The fifth man : Henry R Bowers

A biography of Henry Robertson 'Birdie' Bowers who was a member of Scott's Terra Nova expedition to the Antarctic. Bowers had previously joined the merchant marine as a cadet, later enlisting in the Royal Indian Marine Service. On the polar expedition, Bowers gained a reputation for his organizational skills and accompanied Apsley Cherry-Garrard and Edward Wilson on the winter journey to the emperor penguin breeding grounds at Cape Crozier in July 1911. Bowers was assigned to the polar party and died on the return journey from the South Pole in 1912, aged 28. The account is critical of Scott's leadership, planning and decision-making on the expedition.