Merlyn Paine, the daughter of Stuart Paine, has been working on this presentation of her father's diaries for several years now, so it is a pleasure to finally see the results. Rai Goerler's 10-page Foreword—Stuart Paine, Admiral Richard Byrd and the Second Byrd Antarctic Expedition—is excellent. The three-page Preface tells a bit about the Paine family, how Paine ended up going to the Antarctic and gives a description of the three-volume diaries that are the basis of this book. (Advice to diarists: keep your diaries out of damp garages!) Also, a few words about the Barrier Bull, which I didn't know about until Merlyn, at a recent symposium at Ohio State, talked about this expeditionary newspaper that her father initiated. Merlyn's three-page Introduction is a summary description of the Second Byrd Expedition. Coming next from page 7 to page 276 is Paine's three-volume transcribed diary interspersed with numerous black and white photographs, facsimiles, maps, etc. The photographs are not reproduced very well (dark and not particularly crisp), but this seems to be the rule today in book production and not the exception. Nonetheless, many of them appear for the first time, so they are valuable on that score alone.
One of the first illustrations I focused on was the opening page of the diary. As I read the transcription on the preceding page, I thought it odd that 'Station Island' appeared on one line and 'Staten Island' on the next. Looking at the actual page, it's clearly written as 'Staten' in both instances. Let's hope this this was a fluke and not representative of the transcription. (I will have to say that I've yet to read the diary portion of the book, only paged through it. It goes on the 'to read pile' right now.)
Merlyn's five-page Afterword deftly summarizes Paine's achievements in the Antarctic and goes on to tell of his later years and early death at age 50.
For me, the most interesting section of the book is Appendix 4 which is made up of representative selections from each of the eight issues of the Barrier Bull which Paine started up as "the only internal magazine compiled within Little America during the expedition." (Researchers should take note that there is a complete run in the Special Collections at the University of New Hampshire Library.) These selections make up 36 pages of the book and as far as I know constitute the closest thing to a full reprinting that's appeared so far.
Merlyn deserves credit for toiling so thoroughly and lovingly to bring her father's story to print.
—R. Stephenson
(3 June 2007)

Stuart Paine was a dog driver, radio operator, and navigator on the fifty-six-man expedition, the bold and complex venture that is now famous for Byrd's dramatic rescue from Bolling Advance Weather Base located 115 miles inland. Paine's diaries represent the only published contemporary account written by a member of the Second Expedition. They reveal a behind-the-scenes look at the contentiousness surrounding the planned winter rescue of Byrd and offer unprecedented insights into the expedition's internal dynamics.

Equally riveting is Paine's breathtaking narrative of the fall and summer field operations as the field parties depended on their own resources in the face of interminable uncertainty and peril. Undertaking the longest and most hazardous sledging journey of the expedition, Paine guided the first American party from the edge of the Ross Sea more than seven hundred miles up the Ross Ice Shelf and the massive Thorne (Scott) Glacier to approach the South Pole. He and two other men skied more than fourteen hundred miles in eighty-eight days to explore and map part of Antarctica for the first time.

Footsteps on the Ice reveals the daily struggles, extreme personalities, and the matter-of-fact bravery of early explorers who are now fading into history. Detailing the men's frustrations, annoyances, and questioning of their leader, Paine's entries provide rare insight into how Byrd conducted his expeditions. Paine exposes the stresses of living under the snow in Little America during the four-month-long winter night, trapped in dim, crowded huts and black tunnels, while the men uneasily mulled over their leader's isolation at Advance Base. The fates of Paine's dogs, which provided some of his most difficult and rewarding experiences, are also described his relationship with Jack, his lead dog, is an entrancing story in itself.

Featuring previously unpublished photographs and illustrations, Footsteps on the Ice documents the period in Antarctic exploration that bridged the "heroic era" and the modern age of mechanized travel. Depicting almost incomprehensible mental and physical duress and unhesitating courage, Paine's tale is one of the most compelling stories in polar history, surpassing other accounts with its immediacy and adventure as it captures the majesty and mystery of the untouched Antarctic.

M.L. Paine, the daughter of Stuart Paine, is an independent researcher who resides in Nevada and Alaska."

—From the dustjacket.

CONTENTS:

Illustrations
Maps
Foreword by Raimund E. Goerler
Preface
Acknowledgments
Introduction by M.L. Paine
DIARY ONE

1. Chinook Kennels: September 27-November 2, 1933
2. At Sea: November 3-December 9, 1933
3. The Roaring Forties and South: December 13, 1933-January 16, 1934
4. Misery Trail: January 24-February 28, 1934
5. Journey of "Seven Hells": March 1-31, 1934
6. Little America: April 1-22, 1934
7. The Old Mess Hall: April 25-June 10, 1934

DIARY TWO

8. The Deep Winter Night: June 15-July 17, 1934
9. The Admiral and Summer Field Preparations: July 20-October 15, 1934

DIARY THREE

10. The Start of the Southern Journey: October 16-November 20, 1934
11. In Select Company: November 21-December 5, 1934
12. Mount Weaver: December 6, 1934-January 11, 1935

DIARY FOUR

13. Homeward: January 13-May 12, 1935

Afterword by M.L. Paine

APPENDIXES

1. The Men of the Second Byrd Antarctic Expedition
2. "What Is It Like to Travel at Seventy-five below Zero?" by Dr. Thomas C. Poulter
3. Fall Southern Trip Meteorological and Navigating Records
4. Barrier Bull Selections May 19, 1934, Issue 1 May 26, 1934, Issue 2 June 2, 1934, Issue 3 June 9, 1934, Issue 4 June 16, 1934, Issue 5 June 23, 1934, Issue 6 June 30, 1934, Issue 7 July 7, 1934, Issue 8
5. Logistics Planning from Mile 173 to Mile 445.5, Thorne Glacier, and Return to Little America
6. Navigation and Triangulation Reports: Summer Journey to the Queen Maud Range

