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1. Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing | |
![]() | list price: $13.95
our price: $10.46 (price subject to change: see help) Asin: 078670621X Catlog: Book (1999-03-01) Publisher: Carroll & Graf Publishers Sales Rank: 1174 Average Customer Review: ![]() US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan |
Book Description Reviews (332)
Lansing dedicated the book "In appreciation for whatever it is that makes men accomplish the impossible." He wisely and without flourish often lets the men's own words -- through the journals that many of them kept at the time and in interviews forty years later -- tell their extraordinary story, each stage of which reads more harrowing than the last. On an expedition that would have attempted to cross the Antarctic on foot (a feat not accomplished until four decades later), the Endurance is trapped in pack ice before it can reach shore. Shackleton's perhaps foolhardy original goal thus turns to keeping his men alive until they can be rescued. After ten months locked in the drifting pack, the Endurance is crushed and the men forced to abandon her for an ice floe, then several weeks later a smaller floe still. Eventually they take to three boats to reach forlorn Elephant Island from which Shackleton takes a skeleton crew of five and in a 22 foot open boat navigates the enormous seas of Drake's Passage to South Ascension Island. Once there he only (only!) has uncharted glaciers to cross to reach the whaling station on the other side of the island from which rescue of the Elephant Island castaways is eventually launched. The only other crossing of South Georgian Island by foot at the time Lansing wrote in 1959 occurred on a "easier" route with equipment and time. Shackleton had neither, only a fifty foot piece of rope, a carpenter's adze, and the knowledge that to stop moving was to invite death by freezing. At journey's end, to the astonished manager of the whaling factory, he says simply, "My name is Shackleton." I would have liked to have known him and all his men.
Asking friends and relatives if they've read it, I've heard, "I started it, but I didn't want to see everyone die!" So here's the *spoiler...nobody dies! * The capacity of the human body to survive and of the human brain to figure out how to do it never ceases to amaze me. Lansing's account ingeniously pieces together journals of the men involved and includes riveting details without ever being too gory. Even knowing the ending, it's a page turner. I've heard that this is the most involving of all the accounts published...coming across more like a story and less a documentary. The images of the men on the ice have completely captivated me...the sounds and the movement. Be prepared to grab a blanket and a snack as you read (something not made of penguin)...you'll feel like you're there.
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2. The Endurance : Shackleton's Legendary Antarctic Expedition by CAROLINE ALEXANDER | |
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our price: $19.77 (price subject to change: see help) Asin: 0375404031 Catlog: Book (1998-11-03) Publisher: Knopf Sales Rank: 3865 Average Customer Review: ![]() US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan |
Amazon.com Most skillfully Alexander constructs the expedition's character through its personalities--the cast of veteran explorers, scientists, and crew--with aid from many previously unavailable journals and documents. We learn, for instance, that carpenter and shipwright Henry McNish, or "Chippy," was "neither sweet-tempered nor tolerant," and that Mrs. Chippy, his cat, was "full of character." Such firsthand descriptions, paired with 170 of Frank Hurley's intimate photographs, which are comprehensively assembled here for the first time, penetrate the hulls of the Endurance and these tough men. The account successfully reveals the seldom-seen domestic world of expedition life--the singsongs, feasts, lectures, camaraderie--so that when the hardships set in, we know these people beyond the stereotypical guise of mere explorers and long for their safety. Alexander reveals Shackleton as an inspiring optimist, "a leader who put his men first." Throughout the grueling ordeal, Shackleton and his men show what endurance and greatness are all about. The Endurance is a most intimate portrait of an expedition and of survival. Readers will possess a newfound respect for these daring souls, know better their unthinkable toil and half-forgotten realm of glory. --Byron Ricks Reviews (134)
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3. Big Dead Place: Inside the Strange and Menacing World of Antarctica by Nicholas Johnson, Eirik Sønneland | |
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our price: $11.53 (price subject to change: see help) Asin: 0922915997 Catlog: Book (2005-04) Publisher: Feral House Sales Rank: 95497 US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan |
