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| The Antarctic
wastes have long held a fascination for man. The sixth continent was the
last to be explored and its exploration and demystifying formed the stuff
of legends. The tragic story of Robert Falcon Scott and the British National
Antarctic Expedition of 1910-12 is known throughout the world.
All the books are
copiously illustrated with photographs, line drawings and maps and printed
on neutral sized paper that meets American specification requirements.
They are all hardback and cloth bound. The Diaries have pictorial jackets
in two colours and are blocked in gold on the spines. The Translations
and Facsimiles are cased in accurate reproductions of the originals, blocked
in gold, silver or white on front and spine accordingly.
for the online order form. You will have to print it out, fill it in and
post it to us along with payment.
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QUICKLINKS
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| THE DIARIES |
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ROALD AMUNDSEN'S BELGICA DIARY - The First Scientific Expedition to the Antarctic
edited by Hugo Decleir |
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In 1897 the first Antarctic expedition of a purely scientific nature set sail from Belgium.
On board, as second officer in a mulit-national crew, was Roald Amundsen,
the future conqueror of the South Pole, and it was this expedition that
fired him with his ambition to explore the Polar Regions.
The explorers did not reach the pole but they were the first people to spend
a winter in the Antarctic pack ice. This is the first publication of Amundsen's |
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diary.
The original manuscript, in the University of Oslo, has only been
consulted by historians and biographers on a few occasions.
As primarily
a personal diary, it provides fascinating insights into the struggle for
survival on the ice during the Antarctic winter and into the pressures involved
in being part of a mulit-national crew. |
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| ISBN: 1 85297058 8 |
214pp, hardback, jacketed, illustrated |
£24.95/$45.00 |
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WITH THE AURORA IN THE ANTARCTIC 1911-1914
by J. K. Davis |
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Douglas Mawson lead the Australian Antarctic Expedition 1911-1914, a stirring tale of exploration in what he referred to as 'The Home of the Blizzard'. But much less well known is the story of the expedition's ship, the Aurora, and its remarkable captain - John King Davis.
Both Davis and Mawson cut their Antarctic teeth as members of Shackleton's expedition of 1907-09 and , by the time he had retired, David was one of the most experienced ice captains in the world.
The Aurora was built in 1876 as an Arctic whaler. Although old and battered, captained by David it managed three Antarctic voyages in support of Mawson and his men.
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Known as 'Gloomy Davis' by his crew, he was reticent man of principle and determination. His view of the captain's role brought him into direct conflict with Mawson, with inevitable tensions for the expedition. Yet both men were crucial to the success of the expedition, both in terms of exploration ands science.
Published in a small edition in 1919 it is now very scarce and we are delighted to republish it here in facsimile form, with a new introduction by the well-known polar historian Beau Riffenburgh.
This is a companion volume to our earlier book Trial by Ice - the Antarctic journals of John King Davis, edited by Louise Crossley. |
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| ISBN: 9781852970963 |
312pp + foldout map, blocked in gold on front and spine, hardback |
£27.50 |
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TRIAL BY ICE - The Antarctic Journals of John King Davis
edited by Louise Crossley |
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John King davis was
arguably the greatest of the captains in the age of Antarctic exploration,
and he was obsessed with the Antarctic. His seven voyages from 1907 to 1930
gave him an unrivalled experience in ice navigation.
Known by his crew as 'Gloomy Davis' he believed in stern discipline and that it was the captain,
not the expedition leader, who was in charge of the ship. His caution and |
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pessimism often brought him into conflict with other expedition leaders such as
Douglas Mawson.
Taken from his previous journals, here for the first time is Davis's account
of the major Antarctic voyages. It offers and interesting counterpoint to
the diaries of Mawson and it gives a very personal view of Davis's feelings
about the frozen continent that dominated so much of his life. |
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| ISBN: 1 85297 047 2 |
248pp, hardback, jacketed, illustrated |
£29.95/$55.00 |
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VICTOR CAMPBELL: THE WICKED MATE (The Antarctic Diary of Victor Campbell)
edited by H. G. R. King |
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History has rarely accorded
as much attention to a single expedition as that given to the British
Antarctic (Terra Nova) Expedition 1910-13 led by Captain R. F. Scott.
