Included here are notices of books not yet published and projects underway.
Last updated: 11 December 2009.
Accessed at least
Baughman, T.H. Focusing on Antarctica between 1922 and 1941
Boothe, Joan. History of the South American Sector of Antarctica seeks publisher
Brannigan, David Biography of T.W. Edgeworth David
Cherry-Garrard, Apsley, editor. The South Polar Times Vol IV
Clough, Brenda A. May be Some Time
Davies, Paul. Working on a book about men from South Devon who went South in the Heroic Age
Gurney, Alan Book underway on the Nimrod expedition
Hooper, Meredith The Longest Winter; Scott's Other Heroes
Pimentel, Jean. Antarctic bibliography in French
Raeside, Adrian On Silas Wright
Savours, Ann Sir Clements Markham book and article
Stump, Edmund Exploring Deep Field Antarctica
van Glintenkamp, Rik A coffee table book on his Antarctic collages
Walton, David. News from Bluntisham Books including Richards and Shirase
Wilson, David. Update on a variety of projects
Jean Pimentel e-mails to say:
"I am writing to you to let you know about the publishing of a book I just finished writing: "Bibliographie antarctique française, de Cook au Traité sur l'Antarctique (1772-1959). Bibliographie commentée. As a matter of fact, up to now, there was no bibliography like those of Spence, Conrad or Rosove for French collectors. I have been working on that book for 4 or 5 years, starting from my own collection and then going deeper into the work.(9 December 2009) NOTE: According to the Editions Paulsen website, the book can be pre-ordered at €58, rising to €68 on 18 December 2009.
My bibliography is first of all practical-minded with a selection of contemporary books both in French and in English, books that to me are a must for the subject.
Then you will find all that has been published in French about Antarctica for the period (1772-1959): general History of the poles, De Gerlache, Charcot, etc... and with the French translations of all the different expeditions (British, American, Russian, Norwegian...). An important section is devoted to the "française" led by Paul-Emile Victor (1947-1959).
Finally a long chapter deals with fiction, philately and comics.
You will find useful information to see and possibly order the book on the website of my editor: Editions Paulsen. …
I think that a lot of English-speaking collectors are not aware of the extent of French and Belgian publications about Antarctica."
Meredith Hooper recently told me her new book on Scott's 'Other Heroes' is due out in March. To be published by John Murray (nothing about it on its website). Amazon has it for pre-order at £17 (list price is £20) and gives the publication date as 10 June. It notes it as being 320 pages. ISBN-10: 0719595800. ISBN-13: 978-0719595806.
It describes the book as follows:
"Scott's Northern Party played an integral role in his iconic last expedition, but how did they survive? Through the eyes of the men involved, Meredith Hooper recounts one of the greatest tales of adventure and endurance, which has often been overshadowed by the tragedy which befell Scott. Their tents were torn, their food was nearly finished and the ship had failed to pick them up as planned. Gale-force winds blew, bitter with the cold of approaching winter. Stranded and desperate, the six men of the Northern Party faced disaster. Searching out a snow drift they burrowed inside. Lieutenant Victor Campbell drew a line across the floor in the gloom to establish naval order: three officers on one side, the three seamen on the other. A birthday was celebrated with a carefully hoarded biscuit and they sang hymns every Sunday, so what kept these men going? Circumstances forced them closer together, their roles blurred and a shared sense of reality emerged. This mutual suffering made them indivisible and somehow they made it through the longest winter. To the south, the men waiting at headquarters knew that the Polar Party must be dead and hoped that another six men would not be added to the death toll. Working from expedition diaries, journals and letters written by expedition members, Meredith Hooper tells the intensely human story of Scott's other expedition."—R. Stephenson
By 1910, the Antarctic was the last place on earth that had never been explored, and British naval officer Robert Scott was obsessed that an Englishman—specifically himself—should conquer the pole. Despite being under-funded, under-equipped and unprepared, Scott sailed south in the antiquated whaling ship, Terra Nova, in what everyone assumed would be a cracking good adventure. The expedition was made up entirely of British adventurers, gadabouts and scientists, the exception being one Canadian, Charles Seymour (Silas) Wright. Born 1887 in Toronto, Charles Wright was studying physics in Cambridge when he heard Scott was looking for a physicist to join the expedition to the pole. By the time Wright inquired, Scott had chosen a physicist for the team but was short a glaciologist. Who else but a Canadian would know about glaciers? Wright became the expedition's glaciologist. Halfway through the rough passage to the Antarctic, Scott got word that a rival explorer, Norwegian Roald Amundsen, was also making a run for the pole and was close on their heels. What started out as a stroll to the South Pole became a race between two very determined and different men. Arriving at their base camp on Cape Evans in January 1911, Scott's team soon discovered they were unprepared for the Antarctic, while equipment failures and food shortages compounded the hardship. For the final race to the pole, Scott stripped the team down to four men, and Wright did not make the cut. Scott reached the geographic South Pole only to find that Amundsen had beaten them by days. Bitterly disappointed, Scott and his companions returned to base camp, but were caught in a fierce Antarctic blizzard that raged for days. Too weak to