Antarctic Book Reviews

The following are all books we have readabout the Antarctic region and exploration, and believe all deserve a place in the Antarctic enthusiast’s library. Some may be newly published, some may be out of print, and only available second-hand, and in various editions.

• Captain Scott
• Antarctica: A Guide to the Wildlife (4th edition)
• Antarctica Cruising Guide
• Antarctica: The Blue Continent (2nd Edition)
• Below Freezing: The Antarctic Dive Guide (2nd Edition)
• Deception Island and the Antarctic Peninsula
• Alone
• Below the Convergence: Voyages Towards Antarctica, 1699-1839
• The Worst Journey in the World: Antarctica 1910-13
• The Coldest March: Scott’s Fatal Antarctic Expedition
• Penguins of the World
• Penguins: A Wildlife Monograph
• Through the First Antarctic Night, 1898-1899
• Icy Heritage: Historic Sites of the Ross Sea Region
• Surviving Antarctica
• Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage
• The Race to the White Continent: Voyages to the Antarctic
• The Explorations of Antarctica: The Last Unspoilt Continent

Captain Scott

By Ranulph Fiennes. Paper, 508pp.

There have been many books written about Scott’s last expedition, the one which ended with the death of five brave men who reached the South Pole – but after the Norwegian, Amundsen, had beaten them to it –  and perished on the way back. Not all of these 112 books, including some 50 biographies of Scott, have adopted the heroic British view of  “Scott of the Antarctic”. Indeed, some have been openly hostile, portraying him as an incompetent snob, who was a poor leader and hated by his men.

Fiennes  aims to tell the whole story in a truthful and unbiased way, quoting views and information directly from the letters, diaries, and journals of the expedition members themselves, expressed during and after the events. What emerges is a riveting tale of a group of men living and working together, each with their own skills and views, plus their personal foibles. As in any group of people living in close quarters, some would praise while others would criticise, at different times. In these circumstances, insists Fiennes, it would be wrong to make value judgements of Scott by quoting isolated comments or notebook entries not intended for publication.

A good example is this: When Scott had finally selected his four companions for the trek to the Pole, the others turned around and went back to Cape Evans, carrying various “last letters”. Titus Oates wrote this to his mother: “I am afraid the letter I wrote from the hut was full of grumbles...but please remember that when a man is having a bad time he says hard things about other people which he would regret afterwards”.

Ranulph Fiennes is supremely qualified to write this book, because he knows far more than almost anyone about the trials and tribulations of leading exhibitions and travelling in harsh conditions similar to those encountered by Scott’s party in 1912. He has man-hauled a sledge to the South Pole. He has experienced frostbite, losing parts of his own fingers. He has experience in choosing expedition members as well as food and equipment for their trips. His book is very well written, and benefits from countless insights arising from his own polar treks. Though he did not set out to defend Scott, or attack any of his detractors, this is the inevitable conclusion – indeed, the dedication reads “To the families of the defamed dead”.

Fiennes comprehensively demolishes the tissue of myths, misrepresentations, and outright lies that have been told about Captain Scott, most notably by the egregious Roland Huntford in his malicious book, Scott and Amundsen. Ranulph Fiennes has written a fascinating tale filled with telling details that will surely be the definitive account of Scott and his famous expedition.

Antarctica: A Guide to the Wildlife (4th edition)

By Tony Soper, with illustrations by Dafila Scott. Paper,144 pp.
ISBN 978-1-8416213-1-9

This small book is highly recommended for anyone considering an Antarctic cruise. Its handy paperback format won’t weigh you down, the informative and friendly text gives you all the information you need, and the simple yet beautiful watercolours are little works of art as well as fulfilling the functions of a field guide.

While the bulk of the book is concerned with the seabirds and marine mammals that one may see, there are several pages on the plants, invertebrates and fish. In addition, there are a dozen pages on the history of human discovery and exploitation of Antarctica..

Tony Soper was a co-founder of the BBC’s Natural History Unit and made many wildlife films. In recent years he has led a large number of expedition cruises to Antarctica and is an authority on its wildlife. Dafila Scott is a zoologist and a member of Britain’s Society of Wildlife Artists. She would seem to be the ideal person to illustrate this book, being the daughter of Sir Peter Scott, whose skills with a paint brush she has inherited, and is a grand-daughter of Captain Scott – “Scott of the Antarctic”. If you take only one book with you, it may well be this one.

Antarctica Cruising Guide

By Peter Carey and Craig Franklin. Paper, 233 pp.
ISBN 978-0-9582629-4-1

Aimed squarely at the Antarctic cruise passenger, this guide has two main sections – one describing and illustrating the birds and marine mammals likely to be encountered, and the other describing some 25 of the places in the Antarctic Peninsula region that people visit.

