**spoiler alert** Am inceput anul cum nu se putea mai bine cu povestea primei mari expeditii de explorare a Antarcticii.
La 1898 baiietii astia, o adun**spoiler alert** Am inceput anul cum nu se putea mai bine cu povestea primei mari expeditii de explorare a Antarcticii.
La 1898 baiietii astia, o adunatura pestrita de belgieni, norvegieni , al nostru Emil Racovita si altii , pornesc spre Antarctica la bordul vasului Belgica, si ajung sa ramana blocati pe banchiza de gheata in iarna emisferei sudice trecand prin chinuri groaznice datorate lipsei de lumina , a lipsei de mancare proaspete, a fricii continue ca nava va fi spulberata de gheata.
Vedem efectele devastatoare ale scorbutului, insomniei , fricii , depresiei , nebuniei , singuratatii si disperarii asupra mintii umane atunci cand este prinsa un cusca. Suspansul este prezent in fiecare capitol, fie nava este in pericol sa fie spulberata , fie marinarii in pericol sa cada in apa antarcticii , fie cineva innebuneste si fuge in noapte....o casa de nebuni...asa este denumita corabia in timpul incastrarii sale in gheata.
Vedem si setea de aventura, ideile nebunesti care se dovedesc eroice in acele momente (ex: taierea a unui poligon de 1.7 km lungime de gheata si 100m latime spre a elibera vasul din gheata ) .
Expeditia compusa din 18 oameni, ii are ca protagonisti pe: - Adrian de Gerlache , taticul misiunii cel care incropeste prima expeditie internationala , si care bazandu-se pe valorile patriotice ale tinerei republici belgiene reuseste sa stranga fonduri pentru calatorie. In cinstea sa Stramtoarea dintre America de Sud si Antarctica ii poarta numele. - Amundsen - norvegianul legendar care in ultima decada a lui 1800 cocheta cu cucerirea polului Nord , se antrena in nordul Norvegiei innoptand in pesteri. Pentru el aceasta calatorie reprezinta "boot camp"-ul pentru un sir legendar de cuceriri printre care si Polul Sud - Cook - doctorul american fara de care expeditia s-ar fi transformat in tragedie. El este primul care studiaza efectele lipsei soarelui si a luminii pe perioade indelungate asupra omului , primul care intuieste terapia cu culori , cel care ii tine in viata pe ai sai , si tamaduieste lipsa vitaminei C care provoaca scorbut (din lipsa de alimente proaspete) dandu-le colegilor sai sa manance carne de pinguin si foca cruda, tot el face design-ul cortului de tip conic , cort cr va fi folosit ani mai tarziu de Amundsen in timpul calatoriei cuceririi Polului Sud. Il avem si pe Lecointe capitanul , Emil Racovita care descopera sute de noi specimene de paraziti, plancton , si care in numele stiintei omoara zeci de specimene de pinguini , le diseca si le impaiaza (specimene ce se gasesc si astazi la muzeul de zoologie in Belgia) si multi alti savanti.
Pe langa faptul ca misiunea a fost superb descrisa , am apreciat foarte mult faptul ca am fost iluminat cu privire la istoria finalului de secol XIX si prima decada a celui urmator. Anii 1890 si 1900 sa acum impresia unei forfote neintrerupte , a unei curse intense intre exploratori pentru a cuceri cele mai inalte varfuri , cele mai indepartate tinuturi , cele mai neospitaliere puncte de pe pamant , si populatii intregi care alimentau aceaste curse, cumparand-le revistele, finantand-le expeditiile si totul in numele patriei, a gloriei si a stiintei.
Spre deosebire de Arctica unde corporatiile petroliere au acaparat regiunea su nu exista cooperare intee natiuni , Antarctica datorita lui de Gerlache si a urmasilor sai a ramas un loc pasnic , un loc al cooperari intre natiuni.
**spoiler alert** This book sparked my interest for travelling to the North Far East region of Asia especially along the border with Russia.
Erika does**spoiler alert** This book sparked my interest for travelling to the North Far East region of Asia especially along the border with Russia.
Erika does a terrific job adding geopolitic facts regarding the relationships of Russia with its neighbouring countries across the centuries.
I loved the chapter about the region of Manciuria and its uneasy history with both Japan and Russia.
Probably the most interesting was the Chinesse city of Harbin , city build mostly underground in case the nuclear holocaust would start , a city where one could spend its entire day underground and not see the light of day , also the city where japoanese had done Mengele-style experiment just before WW2.
I definetly want to visit the chinese far west province of Xianjiang , the home of Uighurs, turcik people getting discriminated and sent to concentration camps and their resistance via muslim apartenence.
I also enjoyed Erika-s journey in Kazakhstan , i understood the intricate ethnic composition of the population (russian minority in the north and Kazakh in the south) hence the leader moved the capital from Almaty to Astana to better oversee the russians. Also important sites like the Russian cosmodrome of Baikonur where Yuri Gagarin took off an Sputnik satelites made history.
I now have a more clear understanding of which regions are populated by turcik ethnical groups and where do the chinese start.
The Caucasus chapter was incredible , Georgia's fight and resistance against Russia , and how its border gets moved by a few meters everyday in the province of Abkhazia, or how Suhumi was a leader worldwide in medicine , having thousands of monkeys for testing. Armenia is also covered with its Nagorno Karabakh troubles
Ukraine is covered very well including the Donbass region (from both Russian and Ukrainian side).
The baltics were impresive , especially Lithuania and the utopia that the russians in Latvia are living.
Another very interesting part of the book was Finland complex history with Russia and also with Germany right before and during WW2. Being first under swedish rule , then its borders moved around , fighting Russia , then declaring itself friend of Russia.
A well made book full of juicy details, plenty of dialogues with the locals around the main subject of the book : how do you view Russia, how has Russia shaped your mentality and how has Russia influenced the state of affairs of your country along the centuries.
Its really incredible and many times shizophrenic how Russia's former subjects see its former big daddy.
Wonderdul book, well researched, i recommend it wholeheartedly !...more
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