Bibliography
Index

Illustrations

Stuart D. Paine, 1933
Paine's Antarctic Diaries
The First Page of the Diaries: September 27, 1933
Letter Inviting Paine to Join the Expedition
Olin Stancliff and Ed Moody by the Jacob Ruppert
The Dog Drivers at Boston Harbor
Finn Ronne and Members of the Dog Department
Alton Wade and Other Drivers
Dick Russell
Alan Innes-Taylor
Dogs on the Jacob Ruppert
The Neptune Ceremony for the Dog Drivers
Haircuts aboard the Jacob Ruppert
Exploring Easter Island
The Family at Christmas
The Workboat Attending the Condor
Paine on Deck with Seals
Diary Page: Byrd Expedition Stamps
Unloading the Jacob Ruppert
Pressure Ridge Camp
A Loaded Sledge
The Team before the Pressure
Dick Black on a Pressure Ridge
Unloading the Bear of Oakland
Jack the Giant Killer, Paine's Lead Dog
Paine's Team in Dog Town
Little America and the Cow Tent
Perkins in the Hatch
The "Place of Absolute Safety"
Paine with a Frozen Seal
Jack's Team by the Seal Pile
The Fall Journey South
The Tractor Party at 50 Mile Depot
Paine, Buck, and Break-it at 50 Mile Depot
Building a Depot
Supplying a Depot
Mile 155, the Turnaround Point
Digging the Fuel Tunnel for Admiral Byrd
Admiral Byrd at Advance Base
Diary Page: The Admiral and a Base Diagram
Byrd to Poulter Memorandum Forbidding Winter Rescue
View of Little America
A Meal in the New Mess Hall
Personnel of the Winter Party, "Little America Times"
Torches and Lanterns Lighting the Dog Tunnel
Paine at the Entrance of the Dog Tunnels
Coniac and Rowdy
Charlie Murphy of CBS
Chopping Frozen Seals
Young and Bowlin in Their Bunks
"My Bunk"
Covers of the Barrier Bull
The Barrier Bull: Charles J. V. Murphy on Admiral Byrd
The Barrier Bull: Editorial by Stuart D. Paine and Richard S. Russell
The Library
Notice from Dr. Poulter to the Men on Alcohol and Exercise
Paine and Jack in the Seal Chopping House
"The Stinking Trio" in Blubberheim
Stancliff Making Pemmican
The Tractor Party's First Attempt
Digging Out the Pilgrim
The Dog Drivers Meeting
Putting Up Field Rations
Testing the Condor's Engines
Diary Page: "No Feeling of Hesitation . . ."
The Geological Party Packing
Seven Teams Getting Ready
A Rest on the Trail
Hill's Tractor in a Crevasse
The Loaded Trailer by the Crevasse
Blackburn's Sledges down a Crevasse
Mountain Base before the Queen Maud Range
Stuart Paine in a Tent
Dick Russell
Quin Blackburn
Mountains Soar 14,000 Feet High
On Supporting Party Mountain, the Last Mapped Feature
The Note in the Caim: From the First Byrd Expedition
The Note in the Cairn: From the Second Expedition
Paine Replaces the Oatmeal Can in the Cairn
Mount Weaver and the Eighteen Remaining Dogs
A Fossilized Tree Trunk
The Dogs in the Wind
The Summit of Mount Weaver, in Sight of the South Pole
Paine and Blackburn Celebrating
Quin Blackburn Triangulating
Stuart Paine and Mount Katherine Paine
Stuart D. Paine in Harkness Amphitheater
Jack the Giant Killer in Harkness Amphitheater
Dick Russell and Lichens, the Southernmost Life Ever Found
Thorne Glacier Sweeping the Base of a Mountain
Paine at the Radio
Barrier Sailing
The Condor and 75 Mile Depot
The Geological Party after Skiing 1,410 Statute Miles
Loading the Bear of Oakland at the Bight
Jack's Team by the Jacob Ruppert
The Bear Wending North through the Ice
The Jacob Ruppert from the Bear
A Storm Aboard the Bear
Homeward: Touring New Zealand
Paine with Standard!
Admiral Richard E. Byrd Descending from the Bear
President Franklin D. Roosevelt Welcoming the Expedition
National Geographic Society Ceremonies at Constitution Hall
The Last Page of the Diaries: May 12, 1935
Paine and Jack at the Farm
Special Congressional Antarctic Medal (Front)
Diary pages: Fall Southern Trip Meteorological Record
Diary page: Fall Navigation Record—Example
Diary pages: Logistics Planning

Trail Parties' Reorganization at Mile 173 and Eventual
Return to Little America
Supporting Party from Mile 293 to Little America
Geological Party at Mile 175
Supplies at Mile 293
Planning from Mile 445.5 to Polar Plateau

Navigation Report of the Queen Maud Geological Party, Paine to Byrd
Thorne Glacier Triangulation Report—Example
Letter from Commander Saunders, USN, to Paine Regarding Thorne Glacier Field Observations

Maps

The Authorized Map of the Second Byrd Expedition
Map of the Ships' Movements
Map of the Bay of Whales, Inset of Antarctica
Sketch of "Misery Trail"
Diary Page: Sketch of Advance Base
Map of the Fall Journey South, Inset of Trail Markings
"Rough Plan of Little America"
Map of Thorne Glacier with Triangulation Stations
Map of 1934 Summer Field Explorations

A serious, thorough and useful treatment of Deep Freeze.

"In Deep Freeze, Dian Olson Belanger tells the story of the pioneers who built viable communities, made vital scientific discoveries, and established Antarctica as a continent dedicated to peace and the pursuit of science, decades after the first explorers planted flags in the ice.

In the tense 1950s, even as the world was locked in the Cold War, U.S. scientists, maintained by the Navy's Operation Deep Freeze, came together in Antarctica with counterparts from eleven other countries to participate in the International Geophysical Year (IGY). On July 1, 1957, they began systematic, simultaneous scientific observations of the south-polar ice and atmosphere. Their collaborative success over eighteen months inspired the Antarctic Treaty of 1959, which formalized their peaceful pursuit of scientific knowledge. Still building on the achievements of the individuals and distrustful nations thrown together by the IGY from mutually wary military, scientific, and political cultures, science prospers today and peace endures.

The year 2007 will mark the fiftieth anniversary of the IGY and the commencement of a new International Polar Year—a compelling moment to review what a singular enterprise accomplished in a troubled time. Belanger draws from interviews, diaries, memoirs, and official records to weave together the first thorough study of the dawn of Antarctica's scientific age. Deep Freeze offers absorbing reading for those who have ventured onto Antarctic ice and those who dream of it, as well as historians, scientists, and policy makers.

About the Author: Historian Dian Olson Belanger is the author of Enabling American Innovation (Purdue University Press, 1998) and Managing American Wildlife (University of Massachusetts Press, 1988).

"Dian Belanger has written an exciting and thought-provoking account of the U.S. Navy Seabees, flyers, and scientists who lived through and made the transition from the 'heroic' age to the 'scientific' age of Antarctic exploration. These mostly young men (no women were allowed on 'the Ice') risked lives and endured both cold and dark Antarctic winters and unimaginable isolation from the world to provide a U.S. presence on the vast, remote, ice-covered continent. Deep Freeze, based on countless interviews and painstaking research, is a timely and gripping account."
—John C. Behrendt, president of the American Polar Society and author of The Ninth Circle and Innocents on the Ice

"With its well-timed arrival on the eve of the International Polar Year 2007-2008, Deep Freeze, offers a welcome and thorough new examination of America's involvement in Antarctica during the IGY, often told through the words of the participants themselves."
—Jeff Rubin, author of Lonely Planet Antarctica

"An excellent historical chronology of the United States Antarctic Program and the first establishment of permanent scientific research facilities on the continent of Antarctica. Those who brought this program to life are heroes by every definition of the word. The truly amazing stories of pioneers are chronicled in this detailed and entertaining read. Dian Belanger's countless hours interviewing living heroes who accomplished Herculean tasks give us pause to remember where this all began."
—Jerry W. Marty, National Science Foundation Representative, South Pole Station, Antarctica

"With the fifty-year anniversary of the International Geophysical Year approaching, the author has done a remarkable job in researching the IGY through archival materials and interviews with some of the major individuals involved. Writing for a wide audience, she offers in-depth discussions of U.S. preparations for stations, their construction, scientific research, winterover experiences, and the formulation of the Antarctic Treaty, the glue that holds it all together."
—John Splettstoesser, Advisor to the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators

"The story of the beginning of Operation Deep Freeze has finally been told by a dynamic writer and historian."
—RMC Billy-Ace Penguin Baker, USN (retired), Vice Chairman, Antarctic Deep Freeze Association