Book Description Is it the pristine but harsh frontier where noble scientific missions are accomplished? Or an insane corporate bureaucracy where hundreds of workers are cooped together in hi-tech communes with all the soul of a suburban office park? Welcome to Big Dead Place, a grunt's eye view of America's Antarctic Program that shatters the well-worn clichés of polar literature. Here the heroic camaraderie and romantic desolation give way to sterile buildings populated by characters like a crazed manager who fills his boots with antifreeze, the greasepaint-obsessed worker Boozy the Clown, ghosts that haunt the food freezer, and horny employees who grab rare private moments coupling on the altar in the Chapel of the Snows. The Foreword is by Eirik Sønneland, who claims the longest unsupported ski trek in the continent's history. Also included is a glossary of Antarctic slang and bureaucratese, and 16 pages of color photographs. |
4. Arctic National Wildlife Refuge: Seasons of Life and Land by Subhankar Banerjee | |
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our price: $25.17 (price subject to change: see help) Asin: 0898869099 Catlog: Book (2003-04-01) Publisher: Mountaineers Books Sales Rank: 18569 Average Customer Review: ![]() US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan |
Book Description Reviews (11)
In my opinion, this book is environmental advocacy in its finest form. As always, advocacy is controversial. Another "reviewer" of this book, Senator Ted Stevens of Alaska, who is an avid supporter of oil drilling in the Refuge said in a Senate speech "This book is pure propaganda." Developing and preserving the more than 500 National Wildlife Refuges have been contentions political issues since Theodore Roosevelt established the first one in 1903. There have been continual battles between using the Refuges for activities such as mining, military exercises, grazing, and use of motorized vehicles and their primary purpose of protecting wildlife. In that sense, the ongoing ANWR debate is "simply" the latest and best known of a long series of struggles between development and conservation in the Refuges. (The recently published Smithsonian Book of National Wildlife Refuges contains an excellent account of this history.) The case for development can be quantified in terms of dollars and cents, jobs, and taxes to be collected. By contrast, the case for conservation is impossible to quantify. It depends on softer almost spiritual arguments -- demonstrating the value of natural beauty; understanding that preservation of the diversity of all species is almost certainly crucial to the preservation of our own, and preserving for future generations small portions of the planet untrammeled by man. Reconciling these objectives for the ANWR is ultimately a matter of judgement for it's guardians -- the American people and their elected representatives. To decide wisely we need to be informed about the land and the issues that surround it. Thus I encourage you to buy (or borrow from your library) this important book, read it, and share with your fellow citizens what you have learned.
Subhankar Banerjee, an engineer from India, took these pictures because he wanted to move public opinion to save the coastal plain adjacent to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge as a wild place. This book was displayed on the floor of Congress by a debating Senator who agreed with Banerjee. Shortly thereafter the Smithsonian, which had scheduled a showing of Banerjee's pictures in the museum's main hall, moved the pictures to a far less desirable location and cut the captions to almost nothing. Accusations of political tampering have been flying fast and furious since then. There is little doubt that this is a book of advocacy. From the introduction by President Jimmy Carter to essays by the Pulitzer Prize winning nature writer Peter Matheson and bird artist Allen Sibley, among others, the book makes a plea for preservation of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, with particular note of strong attacks on the refuge by forces supporting the petroleum industry. The various essays describing travels in the refuge will be of interest to those who enjoy reading about trips through the great outdoors, although you have to be ready for a big dose of anti-oil rhetoric. However, I expect that no one who reads this book will be a strong supporter of the energy industry, so that much of the writing will be preaching to the converted. I can be counted as supporting preservation of the refuge, and I'd love to give this book a high rating, but I thought there were far too many pages of essays and not enough pictures. And, ultimately I think this book must be judged by the author's photographs. Unfortunately the photos are of only of so-so quality. Some of Banerjee's shots are spectacular, like those of herds of oxen against the midnight sun. Others are as subtle as the textures of the refuge itself, like the pictures of lichens growing on rocks. But most of the pictures are straight forward record shots with little sophistication. They provide information but not inspiration. Banerjee is not a great photographic artist. If that's what you want get Art Wofe's book of highly saturated, incredibly composed photographs, "Alaska". Wolfe's picture of a single Dall Sheep looks majestic. Banerjee's looks, well, moth-eaten. Banerjee's shot of a herd of Dall Sheep is a bunch of sheep in a green field. Wolfe's is an environmental photo of a herd amongst precipitous mountains. If you want a book dedicated exclusively to the refuge, and you want to show support for the refuge, and it's not important that you have great pictures to inspire you, you may want this book. Otherwise, look elsewhere for great photography of the refuge.
