to the narration, they would have thought I was watching the most gruesome of epic fail video. Geez! You can't help but cringe and blanch, even gasp, as Simon recounts this tale. I love that poetry, that Robert Service poetry specifically, gave Mawson a center to focus, to keep triing. I also wonder what other of services works when through his head. The Cremation Of Sam McGee? He was pretty much living it. He was also living the Law of the Yukon, I would bet anything he recited it like a mantra; " This is the law of the Yukon, and ever she makes it plain:‘ Send not your foolish and feeble; send me your strong and your sane; Strong for the red rage of battle; sane, for I harry them sore; Send me men girt for the combat, men who are grit to the core; Swift as the panther in triumph, fierce as the bear in defeat, Sired of bulldog parent, steeled in the furnace heat. Send me the best of your breeding, lend me your chosen ones; Them will I take to my bosom, them will I call my sons." Service would have been the best of literary companions to have in your head under those circumstances.
@Today I Found Out, Sir Douglas Mawson has not been on the Australian $100 note for quite a while . $100 note has had Dame Nellie Melba and Sir John Monash since the mid 90s. Great video though. Reminds me of being told the story when I was in primary school.
This expedition and the Franklin arctic expedition live rent free in my head, simply because in both instances, you could completely fabricate an insane expedition story, and it wouldn’t be even close to what Mawson and the Franklin crew experienced.
Now that you know about Douglas Mawson's 300 mile Antarctic trek check out this video and find out about The Heroic Death of Chariots of Fire’s Eric Liddell:
ua-cam.com/video/Vwpx1_hUAnc/v-deo.html
I Love that story so much. I wish they'd make a realistic movie just using what he described in his diary because that would make one hell of a cinema movie.
Dang. Next time you hear someone complaining they had a bad day show them this video 😦
i dislike this mentality. this guy got trough great suffering. but that does not make smaller suffering less problematic. and denying it for that reason only brings sorrow.
True, but a story likes this makes smaller suffering less problematic when said smaller suffering is usually overly exaggerated.
So should he have given up?
If I'm not allowed to feel bad because some people have it worse than me, then you're not allowed to feel happy, because some people have it better than you.
when your bitch says "Ive had the worst day ever"
What I find especially inspiring is Mawson's motivation towards the end of his ordeal, believing that the Aurora had already left and he had no chance of surviving, his only wish was to die somewhere so that one day his remains might be discovered and the story of his expedition be known. That commitment to posterity, to legacy, speaks just as much to his character as the inhuman levels of endurance and determination it took for him to make the trek itself.
Fascinating! I new the key events in the story but I learnt plenty too!
One error though - our $100 note features John Monash on one side and Nellie Melba on the other. Mawson was on the $100 note when it was made from paper... but we haven't had paper currency since 1996 (a mere 21 years before this video was made).
This was a fascinating story... Never heard of it before now, clicked out of just the title sounding intriguing and I'm very glad I did.
i read years ago the story of mawson's extraordinary feat of survival in an article entitled "mawson's will". . .he's one of the rarest breed of men to walked the earth. .an explorer extraordinaire. .
This has to be my favorite and most fascinating video you done so far, great job. please do more on subjects like this.
ArmyGrunt1986 there really aren't many stories like this, partially because finding a story as well documented as this one is rare. Simon and crew will only present topics that are well substantiated with lots of evidence.
The story of Shackleton and his crew's escape from the Antarctic is also one that bears mentioning.
Actually there are a few Antarctic Expeditions with great stories of survival that he could cover. Are they as horrible as Mawson's? Not quite. Antarctic explorers actually didn't die too often. There have been several books written on the Scott Expeditions and the Shackleton Expeditions. Lots and lots to go on with events sometimes being written about by multiple people in their journals.
ArmyGrunt1986 agree
Plus there was that big battle between aliens and predators in the antarctic. They made a movie about it a few years back.