pull their sleds and out of food and fuel, they froze to death. Ironically, as if to underscore the litany of errors that dogged the expedition, they perished only a few miles from a cache of food and fuel. Next spring Wright led a search party to look for the remains of Scott and his party, and it was the sharp-eyed Wright who spotted a small patch of green on a snowy landscapeÊ- the tent containing Scott and his companions' frozen bodies. Wright returned to England and went on to do even more extraordinary things, including inventing trench wireless in WWI, and working closely with Winston Churchill, developing the technology to assist in the allied invasion of Europe in WWII which included developing the first radar installations and inventing the technology that neutralized German magnetic sea mines After a stint as naval attache to Washington, D.C., and Director of Scripps Oceanographic institute in La Jolla, California, he retired to Salt Spring Island, BC, passing away in 1975. Typically Canadian, Wright was modest about his accomplishments, with few Canadians aware of his amazing life and the extraordinary impact he had on the 20th century. Source: http://eu.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-0470153806.html
T.H. Baughman e-mails to say:
"I wanted to call to your attention and have you post on the works-in-progress page, that I am at work on a book that will describe Antarctica, 1922-1941. I failed to register a previous project and after two years of research discovered that someone else had completed her manuscript, so I am hoping to avoid that problem this time around."(13 August 2008)
Edmund Stump e-mails to say "May I call your attention to a book that I have written, though am yet to find a publisher. It is meant to be a coffee-table book with maps and images that trace the routes of the parties that discovered the Transantarctic Mountains. I have a website with some of the imagery posted: http://www.deepfieldantarctica.com."
The following appears on his site: "Discover the Transantarctic Mountains, an utterly pristine wilderness of polar ice and rock. Armed with historical maps produced by the early explorers, modern, shaded-relief maps that accurately plot their traverse routes, and spectacular photo imagery of the country they were the first to behold, the armchair explorer will be able literally to follow in the footsteps of the forebears as the Transantarctic Mountains opened before them. The book showcases a unique and comprehensive set of photo images from throughout the length of the most remote mountain range on Earth, collected by the author during a 35-year career of Antarctic exploration and research." The 14 images on the site are quite stunning. Let's hope a publisher is found soon. Stump has had a long and distinguished career in polar studies. He is at the School of Earth and Space Exloration at Arizona State University. More information at http://sese.asu.edu/FACULTY/stump/.Joan Boothe e-mails to say:
"I have completed the manuscript for a inclusive history focused on Antarctica's South American Sector (South Shetlands, Peninsula, Weddell Sea, South Orkneys, South Shetlands, South Georgia). The working title is The Storied Ice: Exploration, Discovery and Adventure in Antarctica's South American Sector. Despite the fact that this is by far the most visited portion of Antarctica, amazingly no such focused history has been published to date. Instead, we have general Antarctic histories, books about specific expeditions such as Endurance, books about specific periods of time, or natural history books about the region. The work is a comprehensive history, beginning with Magellan and going through the collapse of the Larsen B Ice Shelf in 2002. Unlike other works that provide history of this region, this book focuses on only this part of Antarctica and presents the dramatic human story there in an evolutionary fashion, linking the events and expeditions together in a way. This is particularly important during the Heroic Age, where many histories often present expeditions one by one as if they occurred in isolation. I also make an attempt to give due attention to ALL the major paritcipants, not just the most famous ones or those from selected countries. In addition, the sealers and whalers also get their due with regard to their contribution to exploration and discovery. In short, this work attempts to present a complete and integrated picture-all written in an engaging fashion that conveys my passion for the subject.(3 March 2007)
Several Antarctic experts, including John Splettstoesser, have seen early drafts and commented positively. At this point I am in the process of seeking a publisher (any thoughts would be welcome!)."
UPDATE: The April issue of 'Analog' is now out. Not the easiest thing to find; took two trips to Harvard Square! Pp 12-41 out of 144 pages. This is what Brenda had to say recently: "The magazine has printed the novella [MAY BE SOME TIME], which is about 20,000 words and comprises the front end of the full novel. The web page [http://www.analogsf.com/0104/issue_0104.html] has only an excerpt of the novella, looks like the first couple thousand words. The magazine is a print publication and ought to be available now at newsstands, in big bookstores, etc. So on the web page you really are getting a very tiny sample indeed. The novel itself is far far longer (at this point I'd estimate 150,000 words) and will not be published until 2002 or 2003."
—R. Stephenson
(15 March 2001)
UPDATE: Brenda recently reported that she's done another novella about Titus which should be appearing in the July-August 2002 issue of ANALOG.
Also, her first one "...has made the final ballot for the Nebula Award, which is given by the Science Fiction Writers of America. As a result, the complete novella is up on the Analog web site — www.analogsf.com" Congratulations!