The treatment of Banerjee's photos was so troublesome that Congress held hearings on the matter. But no news report could compare to the feeling of being there, near the elevator. I took the book home with me, trying to understand whether or not the poor installation was due to poor material or to poor museum administration. Banerjee's photos, and the stories and writings around the photos, are greatly compelling. The story of how hard he worked to get those photos, and of how in the process, he became a better photographer, stood out to me. I highly recommend the book, but I hope I have helped some enthusiasts know just how controversial the notion of natural beauty can be, and how the Smithsonian does play politics. Apparently, reading Banerjee's book can be considered an act of protest.
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5. Midnight Wilderness by Debbie S. Miller | |
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(price subject to change: see help) Asin: 0871567156 Catlog: Book (1990-03-24) Publisher: Random House, Inc. Sales Rank: 654677 Average Customer Review: ![]() US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan |
Book Description Twenty years ago, Debbie Miller moved to northern Alaska to teach in Arctic Village, one of the state's most isolated communities. She and her husband have hiked and kayaked more than a thousand miles in the refuge. A free-lance journalist, Miller has won many awards for her work. She has been published in a variety of newspapers and magazines, including Alaska magazine and Alaska Geographic, and is the author of several award winning books for children, including FLIGHT OF THE GOLDEN PLOVER, published by Alaska Northwest Books(tm). She lives in Fairbanks. Reviews (5)
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6. Where Mountains Are Nameless: Passion and Politics in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge by Jonathan Waterman | |
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our price: $16.47 (price subject to change: see help) Asin: 0393052192 Catlog: Book (2005-05-09) Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company Sales Rank: 51763 US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan |
Book Description The nineteen-million-acre Alaskan National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) contains three to eight billion barrels of crude oil. Conservationists and developers have fought bitterly over the land for the last half-century, an era in which petroleum has virtually come to define Alaska. Struggling to combat the big-money politics that threaten ANWR, the conservation efforts of one couple, Olaus and Mardy Murie, have made them legendary. Jonathan Waterman blends historical narrative with vivid tales of his journeys into the Arctic, creating tension between past and present, science and politics, reflection and investigation. Since 1983, he has taken eighteen trips into the far North, trekking and paddling thousands of miles and encounteringhowling wolves, Inupiat hunters, and the oil-ravaged Prince William Sound. Where Mountains Are Nameless explores how oil exploration has choked Alaska's pristine wilderness and also traces the lives of the celebrated Muries. This memorable portrait makes the stakes over ANWR vividly clear. 3 maps, 23 illustrations. |
7. Lonely Planet Greenland & The Arctic (Lonely Planet Travel Guides) by Etain O'Carroll, Mark Elliott | |
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our price: $17.81 (price subject to change: see help) Asin: 1740590953 Catlog: Book (2005-06-01) Publisher: Lonely Planet Publications Sales Rank: 83449 US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan |
Book Description EXPLORING MADE EASY - slumber in colorful cottages, dine on reindeer or sail the coast in style, with our extensive, practical listings PLAN YOUR ADVENTURE - inspiring itineraries for exploring the Arctic Circle, from Lapland to Deadhorse, Nuuk to the North Pole GET BENEATH THE SURFACE - topical coverage of cultural and environmental issues affecting the region, with chapters on indigenous peoples and Arctic research projects AMAZING ENDEAVORS - from Norse voyages to legendary explorers, storybrook adventures uncovered in our dedicated history and exploration chapters |
8. Three Among the Wolves: A Couple and Their Dog Live a Year With Wolves in the Wild by Helen Thayer | |
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our price: $15.61 (price subject to change: see help) Asin: 1570613982 Catlog: Book (2004-04-01) Publisher: Sasquatch Books Sales Rank: 20540 Average Customer Review: ![]() US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan |
Book Description Reviews (2)