Chuck Norris goes to bed every night crying because he's not as tough as Douglas Mawson.
OctoberRaven but i thought the arctic was cold cuz he said it was a little hot
Courageous is an understatement. Wow!
I really wanna see the movie of this now
the movie would not be this good..
tohopes why not?
+Zach Huck I was gonna type the same thing. This would make an excellent movie.
Zach Huck to mini series was done in Australia in the 80s
it was made into a movie. look for a movie called "the thing" by a guy named John Carpenter...i think that's his name...
This man was so brave, and kind, he took care of his dying friend even when he couldn't help anymore and then trudged on after his friend's death, persisting despite everything stacked against him. A true hero.
Truly astonishing story. Mawson was a true hero and is rightly much admired today. Thanks for the great video Simon.
Hollywood needs to make a movie about this guy.
I remember an episode of New Tricks where dogs were being killed so their livers could be harvested to poison someone and the case was solved by one of the characters having Mawson's book.
This one is...an exploration and adventure tale as well as a thriller and a tearjerker. Damn. A great tale of true hero. Thanks.
This man's inner strength is incredible. I can't believe he went thru that and survived.
I love u guys' content, always well informed and interesting, keep it up :)
I'm not usually an emotional person, but this story made me tear up. Thanks for sharing.
giant amongst men....how many could grunt that out
Amazing survival story, simon. You've gotta do a video on the Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571 tragedy, it's a breathtaking tale of survival too.
Great story, Thanks Simon! For those of you who still read books and want more try Apsley Cherry-Gerrard's "The Worst Journey in the World". It's worth a read and of course Shackleton's "South" is the classic from the Boss! Simon your picture of "a blizzard" has trees in it! A few pictures from Frank Worsley would have set the tone.
Someone should go find the exposed film from the expedition. Being in the cold like that, some of the latent images might still be able to be developed.
These kind of videos are why I watch this channel. Never would have heard about him otherwise. Thank you.
Excellent video and a really inspiring story! 👍
this guy must have been constructed out of nokias, and forged in the very fires of Vulcan/Hephaestus
This was a very dark story to think about, so poignant and terrible but also captivating. I’m really glad that at least one of them survived the ordeal, because its crushing to think of what these men must have felt. The horror and despair are beyond words
Highly informative and wonderful narration, Sir Douglas Mawson would be proud of you. The book "Alone on the ice " has also been a true blessing by the Author 2 effectively convey the miraculous journey of this famous explorer.
Holy crap. I wasn't paying attention, playing you in the background, but I was hooked by the end. Not having heard the beginning of the story, I thought he died, so I was mind blown to find out he didn't. Amazing man
This is my favorite UA-cam channel hands down. Thank you
You're welcome :-)
Holy shit, that was an incredible story.
This story would make an excellent movie, and if based on the book he wrote about it, they wouldn't have to change history like they did on The Revenant.
Wow, just wow. I can't believe after all that, he lived, and for a really long time! These episodes are always so informative.
1:20 - WTF - did this guy bring along HP Lovecraft to write his journal? O.o
ROFLMAO! People certainly were more verbose back then.
Totally the style, though. This one really stole a laugh from me.
bilbo1778 Most of the science journals from that time are written its funny to read some of them I especially loved quoting them in my masters
Rin615 right i mean thes journals of explorers and scientific discoveries make great use of the literary education they got, they make such great mental images and more times than not either extremely funny or awe inspiring with their descriptions
amazing tale, and love the way you tell it. good writing, and, as always, you always pick the best quotes to add to the depth and impact of the story! Well done!
that was awesome, more biographical videos please!
What an absolutely amazing story! Thanks for sharing!
A terrific story that I had not heard about. Great job.
What a life this man had!! Thanks for sharing this dramatic story!! 💗👏🏼
They should make a movie about this
that was a fantastic story, Simon, Thank you for telling it. It just goest to show you how tough the human spirit can be.
