An extremely worthwhile read about an anti-hero epic. He played a key role in the legendary races to both poles - yet today he remains unknown: Hjalmar Johansen. While Fridtjof Nansen gained worldwide fame with his expedition to the North Pole and Roald Amundsen rose to become the conqueror of the South Pole, Johansen remained the third man in the background. Who was this excellent athlete whose loyalty even embarrassed the expedition leaders? In Reinhold Messner's exploration of the darker sides of an adventurer's life, the race to the poles becomes a timeless human tragedy.