"Deep Freeze provides a wealth of hitherto unreported history. The use of oral history accounts, diary-based material, and quotations from literature of the era is a particular strength in this major recapturing of the heady days of 1957-59. Very little comprehensive historical scholarship has been devoted to IGY since the popular preliminary accounts that appeared (by Dufek, Sullivan, Wilson, Chapman, Eklund and Beckman, etc.) in the late 1950s and early 1960s."
—Peter-Noel Webb, geologist for U.S. and New Zealand IGY expeditions and Trans-Antarctic Expedition

"In Deep Freeze, Dian Belanger has written an important book, fine and well-researched, focusing on the IGY in Antarctica (1957-1958), which led to the Antarctic Treaty."
—J. Merton England, NSF historian (retired) and author of A Patron for Pure Science

"This is a comprehensive and lively book about the people and events that transformed Antarctica into an international laboratory for science. Through their vision, courage, and willingness to work together, the people of Deep Freeze and the IGY brought about a legacy of discovery that continues today and that helps us to understand both Antarctica and the forces of global change. To tell this fascinating and important story, Dian Belanger not only used existing historical records but also added to that documentation with extensive interviews."
—Raimund E. Goerler, Chief Archivist/Byrd Polar Research Center of The Ohio State University

"Dian Belanger's account of the historical development of the early infrastructure for the American Antarctic science operation is superb. Compellingly told, the book incorporates significant research from new sources and unused collections. A must read for anyone with an interest in Antarctica and the early science it provided."
—George T. Mazuzan, NSF historian (retired)

"Dian Belanger's Deep Freeze, presents science in Antarctica with fascinating perspective, present and past, all rewarding. Well documented."
—Dick Bowers, CDR CEC USN (retired), Officer in charge of construction, McMurdo and Pole Stations, Deep Freeze I and II"

CONTENTS:
List of Maps and Figures
List of Illustrations
List of Terms and Abbreviations
Foreword
Preface and Acknowledgements
Introduction
Prologue: The Call of the Ice
1. The International Geophysical Year: Idea to Reality
2. All Hands on Deck: Logistics for the High Latitudes
3. Gaining a Foothold: Operations Base at McMurdo Sound
4. Little America V: Science Flagship on the Ice Shelf
5. Marie Byrd Land: Crevasse Junction, Privation Station
6. South Pole: Dropped From the Sky
7. The Gap Stations: Hallett, Wilkes, and Ellsworth
8. On the Eve: People, Preparations, Policies
9. Comprehending the Cold: Antarctic Weather Quest
10. Looking Up: The Physics of the Atmosphere
11. Under Foot: Ice by the Mile
12. Life on the Ice: The Experience
Epilogue: Science and Peace, Continuity and Change
Notes
Notes on Sources
Index

I was given a copy of Michael's Crozier biography while visiting Ireland in November, 2006. It's on the "to read" stack, but for the moment here's some information:

"Irishman Francis Crozier from Banbridge, County Down was a major figure in 19th-century polar exploration. His voyages with Parry, Ross and Franklin lifted the veil from the frozen wastes of the Arctic and Antarctic, paving the way for Amundsen, Scott and Shackleton. A failed romance drove him back to the ice one fatal last time with Franklin's North-West Passage expedition in 1845. All 129 men perished. Crozier took command after Franklin died. He led a courageous battle in the freezing Arctic wilderness trying to bring his men to safety. According to legend, he was the last to die—the last man standing"
--From The Collins Press website

CONTENTS:
List of Illustrations & Maps
Notes
Acknowledgements
Introduction: A Modest, Unassuming Man
1. A Bond with History
2. To the Arctic
3. Seizing the Moment
4. A Promise
5. Fatal Errors
6. Wreck of the Fury
7. North Pole Trek
8. Arctic Rescue
9. South
10. Flirting with Love
11. An Epic Voyage
12. Dangerous Waters
13. Trembling Hands
14. 'I Am Not Equal to the Hardship'
15. A Sense of Tragedy
16. The North West Passage
17. Ice
18. 'No Cause for Alarm'
19. Breakout
20. A Slow Execution
21. Last Man Standing?
22. The Unsolved Mystery Endures
23. A Fitting Memorial
Appendix: Francis Crozier: A Chronology
Reference
Bibliography
Index

I saw this in Ireland but decided to order it from home which I've just done. Once it arrives, I'll update this entry.

"This pictorial biography celebrates the life of Tom Crean, a great Irish hero of Antarctic exploration. His adventures on the ice are captured in photographs taken under the most difficult conditions. These are now assembled for the first time with other previously unseen pictures. The photographs illustrate his early life, the incredible feats in the Antarctic and a peaceful retirement in Kerry. Supported by complementary text, diary extracts and maps plus new information on Tom Crean's life, this is a lasting celebration of a true hero."
--From The Collins Press website

This was published in Norway in 1995 as Roald Amundsen; en biografi. The English translation is a welcomed addition to the literature as little has appeared on Amundsen over the years. Once I read it I'll add more.

"Roald Amundsen is the only full biography of the Polar explorer to be published in English. It uncovers the life of the determined, pugnacious pioneer using vivid first hand accounts, as well as material from recently discovered documents. This is a dramatic, humorous and adventurous story which reveals the true flawed character behind the facade of the benign hero.

TOR BOMANN-LARSEN is an author and artist. His books include The Court Physician, and a biography of King Haakon VII and Queen Maud."
--From the Sutton Publishing website

CONTENTS:
List of Illustrations & Maps
Foreword by Pen Hadow
Preface: Roald Amundsen Country
Acknowledgements

PART ONE: The Dream of the North West Passage
1. The Boy from the Sea
2. The Student of Polar Exploration
3. The Ice Chest
4. First Night in the Antarctic
5. The Two-pronged Plan
6. The Governor
7. The Flag Triumphs
8. A Big Man

PART TWO: The Gamble for the South Pole
9. The King's Ship
10. Polar Bears as Draught Animals
11. Pulling the Wool over the World's Eyes
12. The Coup
13. A Business Trip
14. The Capitalist
15. A Heroic Deed
16. The Dance round the South Pole
17. Fridtjof Nansen has his Say
18. History is being Written

PART THREE: Caught in the North East Passage 19. The Road to London
20. The Goddess of Bliss
21. An Ultimatum
22. The Big Promise
23. A Polar Explorer Plays the Mandolin
24. Black Animals
25. The Royal Yacht
26. In the Embrace of the Ice
27. Ring-billed Gulls
28. Kakonita Amundsen

PART FOUR: In Pursuit of the North Pole
29. The Flying Dutchman
30. Engelbregt Gravning
31. A Beauty from Alaska
32. Columbus of the Air
33. A Criminal Outlook
34. The Journey to Drøbak
35. The Millionaire's Son
36. Beloved above All in the World
37. In the Kingdom of the Dead
38. The Resurrection

PART FIVE: The Lost Continent
39. Thanks to Mussolini
40. The Managing Director
41. Norwegians in Rome
42. Nobile's Dog
43. Nationalists at the Ramparts
44. Literary Suicide
45. Break with the World

PART SIX: Flight across the Pole
46. Internal Exile
47. Knight of the Ice
48. The Bride Who Disappeared
49. The Triumph of Defeat
50. Two Minutes' Silence

Bibliography
Index

The author spent two years as a BAS meteorologist at Deception Island (1964) and Adelaide Island (1965) and returned in 2005 aboard the 'Polar Star.'

