PROFILE | Sir Ernest Shackleton: The Race to the South Pole

It has been called the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration. During the 25-year period between 1897 and 1922, both the scientific and geographic communities as well as the public eye were fixated on polar exploration. Sixteen major expeditions were launched during which both magnetic poles were reached, and countless data and specimens across a wide range of scientific disciplines were gathered. Norwegian Roald Amundsen, Englishman Sir Robert Falcon Scott and Australian Douglas Mawson led some of the most famous expeditions of the period. But, curiously, the man considered by many to the be the greatest explorer of the age never actually made it to the South Pole.

REFLECTIONS | September 16, 1830: The Poet That Saved Old Ironsides

The USS Constitution was the first commissioned ship of the United States Navy. The construction of the ship was authorized by President George Washington in 1794. The Third Congress had previously requested that some action be taken to protect American merchant ships, which were being attacked with increasing frequency by North African and British ships. The steps taken by Congress and the President essentially resulted in the creation of the US Navy, as well as the USS Constitution. But, if it weren’t for the acts of a scholarly poet the ship would have been destroyed–something no navy in the world had been able to do.

PROFILE | The Secret Life of Winston Churchill

Winston Churchill is widely acknowledged as one of the most important men of the 20th Century. His gift of leadership, mastery of the written word, and gripping oratory is noted in the history books in schools around the world. He will forever and most chiefly be remembered as a key figure in the events of World War II and a champion of democracy. Democracy was perhaps Churchill’s most consuming passion and he devoted his working life to its pursuit.

But, it was a different type of pursuit, usually practiced under aliases, that served as his passion throughout the latter part of his life.

FIELD | Using Choke to Improve Accuracy for the Fall Bird Season

Fall means football, first frost, foliage, and getting back into the field with your shotgun. It’s hard to argue that Fall is the King of the Seasons. As the fall bird season gets underway, it is always useful to prepare your shotgun and loads to give yourself the best opportunity to hit your targets and bring home a rucksack full of birds at the end of the day.

The Forgotten Legend of Holt Collier

He was a slave, soldier, cowboy, and perhaps the greatest big game hunter in United States history. And he influenced the popularity and nickname of our most beloved President. The little known story of Holt Collier is one that’s been too long forgotten.

IMAGES | Willis & Geiger Book No. 2

What do Charles Lindbergh, Roald Amundsen, Teddy Roosevelt and Sir Edmund Hillary have in common? Besides being exploration and adventure marvels, the clothes they wore. Legendary outfitter Willis & Geiger supplied each of them on their celebrated expeditions. 1n 1996, W&G published the second edition of its mail order catalog, bringing the wares of legends to the masses.

PROFILE | Jack O’Connor: His Words Guided the Hunts of a Generation

A generation of outdoorsmen will forever recognize his weathered face peering through wire rimmed glasses, often under the shade of a well worn cowboy hat. It was an image seen by millions in the pages of Outdoor Life magazine, as he introduced boys of all ages to the beauty and adventures of the outdoors. His stories of places from Alaska to Zambia were anxiously read for their lessons in hunting and for an always gifted sense of storytelling. Jack O’Connor gave his readers a guide’s view of far off places that they could only dream of someday seeing with their own eyes.