The death of the Pole party and the success of Amundsen and his men has
always been the main focus of interest - but what of the rest of Scott's
men?
In 1910 Scott sent six men, the Northern Party, under the command
of Lieutenant Victor Campbell, to explore along the coast of King Edward
VII Land. After a successful ten months at Cape Adare they moved to stormy
and desolate Inexpressible Island. |
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The failure of the relief ship to collect
them at the end of the summer left them marooned with no hut and little
food. Campbell not only kept all the men alive in a snow cave through
the winter but in October 1912 led them over 230 miles of sea ice back
to the base at Cape Evans.
Here now, for the first time, is the leader's
tale of this remarkable epic of polar endurance, illustrated with many
photographs taken by the party and sketches by Campbell. |
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| ISBN: 1 85297 071 |
192pp, 4to, illustrated |
£24.95/$45.00 |
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ELEPHANT ISLAND AND BEYOND (The Diaries of Thomas Orde Lees)
edited by John Thomson |
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The aristocracy of Antarctic exploration does not include the name of Thomas Orde
Hans Lees. He came away from Shackleton's 1914 expedition with the reputation of being the least popular and most
criticised of the men involved in the Endurance adventure in the Weddell Sea. Not only was he disliked simply for
being himself, but he was also expected to become the first victim of cannibalism if the 22 men on Elephant Island had
run out of food.
Previous accounts of Shackleton's adventures have unfailingly mentioned that Orde Lees was unpopular.
Though they have plundered his excellent journal for much of the detail of life on board the Endurance, on the pack ice
and finally on Elephant Island, the part he played in keeping the men alive has not been |
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recognised.
Surprisingly his journal has never been published and this book is a long overdue testament to a much misunderstood man.
After his rescue from Elephant Island Orde Lees campaigned vigorously for the use of parachutes in the newly formed
Royal Air Force and he was publicly credited with being the primary advocate. Many pilots owe their lives to his faith
in this new invention.
He went on to perform more service for his country in Japan and spent the final period of his
life in New Zealand. The book includes many previously unpublished photographs as well as a detailed account of his quite
extraordinary life after Antarctica. |
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| ISBN: 1 85297 071 |
224pp hardback, jacketed, over 50 photos, maps and drawings |
£24.95/$45.00 |
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| THE FACSIMILES |
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| VOYAGES OF THE MORNING - Gerald Doorly |
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In 1904 the Morning
was sent to the Antarctic - largely as a result of the determinaton of Sir
Clements Markham - to relieve Scott's ship the Discovery.
Gerald Doorly
was then one of the junior officers on the Morning but it was not until
1915 that he wrote about his experiences and of his impressions of Scott
and of the other members of that early British National Antarctic Expedition.
Markham was to have written the introduction to this |
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book but the day before
he was due to receive the proofs he tragically died. One of his most interesting
contributions to the expedition was the gift of a piano - which had to be
sawn in half to get it into the ship. The chief engineer, J.D.Morrision,
had a flair for verse whilst Doorly was able to compose tunes, and together
they wrote seven songs, some of which are detailed in the narrative.
This
is a very lively and often very amusing account. |
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| ISBN: 1 85297 040 5 |
288pp hardback, illustrated |
£24.95/$45.00 |
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| THE ROSS SEA SHORE PARTY 1914-17 - R.W. Richards |
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In August 1914 Shackleton set sail for the Pole on board the Endurance. His
expedition, with the rather imposing title of the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition, was to make a trans-continental
journey from the Weddell Sea on one side of the continent to the Ross Sea on the other.
Shackleton was doubtful if
enough provisions could be carried by the trans- continental party for the complete journey so his plan called for a
second ship to land a team in McMurdo Sound whose task it would be to lay food depots every 60 miles, as far south as
the Beardmore Glacier. This party, on board the Aurora, sailed late in the same year. In January 1915 they landed at
McMurdo.
However, after a fearful storm, their ship was ripped from its moorings and along with it went most of their supplies.
Refusing to give up, the men scavenged enough from an earlier expedition and set out to do their work.
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They trekked across some 2000 miles, always convinced that when they completed their task Shackleton would have
sufficient supplies for the latter part of his journey. Three men died along the way.