CONTENTS:
Acknowledgements
Introduction
Some Antarctic Terms
1. Antarctic Beginnings
2. Voyage South
3. South American Indulgences
4. The Falkland Islands
5. South Georgia, and More Falklands
6. Finally, the Antarctic
7. Our Deception Island Home
8. Antarctic Huskies
9. Adjusting to Antarctic Life
10. Some Summer Activities
11. Visitors
12. Deception Wildlife
13. Baily Head Residents
14. Weather
15. Fids in Winter
16. Eating ...
17. ... and Drinking
18. Argentinean Hospitality
19. Winter Breaks
20. A Dark Spring
21. More Socializing and a Reprieve
22. Icy Antarctica
Photo Section [8 pages, color photos]
23. Base Life
24. The Huns
25. Real Sledging
26. Adelaide Diversions
27. Keeping up Morale
28. Not a Cold Winter
29. Sledging Further
30. Academics, Atmosphere, and Animal Power
31. Spring, and Flying
32. Deaths in Antarctica
33. Adelaide Island Events
34. Base Life Comes to a Stop
35. Five Weeks of No Sailing
36. A Slow Boat to Southampton
37. You Can Return
38. Marguerite Bay Bases
39. Southern Isles
40. One Antarctic Ending
Bibliography
Biography
Maps
      Antarctica
      South of Sixty
      Deception Island
      Marguerite Bay

"Living in the Antarctic in the 1960's was not for the faint of heart. The few men on each base lived in small wooden huts, heated by coal stoves. Water was from melted snow blocks, and travel over the frozen terrain was with husky dog teams.

The men made their own entertainment. They also had to get on with each other, as they were isolated for eight months at a time until the relief ship could get through the ice. The experience left an indelible memory on all who lived in the Antarctic.

'South of Sixty,' describes this life, and contrasts it with the changes of present-day Antarctica.

Biography
Michael was born and grew up in Britain. He joined the British Antarctic Survey. After two years in the Antarctic he then moved to Canada, married Norma, and taught secondary school in central British Columbia. Now retired, he runs marathons, writes, and gardens. He belongs to The British Antarctic Survey Club, and the American Polar Society."
--From the Antarctic Memories website www.antarcticmemoriespublishing.com

--R. Stephenson
(26 August 2006)

This significant book probably provides the typical Antarctican with more information than he will ever need on the subject of the shore-based whaling at South Georgia. It's filled with both historic and modern photographs, color and black and white. Numerous maps and detailed plans abound.

CONTENTS:
Preface & Acknowledgements

Introduction

I. INDUSTRIAL ARCHAEOLOGY
Industrial archaeology at South Georgia
      Background
      Field surveys
Industrial archaeology and whaling
      Industrial archaeology - an overview
      Archaeology of whaling sites

II. FROM LARGE-SCALE INDUSTRY TO INDUSTRIAL HERITAGE
Antarctic whaling and South Georgia
      Before whaling
      In search of new whaling grounds - from north to south
      Creating an industry
      Heydays - and the pelagic challenge
      The long decline of South Georgia whaling
South Georgia in the post whaling era
      Scientific research station and fishing grounds
      Military base
      Tourist destination
      From scrap to industrial heritage

III. THE SOUTH GEORGIA WHALING STATIONS
Industrial plants and landscapes
      The layout and design of the South Georgia whaling stations
      Grytviken
      Leith Harbour
      Husvik Harbour
      Stromness Harbour
      Prince Olav Harbour
      Ocean Harbour
      Was there a "typical" South Georgia whaling shore station?
      Building methods and architecture
      The industrial landscape of South Georgia
      Whaling stations in other areas - South Georgia compared

Production
      The whaling station production process - an overview
      The vessels
      The flensing platform
      The blubber cookery
      The meat cookery
      The bone cookery
      Ancillary functions in the cookeries
      Separator and recovery plants
      Oil storage tanks
      The whale meal ("guano") plant and store
      The meat extract plant
      The refrigeration plant
      The laboratory
      Transport systems
      Mechanization - how far?
      Oil or meal?

Power supply
      The boiler house
      The electric power station
      Hydro-electric plants and dams

Workshops
      The engineering workshop
      The blacksmith shop
      The foundry
      The plating shop
      The welding shop
      The plumber's shop
      The tinsmith's shop
      The carpenter's shop
      The cooper's shop
      The tailor's, sail-maker's and upholsterer's shops
      The electrician's shop
      The radio, radar and ASDIC shops
      Stores
      The ship repair yard - a plant within the plant

Living quarters
      The villa
      Barracks
      Separate and individual bedrooms
      The bath house
      The laundry

Food and catering
      Kitchen and messes
      Provisions stores
      The slop chest
      The butcher's shop
      The bakery
      The pigsty
      The henhouse
      The coffee-roasting house
      The greenhouse

Recreational facilities
      The cinema
      The library
      Common rooms
      The soccer field
      The ski jump

Other Functions
      Hospitals
      Offices
      Defense installations
      The church and cemeteries

Conclusions

IV APPENDICES
APPENDIX I: Survey methods and techniques
APPENDIX II: Reports and publications from the project
APPENDIX III: Employment categories
APPENDIX IV: Grytviken, general map and index
APPENDIX V: Leith Harbour, general map and index
APPENDIX VI: Husvik Harbour, general map and index
APPENDIX VII: Stromness Harbour, general map and index
APPENDIX VIII: Prince Olav Harbour, general map and index
APPENDIX IX: Ocean Harbour, general map and index

Notes

Bibliography

--R. Stephenson
(26 August 2006)

This handsome, very cleanly designed publication is an offspring of an exhibition curated by the Walton and Pearson that was staged for the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting XXIX held in and around Edinburgh in 2006. It begins with a four-page introduction followed by chapters entitled: "Landscape and Discovery," "Scientists as Artists," "Conserving the Antarctic Natural Heritage,"Antarctic People" (Cook, Ross, Scott, Burn Murdoch, Shackleton, Fuchs, etc.), "Expedition Life" and "Artist Biographies." Many but by no means all of the works featured are from the modern era and many of these are the product of the British artists and writers program. Indeed, all the artists that have participated in this British Antarctic Survey/Arts Council of England program are included.

I counted a total of 64 images, mostly in color. Among the artists whose work appears: John Davis, Edward Wilson, Apsley Cherry-Garrard, Edward Seago, David Smith, Philip Hughes, John Kelly, Layla Curtis, Robert Nicholls, Richard M. Laws, Neil Mackintosh, Gordon Fogg, Sir Alister Hardy, Rolfe Gunther, Sandra Chapman, Keith Shackleton, Chris Rose, Bruce Pearson, John Gale, George Forster, John Webber, Henry Pickersgill, W.G. Burn Murdoch, Dennis Lillie, Reginald Grenville Eaves, L.D. Carmichael, Kite, Frank Debenham, Simon Faithfull and William Martin. Very useful biographies of nearly all of these appear in the concluding chapter.

Any Antarctic collector with an interest in the art of the southern continent will want to have this excellent publication.

