polar

There have been many books about Antarctica in the past, but all have focused on only one aspect of the continent – its science, its wildlife, the heroic age of exploration, personal experiences or the sheer awesome beauty of the landscape- but none have managed to capture the whole story, until now. Gabrielle Walker, author, consultant to New Scientist and regular broadcaster with the BBC has written a book unlike any that has ever been written about the continent.

Published to coincide with the centenary of the first expeditions to reach the South Pole, “An Empire of Ice” presents a fascinating new take on Antarctic exploration. Retold with added information, it’s the first book to place the famed voyages of Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen, his British rivals Robert Scott and Ernest Shackleton, and others in a larger scientific, social, and geopolitical context. Efficient, well prepared, and focused solely on the goal of getting to his destination and back, Amundsen has earned his place in history as the first to reach the South Pole. Scott, meanwhile, has been reduced in the public mind to a dashing incompetent who stands for little more than relentless perseverance in the face of inevitable defeat. “An Empire of Ice” offers a new perspective on the Antarctic expeditions of the early twentieth century by looking at the British efforts for what they actually were: massive scientific enterprises in which reaching the South Pole was but a spectacular sideshow.
By focusing on the larger purpose, Edward Larson deepens our appreciation of the explorers’ achievements, shares little-known stories, and shows what the Heroic Age of Antarctic discovery was really about.

This lavish full-colour publication presents the ill-fated Antarctic explorations of Scott and Shackleton through the eyes of their official photographers. Published to coincide with the 100th anniversary of Scott’s expedition to the South Pole, this book brings together a selection of the astonishing photographs taken by Herbert Ponting travelling on board the Terra Nova with Scott, and by Frank Hurley on Endurance with Shackleton. David Hempleman-Adams, one of the world’s most successful polar explorers, introduces Ponting and Hurley’s evocative images, while further essays on the two camera artists and their processes are complemented by maps and chronologies of the expeditions, and biographies of members of their parties. The magnificent photographs themselves are the finest in existence. Some show unique tints applied to them by the photographers. They are presented alongside matchless archival material: the flag entrusted to Scott by Queen Alexandra upon his departure in 1910 and returned to her by Scott’s widow after his death; and a copy of the Aurora Australis, the first book ever to be printed in Antarctica.

Covering more than 7 percent of the earth’s surface, sea ice is crucial to the functioning of the biosphere – and is a key component in our attempts to understand and combat climate change. With “On Sea Ice”, geophysicist W. F. Weeks delivers a natural history of sea ice, a fully comprehensive and up-to-date account of our knowledge of its creation, change, and function. The volume begins with the earliest recorded observations of sea ice, from 350 BC, but the majority of its information is drawn from the period after 1950, when detailed study of sea ice became widespread. Weeks delves into both micro-level characteristics – internal structure, component properties, and phase relations – and the macro-level nature of sea ice, such as salinity, growth, and decay. He also explains the mechanics of ice pack drift and the recently observed changes in ice extent and thickness. An unparalleled account of a natural phenomenon that will be of increasing importance as the earth’s temperature rises.

Many people form a strong connection with wild and remote places. Macquarie Island is such a place. Halfway between Australia and Antarctica, this tiny speck of land in the middle of the Southern Ocean is one of the most remote landmasses on Earth. An Australian World Heritage Area, the island is geologically unique and the plants that live there are found in very few other parts of the world. It is also home to a fantastic and diverse array of wildlife. During the summer months, penguins, seals, albatrosses and other petrels come ashore in vast numbers. For the first 100 years following its accidental discovery in 1810, the humans living there heavily exploited the island and its natural wildlife resources. In 1933, the natural value of the island was recognized and it was declared a wildlife sanctuary. Since 1948, it has also been the site of a permanently populated research station. Today, the island is again a subantarctic wildlife haven. Beautifully illustrated by the photography of Aleks Terauds and the artwork of Fiona Stewart, this book covers all the aspects of Macquarie Island from its rich history to life on the island today, the geology and the plants and, of course, the wildlife that lives there.