Download or read book Terra Incognita written by Sara Wheeler and published by Modern Library. This book was released on 2014-10-01 with total page 385 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: It is the coldest, windiest, driest place on earth, an icy desert of unearthly beauty and stubborn impenetrability. For centuries, Antarctica has captured the imagination of our greatest scientists and explorers, lingering in the spirit long after their return. Shackleton called it "the last great journey"; for Apsley Cherry-Garrard it was the worst journey in the world. This is a book about the call of the wild and the response of the spirit to a country that exists perhaps most vividly in the mind. Sara Wheeler spent seven months in Antarctica, living with its scientists and dreamers. No book is more true to the spirit of that continent--beguiling, enchanted and vast beyond the furthest reaches of our imagination. Chosen by Beryl Bainbridge and John Major as one of the best books of the year, recommended by the editors of Entertainment Weekly and the Chicago Tribune, one of the Seattle Times's top ten travel books of the year, Terra Incognita is a classic of polar literature.

Download or read book Antarctica written by Walter Dean Myers and published by . This book was released on 2004 with total page 148 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Walter Dean Myers presents a thrilling record of Antarctica and the expedition parties that have uncovered the frozen continent throughout history. Walter Dean Myers brings the dramatic race to the South Pole to life in Antarctica, tracking the explorers of the South Pole - including James Cook, Ernest Shackleton, and Richard Evelyn Bird - and the dangers they encountered there, as well as their contributions to science. The heroism and adventure - and sometimes the ultimate failure - of the expeditions are depicted in Myers's powerful prose, and through the photos, maps, and illustrations that complement the text.

Download or read book The Ice written by Stephen J. Pyne and published by University of Washington Press. This book was released on 2016-06-01 with total page 466 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “The Ice is a compilation of more about ice than you knew you wanted to know, yet sheer compelling significance holds attention page by page. . . . Pyne conveys a view of Antarctica that interweaves physical science with humanistic inquiry and perception. His audacity as well as his presentation warrant admiration, for the implications of The Ice are vast.”—New York Times Book Review

Download or read book Endurance written by Alfred Lansing and published by Basic Books. This book was released on 2014-04-29 with total page 412 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Experience “one of the best adventure books ever written” (Wall Street Journal) in this New York Times bestseller: the harrowing tale of British explorer Ernest Shackleton's 1914 attempt to reach the South Pole. In August 1914, polar explorer Ernest Shackleton boarded the Endurance and set sail for Antarctica, where he planned to cross the last uncharted continent on foot. In January 1915, after battling its way through a thousand miles of pack ice and only a day's sail short of its destination, the Endurance became locked in an island of ice. Thus began the legendary ordeal of Shackleton and his crew of twenty-seven men. When their ship was finally crushed between two ice floes, they attempted a near-impossible journey over 850 miles of the South Atlantic's heaviest seas to the closest outpost of civilization. In Endurance, the definitive account of Ernest Shackleton's fateful trip, Alfred Lansing brilliantly narrates the harrowing and miraculous voyage that has defined heroism for the modern age.