--R. Stephenson
(26 August 2006)

This is a lovely production, heavy and substantial, reminding me in looks and layout to Caroline Alexander's 'Endurance.' Of course, they both feature Hurley photographs which may be part of the reason. This is a biography and so there's lots here that has nothing to do with the Antarctic. It also means that it will be interesting reading that may very well shed light on Hurley's Antarctic days. I look forward to starting on page one.

CONTENTS:
Introduction 'Near enough is not good enough' Chapter One. The Boy from Glebe Chapter Two Postcards from Sydney
Chapter Three 'I determined to...get the Doctor entirely to myself'
Chapter Four '...a kind of photographic ecstasy'
Chapter Five 'Blizzardia hoylei'
Chapter Six 'Mr Hurley already feels the Antarctic calling to him again...'
Chapter Seven '...pictures of Life by the fathom'
Chapter Eight Boat journeys
Chapter Nine From white warfare to Flanders' red fields
Chapter Ten 'The exaggerated machinations of hell...'
Chapter Eleven 'It would be a man's bad luck to be killed here...'
Chapter Twelve A night at the opera
Chapter Thirteen '...they quite chortle like Adelies'
Chapter Fourteen 'Pearls and Savages'
Chapter Fifteen The canoe that could fly
Chapter Sixteen 'The Lost Tribe;
Chapter Seventeen '"Three musketeers" in lounge suits'
Chapter Eighteen '...nothing but a cinema show'
Chapter Nineteen 'Siege of the South'
Chapter Twenty Strike me lucky?
Chapter Twenty-one '...just the sort of battle Hollywood might stage'
Chapter Twenty-two '...don't be too brave. The coves don't appreciate it'
Chapter Twenty-three A land traversed
Chapter Postscript '...the naked soul of man
Endnotes
Notes on Measurements
Maps
Extended Notes on Illustrations
Glossary
Bibliography
Notes on the Hurley Visual Archive
Index
Acknowledgements

"Frank Hurley was once a household name in Australia. Now most famous for his photographs of the Mawson and Shackleton (Endurance) Antarctic expeditions, he was also a visual chronicler of many of the major events of the twentieth century and of a rapidly disappearing non-Western world. He was an official photographer in two world wars, a pioneering documentary-maker, participant in early feats of aviation, and cinematographer on major Australian feature films of the 1930s, including The Squatter's Daughter and The Silence of Dean Maitland. In his later years, he travelled the length and breadth of his country to produce illustrated books that eulogised Australia and its people.

In this comprehensive new biography, with over 100 photographs including never-before-published Hurley images and other rarely seen material from the family archive and Hurley's lesser-known adventures, Alasdair McGregor vividly describes the character, achievements and disappointments of a driven and remarkable Australian."
--From the book jacket.

About the Author: Painter, photographer and one-time architect, Alasdair McGregor is the author of The Kimberley: Horizons of Stone, Australia's Wild Islands (both with Quentin Chester) and Mawson's Huts: An Antarctic Expedition Journal. He was artist and photographer for three AAP Mawson's Huts Foundation expeditions to Antarctica, and in 2000 was curator (for the Australian High Commission to Canada) of ' . . . that sweep of splendour': A Century of Australians in Antarctica, a travelling exhibition featuring the photography of Frank Hurley. Alasdair McGregor lives in Sydney.

AVAILABILITY OUTSIDE AUSTRALIA

The book has only been issued in Australia. Here's what Alaisdair has to say about availability in a recent e-mail: "Availability outside Australia has been a bit of a sore point. The book will be on sale in Britain soon . . . At present the book is only available by mail order outside Australia. Its available that way through a number of the major booksellers here. Just put the title into Google and a number of them come up. Alternatively for anyone wanting a signed copy, I can supply them for $A59 + $A35 post (airmail) and handling--$72 US. I found this opportunity proved quite popular over the past couple of years when lecturing on Antarctic cruise ships." He can be contacted at: aimcgregor@bigpond.com

Kelly Tyler-Lewis' 'The Lost Men' has now appeared and has received quite a bit of positive attention in the press. It now goes on my pile of 'books to read.' One will want to compare it to McElrea and Harrowfield's 'Polar Castaways' which appeared in 2004; hard for me to do as I haven't read that one yet, either. The notes and bibliography are both lengthy, which I always feel is a good sign. Most of the photos are new to me. The quality isn't particularly good but then many were taken in difficult circumstances.

CONTENTS:
List of Maps and Illustrations
The Ross Sea Party of the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition, 1914-17 [Listing of the names and positions of the Shore Party and the Aurora's Officers and Crew.]
The Ross Sea Relief Expedition, 1916-17 [Listing of the names and positions of those on the relief expedition.]
Preface
1. "That Restless Spirit"
2. The Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition
3. Aurora
4. Southing
5. The Great Barrier
6. Eighty Degrees South
7. Hut Point
8. "An Ideal Place in a Blizzard"
9. Marooned
10. Return to the Barrier
11. Mount Hope
12. "Homeward Bound"
13. "Some Way or Other They're Lost"
14. "Drifting to God Knows Where"
15. "Whereabout Shackleton?"
16. Port Chalmers
17. Rescue
18. "The Men That Don't Fit In"
Epilogue" "The Brotherhood of Men Who Know the South"
Acknowledgments
Appendix" Units of Measurement
Notes
Bibliography
Index

"In 1914, Sir Ernest Shackleton set forth to make history with the first-ever crossing of the Antarctic continent from coast to coast. On the eve of the First World War, Shackleton sailed south into the Weddell Sea aboard the Endurance, while a ship called the Aurora made for the Ross Sea on the opposite side of the continent. Under the command of Æneas Mackintosh, the twenty-eight man Ross Sea party mobilized to build a lifeline of vital food and fuel depots to supply Shackleton's epic 1,700-mile crossing. 'This programme would involve some heavy sledging, but the ground to be covered was familiar and I had not anticipated that the work would present any great difficulties,' Shackleton wrote.

Yet all went tragically wrong when the Aurora broke free of her moorings in a gale and stranded ten men ashore in Antarctica, woefully ill-equipped to perform their task. Left with little more than the clothing on their backs and scavenged equipment, the men vowed to carry on in the face of impossible odds. Meanwhile, the crew of the disabled Aurora, cast adrift at the mercy of civilization, the lost men struggled to save themselves and carry out their mission.

Researched in Antarctica, Britain, Australia, and New Zealand, The Lost Men is the definitive account of this long overshadowed expedition. Kelly Tyler-Lewis throws Antarctic exploration into new perspective as the unforgettable protagonists of the Ross Sea party come alive in this astonishing chronicle of unsung heroism."
--From www.thelostmen.com

The book's website--www.thelostmen.com--has a number of reviews.

PREVIOUS MENTIONS BEFORE PUBLICATION:

Kelly recently e-mailed with the following update:

"My book about the Ross Sea Party, The Lost Men (working title), will be published by Viking in hardcover and Penguin in paperback in the US; Bloomsbury in hardcover and paperback in the UK and Commonwealth countries. Simon & Schuster is publishing the audiobook version worldwide. The project is based upon archival research in four countries, interviews, and field research in Antarctica (and parts north!).

I am a Senior Member of Wolfson College of Cambridge University and a Visiting Scholar at Scott Polar Research Institute. I received a National Science Foundation fellowship in 2002, and spent two months in the Ross Sea region. I am also a Consulting Historian for the British Film Institute.