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9. Birds of Southern South America and Antarctica. by Martin R. de la Pena, Maurice Rumboll | |
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our price: $19.77 (price subject to change: see help) Asin: 0691090351 Catlog: Book (1998) Publisher: Princeton University Press Sales Rank: 20992 Average Customer Review: ![]() US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan |
Book Description The 97 color plates depict each species' male in breeding plumage, with the female and young often shown as well. On the facing page are concise textual descriptions of each species, highlighting not only salient physical features and behavioral patterns but the calls or songs of each. Casual birders and ornithologists contemplating a journey to the region, or simply interested in a one-volume overview of its bird life, will not want to miss this book. Reviews (4)
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10. The Complete Guide to Antarctic Wildlife : Birds and Marine Mammals of the Antarctic Continent and the Southern Ocean by Hadoram Shirihai | |
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our price: $32.67 (price subject to change: see help) Asin: 0691114145 Catlog: Book (2002-09-16) Publisher: Princeton University Press Sales Rank: 48828 US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan |
Book Description Covering the Antarctic continent, the southern ocean, and the subantarctic islands, this guide illustrates all of the region's breeding birds and marine mammals with stunning color photographs. In addition to the color plates, it features distribution maps and up-to-date species accounts expertly detailing abundance, seasonal status, and conservation prospects. The volume also covers numerous nonbreeding species, migrants, and vagrants. Regional chapters describe all of the subantarctic islands, in addition to most regularly visited sites in Antarctica, and are accompanied by maps of each area and photographs of each locale. These chapters present detailed information on geography, climate, geology, general ecology, and flora. They also address conservation efforts--past, present, and planned. The book concludes with practical information about visiting the area, including details on the best-available landing sites and notes on seasonal weather conditions. This is an indispensable companion for a trip far south, as well as an informative volume for anyone interested in the Antarctic region's remarkable, occasionally strange, and frequently beautiful animals. Features 35 color plates and over 600 color photographs Illustrates and maps the distribution of all of the region's breeding birds and marine mammals Includes information on many non-breeders, migrants, and vagrants Features expert text reflecting recent advances in taxonomy Covers all of the subantarctic islands as well as Antarctica's regularly visited sites Offers travel tips, including weather considerations and landing sites |
11. Poles Apart: Parallel Visions of the Arctic and Antarctic by Galen A. Rowell, Galen Rowell | |
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(price subject to change: see help) Asin: 0520201744 Catlog: Book (1995-10-01) Publisher: University of California Press Sales Rank: 419585 Average Customer Review: ![]() US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan |
Book Description Reviews (2)
Galen Rowell's photography captures the typical beauty of a Scandinavian mileau, even though it is truly a facade for the garbage that the typical native Greenlander casts no further than his front door! His words portray the many problems of the native Inuits, who have been unable to adapt to the influence of Danish culture and progress. For Rowell to elaborate on the problems of alcholism, violent crime, and the high rate of suicide in a village of only 500, distinguishes him as an author that researchs his subjects quite well! It brought back memories for my wife of the "Grundlander" that beat his wife with the carcass of a frozen seal, only to have his wife bite of his ear. The large yellow building in the left foreground is the eight bed hospital; the little red house with white trimmed windows that is over to the immediate left is where family Mortensen grew up from 1966-72. This book really takes my wife back,and helps me see things that were only in her mind's eye. It also brings her up to the what the present day Scoresbysund has become. And now that my family will be moving to Fairbanks,Alaska, my wife can get a sneak preview of our future from this marvelous book. Having lived in Alaska myself, I definitely recommend this book for its shear splendid photography and candid commentary. Great job Galen!
