Henson a "nigger"?!

Too ignorant to have written his own book?

Peary a fraud?

Is this hate literature?

YOU DECIDE!

(left) this version of Henson's book has photos stolen from the Widget Magic edition.

A junior college librarian declared himself to be a polar expert without ever interviewing a single primary source. After years in his library, traveling to other libraries, using the inter-library loan service, etc. he read so many second hand accounts that he declares Peary and Henson to be frauds. In other words, he decided to change history based upon his personal opinions. What are those opinions? (check out the links)

His 1100 page biography of career criminal Fred Cook is pretentiously titled. The book is not the useful reference some thought it was as the material is pre-selected to agree with the authors opinions. This is a collection of mean spirited diary entries from disgruntled employees of the Peary Arctic Club, back stabbers, trouble makers, and statements attributed to every bigot and enemy of Peary. Talk about bias!

All of Peary's work is ignored, denigrated or dismissed as is Henson's autobiography. Why? Because Bryce believes Peary and Henson are simply frauds or liars. The librarian even rejects the official biography Henson wrote with Bradley Robinson as "fantasy and fiction." What is his basis for doing that? Well, he found material from a racist individual and prefers to accept that over Matt Henson's account. Matt's details of an event differs from that offered by Dr. Dedrick. Who was Dedrick you ask? Dedrick participated on an expedition until Peary became so disgusted with Dedrick he stopped speaking to him.

Dedrick is a racist according to research from Harvard's Dr. Allen Counter (see pages 230 - 235 of North Pole Legacy 2001). Dedrick did not hide his resentment of Henson. Dedrick appears to have been highly jealous that Matt was his superior in the Arctic. Peary became thoroughly disgusted with Dedrick, accusing Dedrick (1900) of megalomania, molesting Eskimo girls, raping the women he examined and even killing a woman by throwing her to the floor! But no matter, the biased librarian Bryce prefers Henson hater Dedrick's version of an event over Henson's version. Get it? I'll leave further conclusions to the reader.

Self proclaimed "*leading authority" Bryce later reprinted public domain books by Peary and Henson. His long, mean spirited introductions leave the reader too disgusted to bother reading the actual book. Why bother? Bryce has already told us in his introductions that these men were frauds and their books meaningless, ghost written lies.

I believe this is hate literature. I recommend that you avoid these books in a school library. If you do carry them, I believe you should consider classifying them as hate literature.

* Dr. Counter has challenged this pretentious, self awarded status. No one in the polar community from Greenland to the Explorers Club or National Geographic, as far as we know, even knows librarian Bryce.

Reprint of Fred Cook's ridiculous 1911 work slandering Peary and his critics is a study in paranoid delusions by a sociopath. Now it sports a sympathetic intro by his ardent admirer, Bryce.

After Cook & Peary the junior college librarian reprinted Cook's ridiculous 1911 "come back" work: My Attainment of The Pole. Fred Cook let loose every slur against Peary he could muster. This work became the watershed for all subsequent hate literature against Peary & Henson.

Why reprint it? The descendents of Fred Cook with their "Cook Society" already have a version of it for sale! Does the world need two reprints? In fact, many used copies of the original 1911-1913 printings are commonly available at www.bookfinder.com.

To be honest with the reader I must confess that Cook's books are collected because they are laughable frauds. My Attainment of The Pole is hilariously revealing of Cook's delusional thoughts with ample bile tossed at Peary. I own copies of the first and third edition. Cook was such a toad that it is amusing to read his work once you know what he's really about.

Cook's famous fraudulent claim to have been the first to reach the summit of Mt. McKinley is a big joke among contemporary mountain climbers. Original copies of that rare book are expensive ($100-300). The Cook Society (no surprise) sells a new release in affordable paperback of To The Top of The Continent for reasons only they would be able to explain.

Racist premise that Peary took Henson to the Pole instead of a "reliable witness" such as white man Bartlett.

 

Little (62-inches in height) Wally says Henson & Peary traveled impossibly fast to the Pole. Why? Because Wally did not have sufficient professional dog handling skills to match the 1909 expedition.

Landry & Crowley proved
Wally was wrong!

Portrays Henson as an "unreliable witness", a racist phrase that had not been heard in decades. Listen to the BBC's refutation of that bit of bigotry: Stealing The Glory (requires Real Audio player)

Noose is a murky mess of innuendo that Peary faked reaching the Pole. That makes Henson his dupe or co-conspirator in fraud. The author is a failed polar traveler, merely 62 inches in stature, who found it so hard to push his grossly overloaded sledge over the polar ice that he declared Peary never could have done it. Wally only reached the Pole after 18 months (!) with the help of the Canadian Air force who flew in his bathtub. Seriously.

Wally's theories have been proved false. In fact, this book so infuriated the National Geographic Magazine that they published a stunning demolishment of Wally's "theories". Read it for yourself. Later, Paul Landry and Paul Crowley further disproved Herbert's claim that Henson traveled "impossibly fast" with his dog teams. They showed the 62 inch Wally what 6-foot tall real men who are EXPERTS with dog teams can do without the Canadian Air force.

Why did Wally write this? Some say because if he could destroy Henson & Peary's claim to the Pole then little Herbert would be the first to reach the Pole by dog team. Nice try. Apparently people love little Wally in his home country, merry old England. The Queen made him a "Sir" Wally like she did for Elton John, Sean Connery, and other actors.

Brits, believe it or not, have never forgiven Peary for taking Henson to the Pole instead of British citizen Robert Bartlett. Peary wanted an "all American" claim on the Pole and Noose of Laurels is the payback. Noose is a pathetic attempt to discredit the American heroes with theories that have clearly been proven wrong. Get it? Discard this book or reclassify it as "fringe history". At the very least place a notice advising students to read the January, 1990 National Geographic Magazine article New Evidence Places Peary at The Pole.