—R. Stephenson
(10 March 2002)
UPDATE: Have a look at Brenda's very useful bibliography at http://www.sff.net/people/Brenda/rtwbib.htm
—R. Stephenson
(6 March 2003)
NOTE: Those issues of the South Polar Times that were published as Volumes I-III—which now bring very high prices in the rare book market--are about to be reprinted for the first time in the near future. Details are sketchy at this point but we've learned that the set will probably be priced in the neighborhood of £600. [The 3-volume set has since been issued; see details in 'Antarctic Book Notes' elsewhere on this site.]
UPDATE: This project—Vol IV—seems now to be stalled. Vols I-III due out by Christmas [now out--see under 'Antarctic Booknotes elsewhere on this site].
(13 December 2001)
UPDATE: Nothing new on this project.
(6 March 2003)
UPDATE: Ann Savours is working on the introduction. Word has it that the text will not be reset (as volumes I-III were) but photo-offset from the original.
(28 May 2003)
UPDATE: Ann Savours mentioned her involvement in this project during her talk at the recent Shackleton Autumn School in Athy.
(9 November 2003)
UPDATE: An item in the James Caird Society Newsletter of May 2004 reports: "The aim is to publish later this year or early in 2005."
UPDATE: Apparently the photographs got lost between the UK and the US. No further news.
(2 December 2006)
UPDATE: I heard recently that someone was told that the title will appear later this year.
(3 March 2007)
UPDATE: A new publisher is on board—and I spoke with him last month in London—and the project is up and running again. I should be posting more information soon.
(9 December 2009)
UPDATE: Riffenburgh's book is now out. Nimrod: Ernest Shackleton and the Extraordinary Story of the 1907-09 British Antarctic Expedition. See 'Antarctic Book Notes' elsewhere on this site.
(27 January 2005)
UPDATE: Have heard nothing about Alan Gurney's effort in some time.
(2 December 2006)
UPDATE: "Alan Gurney's book on 'Nimrod' is still a work-in-progress, with publication expected late 2007, or (more likely), 2008."
—Thanks to Joe O'Farrell who's had some recent conversations with Alan.
(2 January 2007)
UPDATE: During my recent trip to England I learned that Alan's ms got lost, stolen or otherwise went missing, and with no backups anywhere. Shades of T.E. Lawrence who left the ms of 'The Seven Pillars of Wisdom' on the platform of the Reading station. Let's hope the project has a phoenix-like resurrection.
(21 June 2008)
1) The Scott Photographs [A book of Captain Scott's own photographs. He'll be collaborating with an Antarctic photography expert and collector.]The plans for a cd of 'The Songs of Elephant Island' are held up by the lack of a suitable banjo player—preferably in NZ so that the recording can be made; but the script/music is all done and the project is ready to go. The real issue here is that I am also busy with many of the forthcoming Scott Centenary events, which tends to slow down the writing of the books. Hopefully, I will get them all done, however."
2) Edward Wilson's Antarctic Notebooks
3) Terra Nova Illustrated
UPDATE: A recent e-mail from Paul: "I was wildly optimistic to say 2005! I am still researching but aim to start seriously writing in the New Year. It won't be a large book . . . more a booklet 30/40 pages."
(3 December 2006)
UPDATE: I recently received a copy from Rik; a very nice production. Am now waiting to learn of its general availability.
—R. Stephenson
(28 January 2004)
"I thought I should tell you about two other titles in production . . .(30 August 2002)The Ross Sea Shore Party by R W Richards. Originally published by SPRI this has long been out of print. It is an amazing and little known story of the party who set out from McMurdo Sound to lay the depots for Shackleton's Trans-Antarctic expedition whose ship Endurance was lost in the ice. Three men died and of course their efforts were in vain as the polar party never got started.
In addition we intend to produce the first English translations next year of the first French Antarctic Expedition led by J.B.Charcot aboard the Français [now out; see 'Antarctic Book Notes' elsewhere on this site] and the first Japanese Antarctic Expedition led by Lt. Shirase.
Perhaps your readers might like to know we also have a web site with full details of all our new books and the current list of second hand material. It is at www.bluntishambooks.co.uk
UPDATE: The latest flyer from Bluntisham Books-Erskine Press says the following: "In 2005 we hope to publish the first English translation of the first Japanese scientific voyage to leave Asian waters-The Japanese Antarctic Expedition of 1910-12 under Nobu Shirase. Books on the 1955-57 Trans-Antarctic Expedition, a biography of William Colbeck, Nordenskjold's expedition and the German Schwabenland expedition are amongst future publications being considered."
(29 January 2005)
UPDATE: A recent e-mail from David reports that "We will be doing the page layout this winter with the intention of publishing in late Spring."
UPDATE: The article appeared in the March 2001 issue (Vol 51 [3]; pp 44-51), entitled 'From Greenland's Icy Mountains.' Ann has been working on a book-length biography of Markham.
UPDATE: Ann spoke on Markham at the 4 November 2005 James Caird Society members' evening. Her book on Markham is complete but, oddly enough, no publisher is in the wings. Markham being the key figure in the launch of the 'Heroic Age' one would think this would be a very publishable biography, particularly given the credentials of the author.
—R. Stephenson
(29 November 2005)