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12. Mitsuaki Iwago's Penguins by Mitsuaki Iwago | |
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(price subject to change: see help) Asin: 0811814408 Catlog: Book (1997-01-01) Publisher: Chronicle Books Sales Rank: 273209 Average Customer Review: ![]() US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan |
Amazon.com Reviews (4)
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13. North to the Night : A Spiritual Odyssey in the Arctic by ALVAH SIMON | |
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our price: $10.17 (price subject to change: see help) Asin: 076790446X Catlog: Book (1999-09-14) Publisher: Broadway Sales Rank: 57208 Average Customer Review: ![]() US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan |
Reviews (54)
Although this book is enjoyable to read and describes a great feat of survival adventure, the spiritual aspects can get dull and repetitive. The author mentions again and again that he is forced to believe that a "guiding hand" prevents careless or accidental mistakes from killing him, sinking his boat or otherwise doing damage to body, mind or spirit. However, one has to wonder about other less lucky individuals who had become convinced a guiding hand was protecting them when a final careless accident took them and their newfound belief system off the face of the planet. Mr. Simon should be applauded for at least being honest. When he makes a mistake he lays it out there for you to read about it. Other writers avoid honesty, for fear they will look smaller in the reader's eye. Mr. Simon's honesty only makes him more appealing as a person and underlines the fact that someone used to adventures who is prepared in every way imaginable and is intelligent to boot can still goof up. In Mr. Simon's case he lives to tell the tale, whether this is a guiding hand or not is ultimately left up to the reader to decide, but the author does all he can to pound home the depth of his spiritual odyssey in the arctic.
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14. Arctic Dreams : Imagination And Desire In A Northern Landscape by BARRY LOPEZ | |
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(price subject to change: see help) Asin: 0553346644 Catlog: Book (1988-12-01) Publisher: Bantam Sales Rank: 373601 Average Customer Review: ![]() US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan |
Amazon.com Reviews (19)
Mr. Lopez made a number of extended trips to Siberia, Greenland, and northern Canada, including Baffin Island, to observe the flora and fauna of the region - polar bears, killer whales, caribou, narwhals - as well as the spectacular Arctic landscape. He experienced eerie encounters with the aurora borealis, massive migrating icebergs, solar and lunar light, halos and coronas. And he experienced both the potential for catastrophic danger and the remarkable beauty that the Arctic land and sea offers. "Spring storms can sweep hundreds of thousands of helpless infant harp seals into the sea" - juxtaposed with, "A tiny flower blooms in a field of snow touched by the sun's benevolent light." Through Mr. Lopez' eyes the breathtaking experience of the Arctic landscape and the people who inhabit it become palpably real. I was particularly moved by his intimate and compassionate descriptions of the indigenous people of this region, who so aptly illustrate how mankind is capable of living in harmony with his surroundings. Lopez' prose and his conclusions make the strongest argument possible to work for the ecological health of our planet, for the sake of life itself, and for the health of our imagination and sense of wonder at the magnificent. As mankind grows closer to conquering the earth's last frontiers, the issue of exploitation and encroachment becomes greater. For anyone who advocates preserving the few remaining wild areas on our planet, "Arctic Dreams" is a welcome gift and a source of motivation. It also provides an extraordinary read, and, perhaps, an awakening to those who have shown little interest in earth's most mysterious places. This is a magical book that will enchant and awe the reader. I cannot recommend it highly enough. Bravo, Barry Lopez!
