Synopses & Reviews
Antarctica is the most alien place on the planet, the only part of the earth where humans could never survive unaided. Out of our fascination with it have come many books, most of which focus on only one aspect of its unique strangeness. None has managed to capture the whole storyand#8212;until now.
Drawing on her broad travels across the continent, in Antarctica Gabrielle Walker weaves all the significant threads of life on the vast ice sheet into an intricate tapestry, illuminating what it really feels like to be there and why it draws so many different kinds of people. With her we witness cutting-edge science experiments, visit the South Pole, lodge with American, Italian, and French researchers, drive snowdozers, drill ice cores, and listen for the message Antarctica is sending us about our future in an age of global warming.
This is a thrilling trip to the farthest reaches of earth by one of the best science writers working today.
Review
A gripping story embracing both tragedy and triumph. (The New York Times Book Review)
Review
Painstakingly researched and electrifyingly written . . . a brutal and inspiring tale of adventure and endurance. (
Mens Journal)
A gripping story embracing both tragedy and triumph. (The New York Times Book Review)
Review
andquot;Gabrielle Walker describes very well current activities on the vast ice sheet, from the constant discovery of new undersea life to the ongoing hunt for meteorites, which are relatively easy to track down on the white ice. For anyone who has ever wondered what itandrsquo;s like to winter at 70 degrees below zero, her account will be telling...Absorbing.andquot; andmdash;Bill McKibben,
New York Review of Books andquot;A dazzling array of narratives throngs Antarctica...Antarctica is still the and#39;worldandrsquo;s most mysterious continent,and#39; as it remains the only one on which humans have never lived permanently. Walker captures that mystique through interviews with people who have made Antarctica part of their lives.andquot; andmdash;Nature
andquot;Walkerand#39;s a clear explainer and engaging guide, her descriptions evocative...The true protagonist here is Antarctica itself, and in Walkerand#39;s rendering it easily carries that leading role.andquot;
andmdash;Tampa Bay Times
andquot;Walker tells in rich detail what itandrsquo;s like to survive and do science on the only continent never inhabited by human beings. She spends time with dozens of investigators, revealing both their work and the inner workings of their minds...Walker offers a diverse sampling of the seventh continent and the science done there.andquot; andmdash;American Scientist
andquot;A vivid portrait...We are all anxious Antarctic watchers now, and Walkerand#39;s book is the essential primer.andquot; andmdash;The Guardian
andquot;Walker gained access to a variety of fascinating places and projects. There are fresh and informative sections on the fauna and microflora of this harshest of all habitats, on the use of Antarctica as a terrestrial and cosmic observatory...Walker is also good at sketching the oddly beguiling world of the scientists and support workers who return year after year to Antarctic research stations.andquot; andmdash;The Telegraph
andquot;Hugely informative...Walker uses direct speech to render the material digestible, allowing her protagonists to speak for themselves. She has a gift for lay analogy, as a popular science writer must.andquot; andmdash;The Spectator
andquot;The fascinating story of Antarctica, from the hardships of exploration to its future survival.andquot; andmdash;The Ecologist
andquot;Walkerandrsquo;s account affords a vibrant vicarious experience of traveling around the place on earth most like an alien planet.andquot; andmdash;Booklist
and#160;
Synopsis
The untold story of the last odyssey of the heroic age of Antarctic exploration Sir Ernest Shackletons 1914 Antarctic endeavor is legend, but for sheer heroism and tragic nobility, nothing compares to the saga of the Ross Sea party. This crew of explorers landed on the opposite side of Antarctica from the Endurance with a mission to build supply depots for Shackletons planned crossing of the continent. But their ship disappeared in a gale, leaving ten inexperienced, ill-equipped men to trek 1,356 miles in the harshest environment on earth. Drawing on the mens own journals and photographs, The Lost Men is a masterpiece of historical adventure, a book destined to be a classic in the vein of Into Thin Air.
Synopsis
Journeying to the most alien place on the planet, science writer Gabrielle Walkerand#160;presents aand#160;biography of Antarctica, weaving its history of explorationand#160;with the science currently being conducted there. Walker gives usand#160;glimpses at the marvelous creatures clinging to life above and below the ice, the international community drawn to an existence of extremes, the desolate stretches of surface that yield surprising information about life beyond our planet, and the crumbling ice shelves acting as global climate bellwethers.
About the Author
GABRIELLE WALKERandnbsp;has a PhD in chemistry fromandnbsp;Cambridge Universityandnbsp;and has taught at both Cambridge and Princeton universities. She is a consultant to Newandnbsp;Scientist, contributes frequently to BBC Radio, and writes for many newspapers and magazines. She is also the author ofandnbsp;four books, including An Ocean of Air and Antarctica. She lives inandnbsp;London.
Table of Contents
Map of Antarcticaand#160;x
Introductionand#160;xiii
Prologueand#160;xix
PARTand#160;1:and#8194;EAST ANTARCTICand#160;COAST and#8211; ALIEN WORLD
1.and#8194;Welcome to Mactownand#160;3
2.and#8194;The March of the Penguinsand#160;33
3.and#8194;Mars on Earthand#160;89
PART 2:and#8194;THE HIGH PLATEAU and#8211; TURNING POINT
4.and#8194;The South Poleand#160;141
5.and#8194;Concordiaand#160;213
PART 3:and#8194;WEST ANTARCTICA and#8211; HOME TRUTHS
6.and#8194;A Human Touchand#160;259
7.and#8194;Into the Westand#160;309
Timelineand#160;351
Glossaryand#160;357
Notesand#160;361
Suggestions for Further Readingand#160;363
Acknowledgementsand#160;375
Indexand#160;379