Slicing the Silence: Voyaging to Antarctica

From Scott and Shackleton to sled dogs and penguins, stories of Antarctica seize our imagination. In December 2002, environmental historian Tom Griffiths set sail with the Australian Antarctic Division to deliver the new team of winterers. In this beautifully written book, Griffiths reflects on the history of human experiences in Antarctica, taking the reader on a journey of discovery, exploration, and adventure in an unforgettable land.

He weaves together meditations on shipboard life during his three-week voyage with fascinating forays into the history and nature of Antarctica. He brings alive the great age of sail in the initiation of travelers to the great winds of the "roaring forties." No continent is more ruled by wind, and Griffiths explains why Antarctica is a barometer of global climatic health. He charts the race to the South Pole, from its inception as part of the drive to map Earth's magnetism, to the reasons for Robert Scott's tragic death. He also offers vivid descriptions of life in Antarctica, such as the experience of a polar night, the importance of food for morale, and coping with solitude.

A charming narrative and an informative history, Slicing the Silence is an intimate portrait of the last true wilderness.

• Prologue
• 18 December: The Fire on the Snow
  Legends of the heroic era
• 19 December: The Breath of Antarctica
  The Brave West Winds
• 21 December: The University of the Southern Ocean
  Life at Sea
• 23 December: Great South Lands
  Reading the Rocks
• 24 December: Heavenly Bodies
  Space Weather
• 25 December: Planting Flags
  Claiming the Ice
• 26 December: Cold Peace
  Reds Down Under
• 27 December: Wintering
  Surviving the Polar Night
• 28 December: Solitude
  An Experiment in Loneliness
• 29 December: Honeymoon on Ice
  Love in a cold climate
• 30 December: Of Huddles and Pebbles
  Life Among the Penguins
• 31 December: The Changeover
  Time, History and Generations
• 1 January: Green Crusaders
  Greenpeace and Greenhouse
• 3 January: Feeding Body and Soul
  Hunger and Wonder
• 6 January: Captain Scott's Biscuit
  The Archaeology of Return
• 7 and 8 January


• Acknowledgments
• Notes
• Index