Barry Lopez's prose has gem-like quality to it. It begs to be read aloud, like poetry. He makes us all realize what a treasure this last frontier is, and how vital it is that we preserve it.
That's what this book does for you. It puts you there.
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15. Antarctica: A Guide to the Wildlife, 3rd (Bradt Guides) by Tony Soper | |
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(price subject to change: see help) Asin: 184162019X Catlog: Book (2001-01-01) Publisher: Bradt Travel Guides Sales Rank: 31624 Average Customer Review: ![]() US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan |
Book Description Reviews (2)
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16. Lonely Planet Antarctica (Lonely Planet Antarctica) by Jeff Rubin | |
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our price: $16.49 (price subject to change: see help) Asin: 1740590945 Catlog: Book (2005-01-15) Publisher: Lonely Planet Publications Sales Rank: 150772 Average Customer Review: ![]() US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan |
Book Description GET THE INSIDE SCOOP - loads of specialist contributions by experts in Antarctica's history, ecology and scientific research GO WILD - know your albatross from your snow petrel with our comprehensive wildlife section GET THERE - choose the best tour, expedition or flyover with our detailed transportation chapter FIND YOUR WAY - 52 detailed maps to help you keep your bearings TALK THE TALK - handy glossary of unique Antarctic slang and terminology Reviews (2)
Jeff Rubin's guide-book to Antarctica is a treasure,first of all because guide-books on Antarctica are still very rare indeed,secondly because it is exhaustively comprehensive in its detail and yet soreadable. Antarctica is a unique place.The last true wildernessremaining on earth. A land where diverse and warring nations co-existtogether to work, study and explore in peace.A land where Man can watchMother Nature act alone, undisturbed. The highest, windiest, driestcontinent and yet the one containing the most water. Jeff Rubin givesprofound insights on this last continent, this last true frontier.Thisbook is packed with facts about history, geology as well as environmentalissues (by Dr.Maj de Porteer) and antarctic science (by Dr.DavidWalton). This book also contains a wildlife guide with more than sixtyentries packed with pictures and with information essential for those whowant to go and observe the wilderness of Antarctica. Practical tips onwhen, how and with whom to go is both up to date, independent and ascomplete as one can get. Plenty of information on the main Antarcticgateways is also provided as well as my most treasured part of the book -the chapter on the Sub-Antarctic Islands packed with information which isvery diffuclt to find anywhere else with details on such isolated islandslike Bouvetoya - the most isolated land on earth, Ile Crozet, Ile Kerguelenand many many others. There are more than 20 maps in this bookincluding, believe it or not, a map of non-existent islands.Throughouthis book Rubin adds boxed text which provide to-the-point information onvaried subjects ranging from Helicopter Safety, Taking Photos inAntarctica, Why one should not collect anything from Antarctica,Glaciology, the Aurora Australis and How to cope with isolation. It isa pity that Rubin does not deal with such sensitive issues such as theexploration of the undergroung lake Vostok and attempts by many groups toban sampling from this lake so as to avoid contamination. A selection ofphotos is also present in this book, although unfortuantely not even onenew photo has been added when compared to the first edition. This book isa must for all those who are going to Antarctica as well for all those areinterested in Antarctica but who do not have the good fortune, or thenecessary finances to go to the most beautiful place on earth in person. Instead through Jeff Rubin one can practice on a regular basis armchairtourism.The only pity is that here in Malta the temperature is 35 degressCelsius.To feel truly there, I need a 2 metre tall freezer so as to atleast feel what is it like to be in a very hot Antarctican summer day! ... Read more |
17. Tourism in the Antarctic: Opportunities, Constraints, and Future Prospects by Thomas G. Bauer | |
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our price: $39.95 (price subject to change: see help) Asin: 0789011042 Catlog: Book (2001-07-01) Publisher: Haworth Hospitality Press Sales Rank: 771537 US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan |
Book Description |
18. Arctic Crossing : A Journey Through the Northwest Passage and Inuit Culture by JONATHAN WATERMAN | |