I used to live in the suburb of Mawson, named after him!
Matt Dennis I am a Mawson related to him
This is one of your better ones... Well done.
Thank you for sharing this story. This was a intense story. I never heard of any of this until you told it. It actually gave me hope to push on with my own issues in life. This story is a inspiration of ones mans strength and desire to live. It is sad that the others could not make it. However they live on each time the story is told, never forgotten. :)
I first encountered this story in Les Stroud's "Will to Live." Les pretty much concludes that Mawson is the survivor in idealized form, embodying every characteristic necessary to survive. Overall it's an interesting read with other stories like this one.
Incredible story, thanks for sharing.
how does the sole of a person's feet fall off?
DivideByZero That's what I was wondering...
DivideByZero *shoe
DivideByZero If you go great distances in a short time for your body to recover, the skin on the bottom of your foot will peel due to wear. Also guessing the whether was a great factor as well. If you look at the feet of people who 100 mile races you'll see it. It's not pretty at all.
It was dead
He suffered from vitamin A poisoning, as a result of eating the dog's livers. Skin detaching is one of the symptoms. The skin of the soles would be particularly prone to this because it is under constant stress from walking.
That's the most amazing story of survival I've ever heard, and I've heard some astounding ones.
My university is at Mawson Lakes (named after him). The Adelaide museum has a reasonably large section about his expedition as well. Crazy dude!
Incredible. I'm a avid hiker and think myself tough, and I'm sure I'd have died 3 times over during Mawson's return.
Great story. But that blizzard photo at 9 minutes. ... Trees in Antarctica?
After all this the guy fought in WWI? I bet in the trenches he told his subordinates, "You think you have it bad? When I was your age...."
Amazing man! Thank you for another great video!
thanks I just bought the book. Do more videos like this. was looking for a new book
Good one Simon. What a crazy story. I think I'm off to the book store to look for Home of the Blizzard...
You could also check out some other good ones. I've been reading The Worst Journey in the World written by Apsley Cherry-Garrard. It is about the Scott Expedition of 1910-1913. I'm going to be starting South: The Story of Shackleton's 1914-1917 Expedition soon too. Both are free on Amazon Kindle. Some of the problems they faced and overcame on the ice are impressive.
This video inspired me to read more about antarctic expeditions and research Douglas Mawson more, I just finished the book Alone on the Ice and its a great book about the Australasian (sp?) Antarctic Expedition. It goes more into detail then this video, but after watching several other youtube videos and reading two books I can say Simon Whistler told this story best.
Great and interesting story. Thank you.
Only one question. How could there be dislikes on a video like this?
The Heroic Antarctic Age is a neverending source of great stories.
wow
What a perspective! Quite a story
Very interesting story, thank you!
Dude what is this dance you are performing while you speak? Its mesmerizing - I stopped watching your face 30 sec in and found your jiggling and jiving emphatically one of the best visual performances thus far I have seen this year. I'm happy to overlook the inverse hair and mini-conehead skull profile as a burgeoning balding man myself. Keep it up!
thanks for this one
Great video. Very interesting.
Our forefathers(and mothers) were a hell of a lot tougher then us!
This needs to be a movie
remarkable story. I never heard of this explorer. his story should be up there with those like Call of the Wild.
Morbid curiosity -- how did his feet end up healing? Did the soles reattach, or did he have to grow new skin? Did the blackened ends of his toes recover, or did he have to have bits debrided or amputated?
Very impressed by his persistence in the face of adversity, especially a poem saving him in a dark hour. I've been saved by poetry & music more times than I can count.
good question
Amazing story, fascinating!
more of these. wow! going to go look for book right now
That was the most incredible story!
The amazing Douglas Mawson comes from my hometown. 👌
The one dog left on the sled: "Hey guys, where we goin'!?"
