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.

Drawing on libraries and archives from around the world this book provides the first, large-scale history of Antarctica. On one level, it is the story of explorers in the most hostile place on earth as they strive for personal triumph, commercial gain and national glory. On a deeper level, it is the story of nations seeking to incorporate the Antarctic into their national narratives and to claim its frozen wastes as their own. It was not until 1820 that the continent’s frozen coast was finally discovered and parts of the continent began to be claimed by nations that were intent on having it as their own. On and off for nearly two centuries, the race to claim exclusive possession of Antarctica has gripped the imagination of the world. Science was enlisted to buttress the rival claims as nations developed new ways of asserting territorial claims over land that was too forbidding to occupy. Although the Antarctic Treaty of 1959 was meant to end the rivalry, it has continued regardless, as new nations became involved and environmentalists, scientists and resource companies began to compete for control. A groundbreaking history of human interaction with Antarctica, the last continent on earth.

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.

The exciting successor to the ground-breaking “Planet Earth” and “Blue Planet” series, and has been created by the same award-winning team. Most of us will never travel to these great wildernesses and, even for those lucky enough to have gone, this portrait of our polar regions will surprise and astound. Take a journey to the last truly great wilderness regions. From the great melt in Spring to the 24-hour summer, the beginning of the big freeze and long dark winter, this epic series will follow the dramatic landscapes and the emotional life stories of the animals that live there. Following the stories of the polar bear and wolf in the North Pole and the Adelie penguin and Killer whale in the South Pole, we see how they survive these extremes, how they feed, mate and rear their young. Using the latest hi-tech cameras, the series will reveal animal behaviour as we’ve never seen before – the long, tender mating ritual of the Polar bears, the vast penguin colonies, the Arctic’s most impressive hunter, the wolf as well as Eider ducks, gentle seals and socialable ravens.
But the real star of this series is the ice and this book will tell its story, from its formation to its movement and its beauty. And of course what the future holds for it. This is the last chance to explore our frozen planet before it changes forever.

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.

The story of life’s tenacity on the coldest of Earth’s continents. It tells of the explorers who discovered Antarctica, of the whalers and sealers who despoiled it, and of the scientists who are deciphering its mysteries. In beautiful, lucid prose, David G. Campbell chronicles the desperately short summers on the Antarctic Peninsula. He presents a fascinating portrait of the evolution of life in Antarctica and also of the evolution of the continent itself.