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(price subject to change: see help) Asin: 0375404090 Catlog: Book (2001-03-27) Publisher: Knopf Sales Rank: 462697 Average Customer Review: ![]() US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan |
Amazon.com Of course, he also experiences moments of unparalleled serenity--caribou trotting out to his boat, belugas spouting around him, grizzlies on the shore--and creates warm friendships with the Inuit themselves, who have changed radically since their own days of traveling by kayak and dogsled. Waterman works admirably to understand The People without judging them, though he is discouraged by what he finds left of the culture he emulates--communities caught in a "depraved limbo, somewhere between paradise and tuberculosis." As with the Arctic itself, the Inuit turn out to be more complex in reality--and ultimately more appealing--than in mythology. Waterman's stark and satisfying account excels in its ability to grapple with the human condition while illuminating a mystical world inaccessible to the rest of us. --Lesley Reed Reviews (26)
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19. Antarctica: A Year at the Bottom of theWorld by Jim Mastro | |
![]() | list price: $40.00
(price subject to change: see help) Asin: 0821227548 Catlog: Book (2002-06) Publisher: Bulfinch Sales Rank: 87656 Average Customer Review: ![]() US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan |
Book Description Reviews (6)
I've read the account of the doctor who had breast cancer and her rescue "Ice Bound" as well as a scientist's account of working in the Antarctic area, "Crystal Desert". Neither of them were as good as this book. I've travelled to the Antarctic peninsula (as well as the fantastic South Georgia Island, a sub-antarctic island), and it's a wonderfully beautiful place. Some of the photographs capture the southernmost continent's incredible beauty and equally fantastic wildlife. Recommended.
The first variety is the explorer's official account. They were - and are - written to inform the public of the expedition's accomplishments, generally by the expedition's leader and frequently to help pay the inevitable bills that survive the expedition. James Clark Ross' "A Voyage of Discovery and Research, In the Southern and Antarctic Regions, during the years 1839-43", Robert Scott's "The Voyage of the Discovery" and Ernest Shackleton's "The Heart of the Antarctic" are among the classics. There are scientists recounting a particular piece of work (Bill Green's "Water, Ice & Stone") or a career (Charles Swithenbank's "An Alien in Antarctica", "Foothold on Antarctica" and "Forty Years on Ice"), transcribed journals (Edward Wilson's "Diary of the Discovery Expedition to the Antarctic Regions 1901-1904" and Charles Wright's "Silas"), photographers (Ansel Adams' "Antarctica"), historians (among them Ann Savours and T.H. Baughman), and a philosopher (Stephen Pyne's "The Ice"). A major category is that of the instant expert or Antarctic tourist. These are generally writers who have conducted extensive research in preparation for a brief sojourn in Antarctica. The numerous works range from trivial to profound. Jim Henderson's IGY book ("One Foot at the Pole" - he had an artificial limb) is quite droll while Sara Wheeler's recent accounts are excellent. The instant experts provide a snapshot of life on the ice through the eyes of an honored visitor. They are generally sponsored by a National Antarctic Program and have privileges most residents of Antarctica can only imagine, primarily access to the ice edge and its fauna as well as to areas beyond an hour's walk from main bases. The Chase. There are many contemporary residents of Antarctica. They provide services and are the foundation of the infrastructure that supports the scientists and privileged tourists. Those residents' lives are full, rich and very different from those they support. Some come to the ice for the adventure, some for the community and some for the job. Many are articulate, multiple-season, steady residents whose life includes 6 months on the ice working and 6 months off the ice enjoying the fruits of that labor. Few, however, have published their observations. Jim Mastro was a resident who spent both summer seasons and winters on the ice. He held positions of responsibility without the burden of setting policies or practices needing defense. In short, Jim worked there. He describes what makes the Antarctic community so unique in a book that is a detailed account of a year on the ice. Mastro's book "A Year at the Bottom of the World" is more detailed and far richer than the brief and sunny snapshot