This website contains a wealth of information about the controversial American explorer, Dr. Frederick A. Cook.

By using it:

  • You can follow him throughout each of the major expeditions he participated in.
  • You will learn the details of the bitter "Polar Controversy" caused by his claim after the last of these to have beaten Robert E. Peary to the North Pole by a year.
  • You will find out what happened to Cook after he was discredited and Peary was acclaimed the first man at the North Pole.
  • You can read an analysis of Cook’s story of his conquest of the Pole that uses existing evidence to determine if it could be true.
  • You will be able to see some of the thousands of items that still attest to the huge popular interest the Polar Controversy aroused.
  • You will learn the disposition of Cook’s papers, existing diaries and photographs.
  • You will be able to hear Cook’s voice and see a film clip of him arriving in Copenhagen in September 1909.
  • You will also be able to see a complete list of Cook’s published writings and read an analysis of his book My Attainment of the Pole.
  • You will find a list of significant books about the Polar Controversy for further reading.
  • You will be able to follow Cook’s route in 1908 and see modern scenes along it taken by the foremost trekker in the area over which Cook traveled.

Through the resources available on this website, you will be in a better position to separate the facts from the ongoing fantasy that still surrounds the Polar Controversy and the man who stands at its center.

Copyright Notice: The design and content of this website are copyright Robert M. Bryce and may not be reproduced without permission.  For information about the credentials of the author of this website, see About the author  in the News section.