Download or read book Journeys to Antarctica written by Kalman Dubov and published by Kalman Dubov. This book was released on 2020-11-10 with total page 208 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The continent of Antarctica, shrouded in mist, ice and frightful weather, was a land of mystery for millennia. Ancient and medieval cartographers and scientists pondered its reality, considering the South Pole at the extreme of Earth, the counterpart of the North Pole. But it was only in the 17th and 18th centuries that brave captains, piloting tiny ships (by today's standards) began plying these waters. The myth of Terra Australis was soon debunked as the misty veil of ice and cold yielded its secrets. Soon, many explorers set themselves the task of mastering this secret and unknown land. The story of such exploration is a fascinating tale: of those who braved the ice and cold; those who living to tell the tale of their exploits; and those who did not. Today, waters, seas, mountains and valleys are known by these hardy men and their feats of bravery. The tale of exploration is also coupled with greed, spurred by the advance of territorial claims over land and sea. In this regard, the British were foremost in this quest. They were only halted by the adoption of the Antarctic Treaty System, an international agreement that preserves and protects Antarctica from every mercantile endeavor -- at least until until 2048. There are no human settlements on Antarctica, save for research stations as scientist-explorers further our collective understanding of the continent, its flora and fauna, its many water animals that come here and to understand the story hidden beneath hundreds of feet of solid ice. Of greatest importance is the effect this continent has on the rest of the globe, with its teeming billions and ecological effect the world has on this distant land. This review discusses the explorers who first mapped the land and its waters, who navigated these channels and so, leading to the wider discovery of the continent itself. The expansion of British interests in Antarctica was also spurred by the claim over the Falklands Islands, resulting in the 1982 conflict between Britain and Argentina. The Argentine invasion was repelled by British forces, though Argentina continues to claim sovereignty over the islands. For a time, Britain declared sovereignty from the Falklands to the South Pole, with overlapping claims from other countries. None of these sovereignty claims however, are recognized under the Antarctic Treaty. Of special interest is the science applied to the continent, which requires specialized training and expertise. I review some of the science, appreciating the dedication and determination of the men and women to understand this icy continent. Speaking of women, I was surprised to learn that women were forbidden from participating in exploration and scientific efforts based on nothing more than machismo - men who decided this was no place for women. The first women who pioneered and came to Antarctica faced a host of male-dominated and demeaning attitudes until these attitudes changed. I also explore a Jewish conundrum - how to visit Antarctica, either during its long summer or its dark winter and remain true to Jewish tradition. That tradition mandates following laws that are time-sensitive by the rhythm of day and night, which do not apply in this remote region. Ancient precedent is used to apply a modicum of reality to this remote region. I then discuss my two visits to the continent, once about Holland America's Prinsendam, and the second aboard the Amsterdam. While both journeys were memorable, the second voyage was overshadowed by Covid-19. In fact, the latter journey ended in late March, just two months later, when all passengers were required to disembark in Perth Australia and had to immediately return home. Unless one is a research scientist, travel to Antarctica is commonly by cruise ship. Even then, the Antarctic mainland is not seen. Instead, the ship will visit various points in the Antarctic Peninsula, a location that is closer to Ushuaia, Argentina or Punta Arenas, Chile. These locations are Fin del Mundo - the end of the earth, the last human habitation before reaching the Antarctic land mass. My visits were to the Peninsula, with each trip lasting just four and one half days. Combined, these nine days remain memorable for the uniqueness as for their stark color extremes. White and dark predominates here with few other colors marring the landscape. If ever I had a 'bucket list', these nine days filled the void of the only landmass on earth where extremes of ice and snow, of dark-colored penguins, whales and seals contrasted with the icebergs and high granite peaks atop snow-encrusted mountains. I remain grateful for this incredible opportunity to visit this remote land, cocooned aboard a large and warm vessel, with fellow passengers seeking the see this remote and distant land. I hope this review does justice to the beauty and cold silence of this remote land.

Download or read book Journey to Antarctica written by Julie Haydon and published by Nelson Thornes. This book was released on 2001 with total page 38 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Designed to be used by children in their first six months of school PM Starters One and Two

Download or read book End of the Earth written by Peter Matthiessen and published by National Geographic Society. This book was released on 2003 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Matthiessen chronicles two voyages into the frozen seas that surround a landmass larger than the continental United States, most of it buried under eternal snow and ice as much as three miles deep. Ninety percent of the world's fresh water is locked in this immense ice cap, a remote region profoundly important to our environment. The author addresses the subject with authority and passion, discussing everything from global warming and the ozone layer to the vital role of krill, the teeming crustacean that is the cornerstone of the marine food chain." "Nature lovers - birders especially - will be fascinated by descriptions of more than half of the penguin species and an astonishing array of seabirds, from tiny storm-petrels to magnificent albatrosses, which may soar for years without alighting on land; here too are close encounters with whales, leopard seals, and elephant seals, and elusive creatures such as the oceanic orca. There are also remarkable descriptions of the seldom seen polar rookeries where thousands of emperor penguins stand motionless for months at a time, brooding their giant eggs through the long, cold darkness of Antarctic winter."--BOOK JACKET.

Download or read book Crossing Antarctica written by Will Steger and published by Menasha Ridge Press. This book was released on 2010-03-02 with total page 346 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In March 1990, Will Steger completed what no man had ever before attempted: the crossing of Antarctica, a total of 3,700 miles, on foot. Lured by the challenge and the beauty of Earth's last great wilderness, and determined to focus the world's attention on the frozen continent now that its ecological future hangs in the balance, Steger and his International Trans–Arctica team performed an extraordinary feat of endurance.

Download or read book The Last Place on Earth written by Roland Huntford and published by Modern Library. This book was released on 2007-12-18 with total page 626 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book The South Pole written by Roald Amundsen and published by DigiCat. This book was released on 2023-12-16 with total page 543 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The South Pole is a book by Roald Amundsen and it represents an interesting first-hand account of the Norwegian expedition's successful attempt to reach the South Pole in 1911. Amundsen spends a great deal of time talking about logistics and placing of depots in preparation for his polar attempt all the way from the preparation leading up to the initial sea voyage, the voyage itself and then the establishing of a camp at the Antarctic. Although they were lucky with the weather, and Amundsen attributed the success of the expedition to "good luck", it is obvious that the Norwegian expedition was well prepared and ready for the troubles ahead; the equipment, the sledges with well-trained dogs, the supply depots with seal meat at regular intervals along the route, the sunglasses to avoid snow blindness; it was all thought of in advance.

