The Explorer and the Journalist: Frederick Cook, Philip Gibbs and the Scandal that Shocked the World

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Richard Evans

The Explorer and the Journalist

Frederick Cook, Philip Gibbs and the Scandal that Shocked the World

Richard Evans

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English

The History Press Ltd
01 July 2023

Biography: general; Biography: historical, political & military; Reportage & collected journalism; 20th century history: c 1900 to c 2000; Press & journalism; Geographical discovery & exploration

On 1 September 1909, American explorer Frederick Cook caused one of the biggest sensations in exploration history when, after a year with no word from him, a message arrived announcing he had become the first person to reach the North Pole.

Cook's boat was due to arrive in Copenhagen a few days later, and the world's journalists scrambled to get there in time to meet him. One of them was Philip Gibbs, an obscure reporter for London's Daily Chronicle, who had a chance encounter in a Copenhagen café that led to him getting an exclusive interview with Cook before he reached land. But the interview left Gibbs doubting Cook's story, and so in his article he took a huge gamble putting his career at risk by making it clear he thought Cook was a charlatan.

The article caused a huge scandal and marked the start of a frantic six days when Copenhagen showered Cook with accolades while Gibbs tried to prove he was a liar. It was a week in which Gibbs found himself booed by fellow diners in a restaurant, twice accused of lying in his articles, and even challenged to a duel, but none of this hostility would stop him in his search for the truth behind Cook's polar claim.

And when Cook was finally exposed as a hoax, Gibbs was confirmed as one of Britain's most successful journalists (he would later become a household name for his reporting on the First World War). Cook, on the other hand, found his reputation ruined, and he spent the rest of his life unsuccessfully trying to convince the world that he really did reach the Pole.

The Explorer and the Journalist is a riveting account of how a maverick journalist risked it all in his quest to uncover the real story.

AUTHOR: Richard Evans is a former journalist, having written for The Times, the Guardian, the BBC, among others. He is the author of From the Frontline: The Extraordinary Life of Sir Basil Clarke (THP, 2013).

17 b/w illustrations

By: Richard Evans
Imprint: The History Press Ltd
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 234mm, Width: 156mm,
ISBN: 9781803991931
ISBN 10: 1803991933
Publication Date: 01 July 2023
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Unspecified

Richard Evans is a former journalist, having written for The Times, the Guardian, the BBC, among others. He is the author of From the Frontline: The Extraordinary Life of Sir Basil Clarke (THP, 2013)

Reviews for The Explorer and the Journalist: Frederick Cook, Philip Gibbs and the Scandal that Shocked the World

*“Excellent” - * British Journalism Review ** * British Journalism Review * *“Richard Evans writes in a factual but addictive manner that reels you in” - *Nimrod journal ** * Nimrod journal * “Gripping” - Daily Express * Daily Express *