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Scott brought machines and ponies to Antarctica. He brought an additional crew member without having sufficient resources for him. He also had the men sled-haul supplies. Amundsen brought dogs and just enough crew. The dogs pulled the sleds and the crew ate the dogs as they went along, and as according to plan. Amundsen earned his victory.

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As far as this book claims, aside from being resilient and brave, Scott seems to have bungled his way through most of his life. The fatal expedition seems to have been a long string of bad decisions and underestimation.

I feel like the book is somewhat biased against Scott, but it also seems like he gets a lot wrong, compared to someone like Amundsen who really set the bar for Antarctic exploration and preparation.

https://books.google.co.nz/books/about/The_Last_Place_on_Ear...

Siberian ponies were regularly used in Antarctica. Shackleton himself had used them in an earlier expedition, and a German expedition contemporaneous to Scott's was using them also.

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