This well-preserved first printing is unmarked. The pages are tight and appear unread. The book is tight, square, and unmarked, with some visible wear on the top and bottom of the dust cover, white cloth boards, and silver lettering on the spine of the book. The Noose of Laurels: Robert E. Peary and the Race to the North Pole by Wally Herbert is a historical analysis that critically examines the long-debated claim that Robert E. Peary was the first to reach the North Pole. Published in 1989, the book presents a detailed exploration of Peary's 1909 expedition, during which he declared that he had become the first person to reach the geographic North Pole. Wally Herbert, a renowned polar explorer himself, uses his expertise to question the accuracy of Peary’s claim. Through meticulous research of Peary’s diaries, records, and the testimonies of others involved, Herbert argues that Peary likely did not reach the North Pole as he claimed.