Download or read book No Horizon Is So Far written by Liv Arnesen and published by U of Minnesota Press. This book was released on 2019-03-19 with total page 261 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The extraordinary story of the first two women to cross Antarctica The fascinating chronicle of Liv Arnesen and Ann Bancroft’s dramatic journey as the first two women to cross Antarctica, No Horizon Is So Far follows the explorers from the planning of their expedition through their brutal trek from the Norwegian sector all the way to McMurdo Station as they walked, skied, and ice-sailed for almost three months in temperatures reaching as low as -35°F, all while towing their 250-pound supply sledges across 1,700 miles of ice full of dangerous crevasses. Through website transmissions and satellite phone calls, Ann and Liv, two former schoolteachers, were able to broadcast their expedition to more than three million students in sixty-five countries to teach geography, science, and the importance of following your dreams.

Download or read book The Antarctic Book of Cooking and Cleaning written by Wendy Trusler and published by HarperCollins. This book was released on 2015-05-19 with total page 260 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This stunning chronicle of the first civilian Antarctic clean-up project, with contemporary and historic anecdotes and photographs, journal entries, and more than forty delicious recipes, is an intricately woven ode to the last wilderness. With more than 130 full-color photographs

Download or read book The White Darkness written by David Grann and published by Doubleday. This book was released on 2018-10-30 with total page 153 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Killers of the Flower Moon and The Wager, a thrilling and powerful true story of adventure and obsession in the Antarctic, lavishly illustrated with color photographs. "[Grann is] one of the preeminent adventure and true-crime writers working today."—New York Magazine Henry Worsley was a devoted husband and father and a decorated British special forces officer who believed in honor and sacrifice. He was also a man obsessed. He spent his life idolizing Ernest Shackleton, the nineteenth-century polar explorer, who tried to become the first person to reach the South Pole, and later sought to cross Antarctica on foot. Shackleton never completed his journeys, but he repeatedly rescued his men from certain death, and emerged as one of the greatest leaders in history. Worsley felt an overpowering connection to those expeditions. He was related to one of Shackleton's men, Frank Worsley, and spent a fortune collecting artifacts from their epic treks across the continent. He modeled his military command on Shackleton's legendary skills and was determined to measure his own powers of endurance against them. He would succeed where Shackleton had failed, in the most brutal landscape in the world. In 2008, Worsley set out across Antarctica with two other descendants of Shackleton's crew, battling the freezing, desolate landscape, life-threatening physical exhaustion, and hidden crevasses. Yet when he returned home he felt compelled to go back. On November 13, 2015, at age 55, Worsley bid farewell to his family and embarked on his most perilous quest: to walk across Antarctica alone. David Grann tells Worsley's remarkable story with the intensity and power that have led him to be called "simply the best narrative nonfiction writer working today." Illustrated with more than fifty stunning photographs from Worsley's and Shackleton's journeys, The White Darkness is both a gorgeous keepsake volume and a spellbinding story of courage, love, and a man pushing himself to the extremes of human capacity. Look for David Grann’s latest bestselling book, The Wager!

Download or read book Four to the Pole written by Nancy Loewen and published by Shoe String Press. This book was released on 2001 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is the true story of the American Women's Trans-Antarctic Expedition known as AWE, told through diary excerpts, dispatches, letters, and narrative.

Download or read book Alone in Antarctica written by Felicity Aston and published by Hachette UK. This book was released on 2013-08-05 with total page 269 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: At the age of 34, Felicity Aston became the first woman to cross Antarctica alone. Frozen into her facemask, she battled desperate weather and raced to reach the coast before the last flight out. This gripping and inspirational account shows what you can achieve when you grit your teeth and decide just to get through today in one piece.

Download or read book Antarctica First Journey written by Geoffrey Carpentier and published by . This book was released on 2009 with total page 382 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Below the Convergence written by Alan Gurney and published by W. W. Norton & Company. This book was released on 2007-02-27 with total page 338 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This wonderfully written book tells of the first Herculean expeditions to Antarctica, from astronomer Edmond Halley's 1699 voyage in the Paramore to the sealer John Balleny's 1839 excursion in the Eliza Scott, all in search of land, glory, fur, science, and profit. Life was harsh: crews had poor provisions and inadequate clothing, and scurvy was a constant threat. With unreliable--often homemade--charts, these intrepid explorers sailed in the stormy waters of the Southern Ocean below the Convergence, that sea frontier marking the boundary between the freezing Antarctic waters and the warmer sub-Antarctic seas. These men were the first to discover and exploit a new continent, which was not the verdant southern island they had imagined but an inhospitable expanse of rock and ice, ringed by pack ice and icebergs: Antarctica.