The text is detailed and very informative, and the illustrations consist of colour photos, nearly all of outstanding quality. There are also smaller chapters dealing with subjects such as the physical nature of Antarctica, especially ice, the terrestrial and marine ecosystems, the politics of Antarctica, and the threats to its conservation, from whaling to global warming and the possible introduction of alien species. There is no section devoted to history, but there’s plenty of interesting historical information in the descriptions of the visitor sites.

Both authors are zoologists who have made numerous visits to Antarctica in the course of research expeditions with the Australian and New Zealand Antarctic programmes, as well as lecturing on and leading many Antarctic cruises. This book could be your ideal companion if you only want to take one.

Reviewer’s note.
These two books cover similar ground, but are also quite different. Both are essentially concerned very largely with the Antarctic Peninsula and the South Shetland Islands, although the small maps in Soper & Scott indicate the birds’ breeding distribution over a wider area. They also feature more species of birds and cetaceans than Carey & Franklin, but the latter give more details about the make-up of the continent, and include information about the places where people are most likely to go ashore. It’s hard to say which is the better, so our verdict is to award them equal praise. The choice will probably depend on your preference for photos or artwork in a field guide.

Antarctica: The Blue Continent (2nd Edition)

By David McGonigal and Lynn Woodworth. Hardback, 224 pp.
ISBN 0-7112-2476-5

Let’s be straightforward about this book. It is fantastic! It is beautiful to look at, clearly and attractively designed, with many small maps and diagrams, well written, and illustrated with literally hundreds of first rate photographs. Actually, it is the sheer quality and interest of the photos that will strike the reader when first opening this book. It must represent one of the finest and most extensive collections of its kind anywhere.

What subjects does this book cover? Pretty well everything, and there can hardly be a question about Antarctica that is not answered here. These include occasional snippets of fascinating information, such as the fact that the salinity of sea ice is generally about one-tenth that of seawater. As seawater freezes the salt is forced out. Now, that’s nice to know, and so is the fact that Adelie penguins are able to travel up to 300 kilometres (190 miles) from their nesting sites in search of food.

David McGonigal is an Australian travel writer and photographer with a passion for the polar regions. Co-author Dr Lynn Woodworth is a biologist with a doctorate in genetics. Originally from Canada, she now lives in Australia and has visited Antarctica and the Arctic many times.

Their book is fairly bulky, and you may not want to lug it along on your cruise, but either before your cruise or when you return home you will certainly want to consult it, and at the same time bring back memories of your cruise, for many years afterwards. We hope it will remain in print for a long time.

Below Freezing: The Antarctic Dive Guide (2nd Edition)

By Lisa Eareckson Trotter Paper,128 pp.
ISBN 978-190365728-7

Not many people have dived in Antarctica, and most of those have been involved in government-sponsored Antarctic research programmes. But in recent years the number of recreational scuba divers has increased, and the author says that Antarctica is fast becoming the world’s number one extreme dive destination.

This simple but highly practical guidebook is the first to cover Antarctica. Trotter deals with all the necessary information, such as how and when to get there, what to expect, what to bring (suggesting dry suits instead of wet), what wildlife you are likely to see, and underwater photography in the region. She warns that this is a challenging environment, where there are no hyperbaric chambers, and is no place for the inexperienced diver.

The heart of the book consists of detailed descriptions of 27 dive sites in the Antarctic Peninsula and South Georgia. In each case there is a location map, and information on depth, ice, and what you may see. These pages are copiously illustrated with photos.

The author also mentions some of the hazards. Around South Georgia fur seals can be very numerous and inquisitive, and the males are very territorial in the breeding season, so care should be taken at that time. The other species which may be a problem is the leopard seal. There was one fatality in 2005, but Shona Muir of the British Antarctic Survey says that the occurrence was most unusual, and that if the diver is vigilant, and does not panic, all should be well.

This subject is also addressed by Swedish diver Göran Ehlmé in a fascinating account of his experiences in which he developed “a kind of love affair with the species.” One summer, he says, a large female leopard seal “liked to keep me company while I was filming other seals, and would often tickle my neck with her whiskers. Once she started to kill penguins for me, 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 a day, surrounding me with their poor carcases, but thankfully she eventually lost interest in that, and continued only being an observer.” Not many of us are likely to have such close encounters .... but what an experience!

Lisa Trotter hails from upstate New York. She graduated with a degree in health education and human biology, but after a radical career change went to sea on the National Geographic Endeavour of Lindblad Expeditions, where she has worked as an undersea specialist, divemaster, and expedition leader. Scuba divers will welcome this essential source-book, while armchair divers will also learn much about Antarctica’s underwater realm.

Deception Island and the Antarctic Peninsula

By Peter Hall; paper, 96 pp.
ISBN 1-899-392–408

This is the tale of one young man’s dream come true – and as Peter Hall says, going out there and just “doing your own thing”. In his case this meant being left alone for 17 nights on a volcanic island in the South Shetlands. Deception Island is one of the most scientifically and historically interesting islands in the Peninsula region. Its flora and fauna include rare or endemic plant species; and some 50,000 seabirds breed along its shores, including the largest colony of chinstrap penguins in Antarctica.