I am also a documentary filmmaker. For the two-hour film, "Shackleton's Voyage of Endurance," airing on the PBS series NOVA in 2002 and 2003 (entirely different from the IMAX), I was producer & writer, along with my producing partner Sarah Holt. The film was awarded an Emmy for Best Historical Documentary and was nominated for Best Documentary of 2002.

For the IMAX film, "Shackleton's Antarctic Adventure," I was a member of the production team. I was Coordinating Producer."

UPDATE: I saw Kelly last night and she says the book will be out later this year.
--R. Stephenson
(22 May 2005)

UPDATE: "My book, THE LOST MEN, has been scheduled for publication by Viking and will be available in stores in the US on April 24; it is available for pre-order on amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, and many independent bookstore sites. The book will also be published by Bloomsbury in Australia and New Zealand, where it will be available in May, and Great Britain, where the publication date is September 4."
--From a recent e-mail from Kelly.
(4 February 2006)

Kelly also sent along a review that appeared this week in Publishers Weekly:

"While the story of Ernest Shackleton's crew of the Endurance is well known, the fate of Shackleton's Ross Sea support party has largely been forgotten until now. Charged with laying supply depots for Shackleton's aborted 1914–1916 trans-Antarctic trek, the Ross Sea party became stranded when its ship tore free of her moorings and disappeared in a gale. Cambridge historian Tyler-Lewis's account of the 10-man party's plight relies heavily on the men's journals, which are amazingly detailed, considering the physical (snow blindness, scurvy, frostbite) and mental (depression, paranoia) problems they faced. The men's decision to lay the depots despite the obstacles demonstrates their courage, but Tyler-Lewis's narrative doesn't focus solely on heroics. Instead, the heart of the book lies in Tyler-Lewis's dissection of the men's relationships with one another. As friends are made, alliances formed and resentment festers, humanity is never lost, even amid inhumane conditions. Given the collection of military, civilian, scientific and blue-collar personnel that made up the expedition, it's compelling to see how each man deals with his fate. Add in the party's adventures of sledding in subzero temperatures with the sociological aspects of being stranded for nearly two years in such an inhospitable place, and the result is a gripping work. Maps, illus. (Apr. 24) © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved."

This is a magnificent resource and shows the extensive work that Mike put into the effort over many years. It will make a good shelfmate for Ann Savours' The Voyages of the Discovery.
--R. Stephenson
2 December 2006

Mike Tarver has been working on this extensive treatment of the Terra Nova for some years. It looks very hefty and impressive (I only briefly had a copy; it was injured in shipment and back it went. When I have a new copy I'll add some more information.)
--R. Stephenson
21 May 2006

"This extensively researched book is the definitive account of one of the classic polar exploration ships of the 'heroic age'. Published in a large format (280mm x 210mm or 11"x 8-1/4", with 256 pages liberally illustrated with over 160 monochrome illustrations - many photographs appear in print for the first time.

A story of one of Britain's most famous expedition ships put together from accounts recorded by men who sailed in her. It covers the sixty year history of a ship built by a famous Scottish shipbuilding yard for the 19th century days of whaling and sealing before coal, gas and electricity replaced animal oils in domestic and commercial use. Terra Nova operated from her home ports of Dundee and afterwards, St. John's, Newfoundland, when a sea-going career in the seal fishery in those times brought a hard way of life with many human losses and tragedies.

The late nineteenth century saw increased activity toward exploration of the polar regions north and south and the suitability of the sturdy Dundee whalers saw them seconded from seal fishing and drawn into the 'heroic age' of polar exploration. This was the period associated with the expeditions of Scott, Shackleton, Mawson, Bruce, Amundsen and explorers from many other nations who used wooden ships to enter unknown regions in pursuit of territorial advancement and science.

The comprehensive Appendix contains details of the company that built Terra Nova and many other ships; modifications and crew personnel for polar exploration; men who commanded her throughout 60 years; a directory to both polar regions and a list of similar ships launched in that era, with their fates. All supported by a full bibliography and index.

For most of her 60-year life, Terra Nova had a colourful career operating from the Port of St. John's, Newfoundland and was leader of the fleet known as the 'wooden walls' which went to the Arctic ice each Spring with large crews in pursuit of the seal fishery.

Terra Nova a large and powerful steam whaler was seconded from the seal fishery in Newfoundland as relief ship for the British National Antarctic Expedition, 1901-1904 and for the United States Fiala-Ziegler Arctic Expedition, 1903-1905. Her most famous role was for three years as the expedition ship for the British Antarctic Expedition, 1910-1913, led by Captain Robert Falcon Scott, RN."
--From a publicity flyer.

CONTENTS

Acknowledgements
Author's Note
Prologue
Foreword

1. INTO THE EVENING OF A PASSING AGE

Introduction
The British whaling industry and its ships
Shipyard of Alexander Stephen & Sons, Dundee
Launch of the S.S. Terra Nova and her early years

2. ACROSS THE ATLANTIC AND NEW OWNERS

Ambitions and achievements of Benjamin Bowring and his family
The founding of a shipping and trading company
'Terra Australis Incognita'

3. FROM THE NORTH ATLANTIC TO THE ANTARCTIC

Relief ship for British National Antarctic Expedition, 1901
Under Dundee command again and first mission to Antarctica

4. FROM THE ANTARCTIC TO THE ARCTIC

Under United States ownership and Norwegian command
Rescue mission to an Arctic archipelago
Return from a successful Arctic mission
Newfoundland for sealing duties

5. HER NAME WILL BE REMEMBERED FOR EVER

Expedition ship for the British Antarctic Expedition, 1910
Fitting out in West India Dock, London
Preparations and British departure from Cardiff
Around the world to Lyttelton, New Zealand

6. INTO THE SOUTHERN OCEAN

Final preparation and departure from Port Chalmers, New Zealand
A storm in the 'furious fifties'
Through the pack ice into the Ross Sea
Arrival at McMurdo Sound and a change of command

7. FIRST ROLE COMPLETE

Expedition base established, scientific parties deployed
A surprise in the Bay of Whales
Scientific parties landed and return to New Zealand

8. NEW ZEALAND REFIT AND HYDROGRAPHIC SURVEYS

Summary of expedition relief voyages
First return voyage to New Zealand - 'the pumps again'
Winter cruise and survey work

9. RETURN TO ANTARCTICA - 1ST RELIEF VOYAGE

McMurdo Sound - relief and attempt relief of scientific parties
Second return voyage to New Zealand and more survey duties
Another refit in New Zealand and a tragedy at Admiralty Bay

10. TO ANTARCTICA - THE FINAL RELIEF

Last passage to Antarctica
Cape Evans and the tragic news
Final departure. Goodbye Antarctica, return to New Zealand

11. THE VOYAGE HOME

The passage to Britain
Return to expedition home port
Summary of expedition programme
Report on biological work aboard Extract from report 'Outfit & Preparation'

12. NEWFOUNDLAND AND SEALING

30 years with the 'wooden-walls'
Rendering assistance at a maritime disaster
Portrait of a legendary sealing master
A first hand experience of The Greatest Hunt in the World