As I understand it, the reason the Aurora did not return was that they also had to pick up another part of the expedition, which was less well provisioned than Douglas and the men with him, and they could not pick up both, because there was not enough time before the end of the Antarctic Summer.
Mawson was removed from the $100 note in 1996. He featured on it from the notes creation in 1984 until they introduced our famous polymer notes in 1996.
wow that was a captivating story
Sir John Franklin's ill-fated Arctic expedition, and the following searches that slowly pieced together what happened, is another very interesting story.
Would be nice to get the finer details on that one too!
Another very interesting story.
Second awesome Aussie one within a month! (check out the Australian Army's war against emus if you missed it) Love it! Please keep it up!
btw if you want some more Aussie story ideas, check out Ned Kelly
& the Australian war horses in WW1 (particularly the way they were caught/broken - or not, & "Bill the Bastard"
Amazing. He went through all that AND THEN lived through WW1 and WW2.
Next time you complain about missing the elevator or revolving door, remember Douglas Mawson. ;)
Fascinating, but surely 'Livingstone' not 'Lingstone'.
Btw never eat the liver of any carnivore, as they all have the same problem.
DavidB5501 The Magic School Bus taught me I'd turn orange if I had too much vitamin A.
Actually, in matters of survival and rationing, it's alright to eat liver (of carni's too)... Just remember the warnings and don't eat much of it... He'd have been better off to spend some of that liver on the other dogs... and some... just let it go. I hate to waste, too, but it is what it is...
I eat liver from tie to time. As long as you consume an appropriate amount, it's fine to eat.
What a man’s man
That man is a true champion.
Wow! I had never heard this account before. Remarkable.
So what kind of medical treatment did he go through after all was said and done? Did they have to amputate anything?
If somebody had seen me reacting to the narration, they would have thought I was watching the most gruesome of epic fail video. Geez! You can't help but cringe and blanch, even gasp, as Simon recounts this tale. I love that poetry, that Robert Service poetry specifically, gave Mawson a center to focus, to keep triing.
I also wonder what other of services works when through his head. The Cremation Of Sam McGee? He was pretty much living it.
He was also living the Law of the Yukon, I would bet anything he recited it like a mantra;
" This is the law of the Yukon, and ever she makes it plain:‘ Send not your foolish and feeble; send me your strong and your sane; Strong for the red rage of battle; sane, for I harry them sore; Send me men girt for the combat, men who are grit to the core; Swift as the panther in triumph, fierce as the bear in defeat, Sired of bulldog parent, steeled in the furnace heat. Send me the best of your breeding, lend me your chosen ones; Them will I take to my bosom, them will I call my sons."
Service would have been the best of literary companions to have in your head under those circumstances.
@Today I Found Out, Sir Douglas Mawson has not been on the Australian $100 note for quite a while . $100 note has had Dame Nellie Melba and Sir John Monash since the mid 90s.
Great video though. Reminds me of being told the story when I was in primary school.
That has to be one of the "hardest" people I have ever heard of. :~) It shows what we as humans are capable of in the direst of situations.
Whew!!! Thanks...
if you think that is hard, one time i left my cell at home...and was with out it...ALL DAY!!!
Do a TIFO on Robert Service. Tough to go from journalist in the Yukon to land owner in Monaco...
This expedition and the Franklin arctic expedition live rent free in my head, simply because in both instances, you could completely fabricate an insane expedition story, and it wouldn’t be even close to what Mawson and the Franklin crew experienced.
One of the most amazing stories I've ever heard! 0_o
What a badass, holy shit! Awesome video!
And here I am feeling sorry for myself for not getting tips on my first two pizza deliveries. Man what an amazing story.
He _was_ from Australia, a winter in Antarctica is child's play to someone who grew up on a continent where everything's trying to kill you.
where are the squeezos
The current Australian $100 note features Jon Monash and Dame Nellie Melba. Mawson was on the old paper currency decades ago.
I grew up in Mawson, Canberra ... named for this guy.