This is the place from where Nathaniel Palmer may have been the first man to set eyes on the continent of Antarctica for the first time in 1820. It became the centre of an enormous whaling operation early in the 20th century, and Hubert Wilkins took off from Deception Island in 1928 on a 10-hour surveying and mapping flight that was the first in Antarctica.

Hall’s stay could have been a nightmare. “There were times when I sat bracing up the tent against the howling wind when I felt the island was trying to throw me off its back,” he writes. But his short stay proved to be a remarkable adventure which he recounts with insight and enthusiasm. His story is matched with many splendid photographs, including an extraordinary one of an Antarctic tern in flight about to swallow a krill, and an even more miraculous one of an Antarctic prion and a blue petrel flying close together while perfectly exhibiting the diagnostic features that enable birdwatchers to tell them apart. Besides the photos, there are 16 of his equally lovely paintings.

Peter Hall had to work hard to get permission for his stay, but it was well deserved, and those who acquire this book will be well rewarded – among them those who have been staff members on expedition cruises to these parts, and have visited Deception often. They will certainly envy him his good fortune, and applaud the good use he has made of the opportunity.

In addition...

We like the following books, but while some may be newly published, many may be out of print, and only available second-hand, and in various editions. Nevertheless, their content is still relevant and we believe they deserve a place in the Antarctic enthusiast’s library. They are listed here in no particular order.

Alone

By Admiral Richard E. Byrd

First published in 1938, this is the gripping story of Byrd’s four-and-one-half months’ stay in a tiny hut during his 2nd Antarctic expedition. It tells of his struggle for sanity and survival while he was being slowly poisoned by carbon monoxide caused by a faulty stove.

Below the Convergence: Voyages Towards Antarctica, 1699-1839

Alan Gurney, 1997

Very readable and well researched historian’s account of journeys by larger than life characters sailing in search of Terra Australis Incognita

The Worst Journey in the World: Antarctica 1910-13

By Apsley Cherry-Garrard

The story of Scott’s last expedition is told by the man who found the three bodies and retrieved  their journals and letters. Cherry-Garrard also describes his own famous midwinter trek with Wilson & Bowers to collect penguin eggs.

The Coldest March: Scott’s Fatal Antarctic Expedition

By Dr Susan Solomon

Susan Solomon has examined all the meteorological information, past and present, as well as other evidence, and concludes that the expedition’s tragic failure was caused by exceptionally cold weather that Scott’s men could not have predicted. This very readable book by a leading American scientist refutes the unwarranted character assassination of Scott by authors such as Roland Huntford, and in fact praises his planning.

Penguins of the World

By Wayne Lynch 

Over the past 18 years Wayne Lynch has tracked down all 17 species of penguins and presents them here in a multitude of superb photos and supporting text across 176 pages.

Penguins: A Wildlife Monograph

By Fritz Polking

Acclaimed photographer Fritz Polking provides great photographs and informative text on everyone’s favourite birds; 96 pages.

Through the First Antarctic Night, 1898-1899

By Dr Frederick A. Cook

Adrien de Gerlache’s Belgian Expedition was the first to winter south of the Antarctic Circle. Its multinational crew included the discoverer of the South Pole (the Norwegian Roald Amundsen,1911) and the probable discoverer of the North Pole (the American Frederick Cook, 1908). This book, first published in 1900, tells their story.

Icy Heritage: Historic Sites of the Ross Sea Region

By David L. Harrowfield, 1995

Excellent descriptions of the huts and other shelters used by explorers of the Heroic Age, of which Scott’s and Shackleton’s are the best known.

Surviving Antarctica

By David N. Thomas, Foreword by Ray Mears

David Thomas is a Professor of Marine Biology at the University of Wales-Bangor and his new book explains how different organisms, including birds, seals, whales, fish, and even humans, cope with Antarctica's extreme conditions.

Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage

By Alfred Lansing

First published in 1959, this book tells the whole story of the expedition, from their ship Endurance being beset by ice and eventually sinking in the Weddell Sea; the men travelling on ice floes and then by boats to rugged Elephant Island; and finally Shackleton’s own 800-mile voyage to South Georgia in an open boat to seek help to rescue his men.

The Race to the White Continent: Voyages to the Antarctic

By Alan Gurney, 2000

Gurney’s follow-up volume describes three expeditions that were planned simultaneously. The colourful adventures of US Navy officer Charles Wilkes, French explorer Dumont d’Urville, and British Royal Navy officer James Clark Ross led the way to the Heroic Age of Antarctic exploration.

The Explorations of Antarctica: The Last Unspoilt Continent

By Professor G. E. “Tony” Fogg and David Smith, 1990

Enjoyable and informative account by Emeritus Professor of Marine Biology at the University of Wales, with dramatic paintings by David Smith, resulting from his one-year stay in Antarctica.