13. CHARTERED FOR WAR DUTIES

Refit and role as a coastal trader
On charter during War-time
Ice damage to the stern
The last voyage and an S.O.S. call
Memories and recollections
Research and more recollections

APPENDIX

A. Ships built at Dundee by Alexander Stephen & Sons 1844-1893

B. Descriptionand specification of S.S. Terra Nova preparede by Commander H.L.L. Pennell, RN, Surgeon Commander E.L. Atkinson RN adn Leading Shipwright F.E.C. Davies, RN

C. Extract from the Log of United States Coastguard Cutter Atak

D. Chronological list and biographical details of Captains of S.S. Terra Nova 1884-1943

E. Terra Nova crew list Antarctic Relief Voyage 1903-1904

F. Terra Nova crew list Arctic Relief Voyage 1905

G. Terra Nova crew list and shore parties British Antarctic Expedition, 1910-1913

H. Summarised directory to the Arctic and Antarctic regions

I. Alexander Stephen & Sons Ltd 1750-1970 The family line of Shipbuilders and a brief history of the Company

J. Bowring Brothers Ltd Profit & Loss Accounts Balance Sheet 1943

K. Some sealing phrases and expressions

L. Miscellaneous list of whalers and sealers launched and their fates

M. Bibliography and references

INDEX

Mike Tarver e-mailed to say: "I am writing book on long overdue history of the S.S. 'Terra Nova'. Have been researching for 10 years, hope to draw a line under it and publish late 2005." [Mike Tarver spoke on the Terra Nova at the SPRI lecture series on 15 November 2003.]
(24 October 2004)

UPDATE: I saw Mike at SPRI on 13 November 2004 and the book progresses. Autumn 2005 is still his hope.
--R. Stephenson
(22 November 2004)

UPDATE: I saw Mike at SPRI on 12 November 2005. A year goes by but the book is done, a publisher's on board, and it's only a matter of time before the book hits the High Street.
--R. Stephenson
(29 November 2005)

A concise, useful and very well designed guide. Likely to be of greatest interest to the visitor are the site descriptions. These are each 3 or 4 pages and include longitude and latitude, Derivation of the Name, Features (summary), Pointers (summary), Location and Main Features, Landform and Habitat, Wildlife, Human History, Visiting the Site. Included as well are a location map and a detailed map of the site. Overall an excellent resource that should be taken on any trip to South Georgia.
--R. Stephenson

CONTENTS:
A Message from Howard Pearce
Foreword. By Keith Shackleton
About this Guide
Tips for Visitors
Natural History of South Georgia

Oceans and Climate. By Mark Brandon
Geology. By Phil Stone
Glaciers and Landforms. By John Gordon
Vegetation. By Jenny Scott
Wildlife
Introduced Species

The Discovery of South Georgia. By Robert Burton
The Sealers. By Robert Burton
The Explorers. By Robert Burton
Carl Anton Larsen and the Whaling Industry. By Robert Burton
The Discovery Investigations. By Robert Burton
Duncan Carse and the South Georgia Surveys 1951-57. By Robert Burton
Establishing British Antarctic Survey Research. By David Walton
South Georgia, A Diplomacy Case. By R.K. Headland

Stamps
Government Administration. By Sarah Lurcock
Tourism. By Denise Landau and John Splettstoesser
South Georgia Fisheries. By David Agnew
Fisheries Research at King Edward Point. By Mark Belchier
Seabird and Seal Research at Bird Island. By John Croxall
Longline Fisheries and Seabirds. By Graham Robertson

Wandering Albatrosses. By Richard A. Phillips
Burrowing Petrels
Life at Leith Harbour
Southern Elephant Seals. By Martin Biuw
King Penguins. By Klemens Pütz
Fur Seals. By Callan Duck

Elsehul
Prion Island
Salisbury Plain
Prince Olav Harbour
Fortuna Bay
Hercules Bay
Leith Harbour
Shackleton Hike
Stromness Harbour
Husvik
Jason Harbour
Grytviken & King Edward Point
Maiviken
Cobblers Cove
Godthul
Ocean Harbour
St. Andrews Bay
Moltke Harbour
Will Point & Brisbane Point
Gold Harbour
Cooper Bay
Drygalski Fjord & Larsen Harbour
King Haakon Bay

"With a foreword by Keith Shackleton, this book gives information on the history, vegetation and wildlife of 24 of South Georgia's most popular visitor sites. Sally and Kim have drawn on experts in many fields to pull together facts about South Georgia's discovery, past and present, together with its rich animal and plant life. Each site described is accompanied by a detailed map showing the location of wildlife, vegetation, historic artefacts, topographical features of interest and hiking routes. Visitor tips, some of the island's special features and history are covered in additional chapters. The book is illustrated with many photographs and is brought to a close with some inspirational words from Ellen MacArthur."
--From the publisher's website.

(19 February 2006)

This is produced in the same format as Poncet and Crosbie's 'A Visitor's Guide to South Georgia,' which appears above. It is just as well done and would be the book to consult before, during and after a trip to the Falklands.
--R. Stephenson
21 May 2006

CONTENTS:
Map of the Falkland Islands showing site locations
Falkland Islands Countryside Code
Foreword. Sven-Olof Lindblad
Falkland Conservation
Acknowledgements
A Visitor's Guide to the Falkland Islands
The Falkland Islands--An Expedition Leader's Perspective. By Allan White
Photography in the Falkland Islands. By Tony Chater
A Brief History
The Falkland Islands People
Arrival by Sea--Berkeley Sound--Port William--Stanley Harbour
Stanley
Falkland Facts
THE GUIDE

Bertha's Beach
Bleaker Island
Carcass Island
George and Barren Islands
Grand Jason
Grave Cove
Gypsy Cove
Kidney Cove
New Island
New Island North Nature Reserve
New Island South Nature Reserve
Pebble Island
Port Howard
Saunders Island
Sea Lion Island
Second Passage
Steeple Jason
Volunteer Point
Weddell Island
West Point Island

Glossary of Terms
Further Reading
Useful Addresses
Checklist of the Fauna and Flora mentioned in the text
Photographic Credits

This fascinating guide, produced by the WILDGuides design team, contains a comprehensive full-colour insight into the top nineteen destinations currently visited by cruise vessels in the Falkland Islands. There are also four future sites briefly described which are hoping to attract the cruise industry. The introductory map shows the location of each place within the Falklands archipelago. The text outlines history, possible landing places, with detailed maps, wildlife information, geology and nature/hiking trails. A checklist of all species mentioned, with their English and scientific names, is included. There is also information on the history, the people, Stanley - the capital of the Islands and much more.