The story of the Ross Sea Party's struggles has been almost ignored - unfairly so. It is one of the really notable
polar journeys; ten men marooned with none of their own fuel, clothes or stores, yet by improvisation managing to
stock depots for a party that would never come.
R.W. Richards, a young Australian physicist, set down his personal story for the Scott Polar Research Institute. This
is a facsimile copy of their Special Publication No.2, long out of print.
'...in making this journey the greatest qualities of endurance, self-sacrifice and patience were called for; and the
call was not in vain...' Sir Ernest Shackleton |
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| ISBN: 1 82597 077 4 |
60pp hardback, jacketed, 2 photos, 1 map |
£14.95/$26.00 |
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| THE TRANSLATIONS |
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Towards the South Pole Aboard the Francois by J. B. Charcot
translated by A. Billinghurst |
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The First French Expedition to the Antarctic set sail in1903 under the command of Dr Jean-Baptiste
Charcot, the 35-year-old son of a well-to-do neurologist.
Charcot did not want to follow in his
father's footsteps, being more interested in life at sea. Using his inheritance he first sailed
the waterways of France, Holland, England and around Ireland until in 1902 he sailed to Iceland.
He reached the Arctic Circle and his taste for polar voyaging was established.
On his return he commissioned a new vessel, finally named the Français. On 15 August 1903 he set
sail for the Antarctic, with the Belgian explorer Adrien de Gerlache aboard for the first leg.
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Charcot had designed the ship so every man had a private space and he was especially proud of
his provisioning - including adequate stocks of wine.
His account reveals a man of culture and sensitivity. His descriptions of scenery are lyrical and
emotionally charged, and his attitude to wildlife was often in sharp contrast to other polar
explorers. He charted new coasts, and undertook scientific studies in oceanography, bacteriology,
geography, geology and meteorology.
This is a fascinating insight into a totally different style of Antarctic exploration and the
reader will enjoy the delightful contrast between his expedition and others of the same period. |
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| ISBN: 1 85297 062 6 |
304 pp, cloth-bound hardback, illustrations, maps and halftones |
£45.00/$85.00 |
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VOYAGE OF THE BELGICA - Fifteen Months in the Antarctic
Adrien de Gerlache - Translated and with an introduction by Maurice Raraty |
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The Belgian Antarctic
Expedition of 1897-9 was the most cosmopolitan of the Heroic Age of Antarctic
exploration - and one of the most lucky. Led by Lt. Adrien de Gerlache of
the Royal Belgian Navy it was underfunded from the start and ill prepared
to overwinter in the pack ice. Despite being stuck in the ice for almost
a year the ship survived without serious damage.
The mixture of nationalities - Belgian, Polish, Norwegian, American, Rumanian,
Russian - ensured that communication was always a probem and this was exacerbated
when they were all trapped inside the cold, damp ship in the winter. That
all ended well was largely due to just four men, the American doctor |
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Frederick
Cook, the Norwegian second mate, Roald Amundsen, the Belgian first mate,
George Lecointe and de Gerlache himself.
The earliest known photographs
of Antartica were taken during this expedition. Originally the only account
in English of this first over-wintering in the Antarctic was that published
by Cook in 1900. Now, at last, the leader's account, originally published
in French in 1902, has been translated into English.
The book has a new
foreword by Baron Gaston de Gerlache de Gomery, the son of Adrien, and an
extensive account of the background of the expedition by the translator,
Dr Maurice Raraty. |
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| ISBN: 1 85297 054 5 |
256pp, hardback, illustrated |
£37.50/$67.50 |
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TO THE SIXTH CONTINENT - The Second German South Polar Exploration
Wilhelm Filchner - Translated and with an introduction by William Barr |
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Led by a 34 year
old First Lieutenant, this expedition aboard Deutschland intended to cross
from the Weddell Sea to the Ross Sea. The ship was almost crushed in the
ice and the expedition failed in its principal objective.
Despite this,
Filchner made several important geographical discoveries and collected much
valuable scientific data. Originally published in 1922 in Berlin, |
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this is
the first English translation of an important German contribution to Antarctic
exploration and science.
An important addition is the 'expose' that Filchner
wrote just before his death answering personal attacks that had been made
upon his reputation for most of his life. |
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| ISBN: 1 85297 038 3 |
304pp, hardback, illustrated |
£49.95/$90.00 |
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