generally taken by the tourists. Mastro recalls exploits that are frequently amusing, occasionally dangerous and in some cases the result of not-so-great decisions. His tone is pleasantly understated as he recognizes danger without descending to melodramatic proclamations. The book is visually appealing and illustrated with Mastro's superb photographs. It is historically accurate with sufficient background information to allow a new student of the Antarctic to read it without additional reference material (without becoming another prosaic account of already-told history). One of the primary attractions of this book is that rather than explaining the difficulties of a hugely complex expedition or the rarified atmosphere of high academic accomplishment, Mastro tells of living and working there. It is obvious that he is good at what he does and that he enjoys himself, but he's basically one of the guys. There is some drama but little death-defying adventure; some disappointment but not much tragedy; some accomplishments but no nominations for the Nobel Prize. Mastro is a pretty normal guy in an extraordinary place with concerns and accomplishments that are both imaginable and reachable for the rest of us. Mastro's keen eye, wry turn of phrase and dramatic photographs make this an accurate and engaging account of the Antarctic life. Technology has modified a few details, but the basics of a full year in Antarctica are unaltered since the first winter-over more than a century ago. This book is the best account of contemporary life in Antarctica. ... Read more |
20. The Coldest March: Scott`s Fatal Antarctic Expedition by Susan Solomon | |
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our price: $35.00 (price subject to change: see help) Asin: 0300089678 Catlog: Book (2001-09-01) Publisher: Yale University Press Sales Rank: 152331 Average Customer Review: ![]() US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan |
Amazon.com Reviews (17)
The trouble remains, however, that while poor weather clearly contributed to the loss of Captain Scott and his men, Scott's own mistakes and poor planning were also a factor, and to her great credit Solomon does not conceal them, just as Scott, an undeniably courageous and honest man, did not conceal them in his own writings. Scott's assiduous copying of Shackleton's mistakes in 1908-09 (the use of ponies, reliance on unproven motor transport), his own short cuts (spending time testing his motor sledges but not clothing, tents, or other gear), and his failures in leadership (taking five men instead of the planned four to the pole) were instrumental, I believe, in his failure to survive the trek. One also must question why, after the blizzard that trapped the men in their tent 11 miles from a depot of food and fuel, the two well men, Dr. Wilson and the redoubtable Lt. Bowers, did not leave Scott, who was crippled by frostbite, and go to the depot for supplies or even, in the finale extremity, leave Scott to die and save themselves, something Solomon herself seems to find as mysterious as others who have pondered the question, although she advances a possible explanation. Overall this is a very good book, the first to take into account modern knowledge of Antarctic weather and apply it to Scott's tragic expedition. Although I don't feel that the author has entirely proved her thesis, it is a valuable and useful contribution to the controversy over Captain Scott's expedition.
What the author may have missed is that the Scott/Amundsen dielectic is one of the dying empire/doing it the British way with human fortitude (ie. stiff upper lip) versus a new country/adjusting to the circumstances as required. Scott was doomed by the paradigm he was working within. Amundsen represented the new paradigm that would eventually replace Scott's paradigm. Scott's failure was a harbinger of the decline of the British Empire. The major contribution of the book is the revelation that Scott in the final days was not held back by the weather. The obvious conclusion, that the author dances around, is that Scott, due to his back frostbite and inability to go on himself, failed to follow in Oates' heroic footsteps and allow Wilson and Bowers the chance to survive. Scott's vanity and lack of courage cost may have cost them their lives. I had a very low opinion of Scott before reading this book. Knowing that Scott lied about the weather and the reason their party was stalled lowers my opinion of him further. Someone interested in polar exploration should begin by reading The Last Place on Earth. When done with that, Solomon's book adds an interesting twist on the story.
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