There are photographs and specially drawn maps. Most of these tourist sites are privately owned and the unique maps contain information added personally by landowners that you will not find in print anywhere else. There is a "features" column for each site which provides site-specific information, and a "pointers" column which has specific reference to the Falkland Islands Countryside Code."
--From www.wildguides.co.uk

CONTENTS:
List of Illustrations
Abbreviations
Introduction
Compositions and Publication History
Select Bibliography
A Chronology of Robert Falcon Scott and 'Scott's Last Expedition'
SCOTT'S LAST EXPEDITION

Preface, by Clements R. Markham
British Antarctic Expedition
Chapters I - XX

Appendix
Editor's Appendix I: 'Biographical Introduction', by J.M. Barrie
Editor's Appendix II: 'The Finding of the Dead', by E.L. Atkinson
Editor's Appendix III: Significant Changes to Scott's Original Base and Sledging Journals
Explanatory Notes
Glossary of Names
Index

The vividness, drama, and poignancy of Scott's Journals are as powerful today as they were when they were first published in 1913, when the world learnt the news of the expedition's tragic end. This edition reprints the 1913 text, including many of the original photographs and drawings, as well as incorporating the wealth of scholarship on polar exploration which has appeared since 1913.
* First publication of all the passages deleted from Scott's original text.
* First account of the publishing history of one of the iconic texts of the twentieth century, drawing on papers in the John Murray archive which have never been consulted before.
* The first fully annotated edition, which for the first time give[s] due weight to the scientific aims of the expedition.
* Edited by Max Jones, author of The Last Great Quest, whose introduction outlines the history of the expedition, the circumstances surrounding publication of the Journals, Scott's changing reputation over the last century, and the continued attraction of heroes in our cynical age.
* Includes J. M. Barrie's 'Biographical Introduction'

In January 1912 Captain Scott reached the South Pole, to find he had been beaten by Roald Amundsen's Norwegian expedition. Scott and his companions faced an 850-mile march to safety. All perished on the return. A few months later, a search party found Scott's body and the journals which told his tragic story.

Scott's own account was published to extraordinary acclaim in 1913. Danger grips the reader from the first chapter, as the Terra Nova struggles to force a path through the pack ice. The journey to an unknown land becomes a journey into the self, as Scott's mood oscillates between hope and despair. And, in his last entries, Scott gives voice to the heroic fantasies of his generation, the generation which would fight and die in the Great War.

This new edition draws on ninety years of reflection on the Antarctic disaster to illuminate Scott's journals, publishing for the first time a complete list of the changes made to Scott's original text. Drawing on papers from the John Murray archive which have never been used before, Max Jones tells the story of this remarkable book and charts the changing fortunes of Scott's reputation.

--From the OUP website.

There's more though. As part of the front matter of the book are:

• The editor's 25-page Introduction is well-done, covering Scott's life and offering some insights on the his ever-changing place in English history.

• Next is the seven-page section on the 'Composition and Publication History' of Scott's Last Expedition. This will certainly be of interest to book collectors. I found the information on the Strand Magazine extracts and the later editions of SLE very useful.

• Following this is the excellent and thorough 'Select Bibliography' which numbers five pages. It's divided up as follows: Principal Editions of the Writings of Robert Falcon Scott; Published Memoirs and Diaries of the British Antarctic Expedition 1910-1913; Principal Biographies of Robert Falcon Scott; Biographies of the Crew of the BAE, 1910-1913; Secondary Sources on Scott and Antarctic Exploration; and General Secondary Sources.

• Then there is 'A Chronology of Robert Falcon Scott and Scott's Last Expedition' which runs to seven pages. It starts with Cook's first crossing of the Antarctic Circle in 1773 and ends in 1986 when Discovery heads for its permanent home and birthplace, Dundee.

Following 'Scott's Last Expedition' (volume I and without most of the illustrations), starting at page 446 are the . . .

• Editor's Appendix I, the seven-page Biographical Introduction by Scott's friend J.M. Barrie which had been prepared for Turley's 1914 book and appeared in later John Murray editions of SLE.

• Editor's Appendix II The Finding of the Dead by E. L. Atkinson which first appeared in the 1923 John Murray 'cheap edition.'

• Editor's Appendix III Significant Changes to Scott's Original Base and Sledging Journals (18 October 1910 - 29 March 1912). These 15 pages are what make the book particularly useful for the researcher. The entries are arranged by date and text is indicated as "original passage cut", "new passage inserted" and "?" (handwriting difficult to decipher).

• The Explanatory Notes of the editor then follow, 34 pages of them. These are often interesting.

• Next comes the Glossary of Names, ten pages of short biographies of not only members of the expedition but people associated with Scott such as Barrie, Markham, and the New Zealand agent Kinsey.

• Lastly comes the 14 page Index.

All in all an excellent job. My one complaint: The production is not up to the importance of the subject. Although affordably priced, the volume is cheaply produced, too small in size and the pages with far too narrow margins.

--R. Stephenson
(26 December 2005)

This is a very nicely produced volume, as one would expect from the Grolier Club, New York's prestigious club of book collectors. The catalogue format gives the explorer or author with birth and death years, a brief bibliographical description, the lender of the item in question, approximately a half page or a page of text describing the expedition or events portrayed in the book, and a useful section at the end of each entry with suggestions for further reading. An excellent addition to any polar reference shelf.

CONTENTS:
Foreword
Introduction
List of Illustrations
Catalogue:

1) The Early Arctic Landscape to 1800
2) Exploring the Arctic Seas, 1801-50
3) The Northwest Passage, Sir John Franklin, and the Franklin Search, 1820-60
4) Dogma, Disasters, and Derring-do in the Far North, 1860-1905
5) Nordic Successes and American Animosities, 1880-1909
6) Antarctica: Scott and The Rush Southward, 1820-1912
7) Antarctica: Shackleton and Others, 1907-22
8) Science and Society
9) Literature of the Imagination, 1800-1945
10) Society Moves In
Realia and Other Objects

Produced as a catalogue to the exhibition of the same name at the Club until 4 February 2006. [See information under 'Events' elsewhere on this site.]

--R. Stephenson
(26 December 2005)

Scott is certainly on the ascendancy these days: In the past few years several titles have appeared that have set the beleaguered hero on an upward course after the modern era's battering that began with Huntford's biography. The first was the late David Yelverton's Antarctica Unveiled, on the Discovery expedition. Soon after came Susan Solomon's excellent The Coldest March. Following these were Ran Fiennes' Captain Scott and Max Jones' The Last Great Quest: Captain Scott's Antarctic Sacrifice. And now here's a 637 page treatment by David Crane. More will surely come.

I haven't even started to dip into it but here are some initial reactions to the physical presentation at least. What's with these colorized bookjackets? The one here is very similar to the one on Ran Fiennes' book. Black and white Ponting photographs photoshopped away! The photo illustrations inside will nearly all be familiar to students of Antarctic history; a more eclectic selection would have been refreshing. The bibliography is sadly lacking. I'll have more to say once I read it and I hope it will be more positive. In the meantime I've included below a blurb from the publisher and a review from The Sunday Times.

-R. Stephenson
(4 December 2005)

Contents:
List of Illustrations
List of Maps
Notes on Distances, Temperatures and Weights
1. St. Paul's, 14 February 1913
2. Childhood and Dartmouth
3. Scott's Navy
4. Crisis
5. Enter Markham
6. Preparations
7. South
8. Into the Ice
9. Harsh Lessons
10. Antarctic Night
11. Man Proposeth . . . God Disposeth
12. The Southern Journey
13. Survival
14. A Second Winter
15. Last Season
16. A Long Wait
17. Escape from the Ice
18. The Reluctant Lion
19. The Pull of the South
20. Of Lions and Lionesses
21. Marking Time
22. Making Ready
23. South Again
24. Challenges
25. Return to the Ice
26. Depot-Laying
27. Disaster
28. Winter
29. The Barrier
30. Without Priority
31. Ars Moriendi
Epilogue
Acknowledgements
Notes
Select Bibliography
Index 23.