Synopses & Reviews
The love between explorer and scientist Douglas Mawson and his fiancé Paquita Delprat is documented in this collection of their letters sent between Australia and Antarctica over a period of 22 months. Following their engagement in 1910, Mawson left Delprat for an Antarctic expedition prolonged by a disastrous trek and a wrenching yearlong wait for the next steamer that could take him home. Filled with mutual longing and despair, these absorbing letters reach a level of written passion that is rarely found today. Providing remarkable personal context for Mawsons work, this document adds a touch of human sentiment to the history of both science and the Antarctic.
Review
"The editor of the letters, whose late husband was a protege of Mawson in the 1930s, has broken new ground by allowing us to share the most intimate feelings of this reputedly austere polar hero, in a theme taboo in its day and only slightly touched upon in our own time." —
Polar RecordReview
"Nancy Robinson Flannery has done a fine job of editing these unabridged letters. They make poignant reading and are a reminder that even heroes suffer the same doubts and frailties as the rest of us." —Australian Book Review
About the Author
Nancy Robinson Flannery has been a radio journalist, editor, columnist, consultant, and tutor in communications. Her late husband, Dr. Alick Whittle, was a student and protégé of Douglas Mawson in the 1930s.