Polar Regions Books

In the book, you will find 2 pictures side by side-one showing the Arctic, the other showing Antarctic. That way, you will get an idea of its differences. In addition, there is a separate chapter that dedicates to interesting stories regarding these regions, anything from life in Siberia, Inuit life in northern Alaska, to the South Georgia Islands & the South Pole. Last, but not least, there is also a whole section reviewing all the pictures showed in the book, including background information describing each photo, etc.

This is truly an amazing picture volume that is a MUST-HAVE for any polar fanatic. Get prepared for over 180 pages of some superb photography and much info on these fantastic regions. For the money, it was quite worth it...

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!

Stark's informative introductions to each essay are both helpful and amusing. He has also sought to balance the primarily European writers and their points of view with those of the native Inuit people by preceding each essay with an Inuit poem. "The poems emphasize the Inuit ethic of sharing, egalitarianism, and incessant hunting, as well as the simple joys and fears of life." They are, of course, in sharp contrast to the accounts of the European explorers, who sought to conquer rather than work with nature, and usually perished as a result.

The book is divided into 4 sections (called books), but the progression of pieces is linear. The 1998 piece entitled "Tale of a Hunter's Daughter," is so pignantly written and captures the feeling of both the land and the woman struggling to make her way in it, that it is worth the price of the whole book. Of course there are other stand-outs, including "How Dr.Hayes Learned to Love Seal Blubber," "Nansen Strolls Farthest North," and "Cold Oceans: By Sea Kayak to Greenland."

Oddly enough, the poetry, which I thought was an excellent idea, is made inaccessible and difficult to read by the fact that it has been set in a script font that is too small to read comfortably. As a result, your eyes naturally gravitate towards the correctly sized, regular fonts used in the essays. This is really strange, given the time and effort that obviously went into the rest of the book, and I hope that Stark has made a very loud stink. It's hard to make yourself work at reading the poetry, which by its nature takes a little bit of work to appreciate. Otherwise a fine collection.

The core of the book are accurate and gripping descriptions of both the Nimrod and Endurance expeditions. Both times Shackleton was faced with having to make heroic decisions in favor of the welfare of his men. His ability to make those decisions against his own strong desires for personal fame and glory is what makes Shackleton of such interest today and a model for many.

The tales of what happened in the Antarctic are what this book is about. To understand the human and flawed man it is necessary for Dr. Baughman to sketch Shackleton's life before the Nimrod expedition and between the Nimrod and Endurance voyages. In order to achieve his goal of a book that can be easily read on an airplane trip across the country he has had to cover these areas of Shackleton's life very briefly, and I wish there had been more detail. However, having been primed by this book, perhaps many readers will decide they want to tackle a 600 page biography!

Finally, the book layout is very utilitarian. There are photographs on the front and back cover, and maps on the insides of the cover, but otherwise the book is 86 pages of text (plus a short introduction, etc.). This fits the goal of a book to be read in a couple of hours, and the type font, although prosaic, is large enough to read even if your plane is experiencing turbulence.

In conclusion, I know of no other book on Shackleton which is designed to fill this niche in the market...those who want a brief but accurate account of the central events in Shackleton's expeditions...and Baughman's book does an excellent job in accomplishing this purpose.

Enter Baughman's "Shackleton of the Antarctic." This new book is the only one that gives the reader a complete overview of Shackleton--the man, his life, his expeditions--in such a concise manner that you can read the account start to finish in one evening at home, or on a flight from O'Hare to JFK. And all this from an author who knows what he is talking about. Baughman is a professional historian who adores the Antarctic. He has written two acclaimed histories and is a regular cruise lecturer. Most important, Baughman is a careful writer and is respected by his colleagues. You can trust what he says.

So if you are intrigued by all you've been hearing about this man named Shackleton, and you want to read about him for yourself and be inspired at the same time without making a time commitment of, say, the entire month of November, "Shackleton of the Antarctic" is for you. Highly recommended.

Enter Baughman's "Shackleton of the Antarctic." This new book is the only one that gives the reader a complete overview of Shackleton--the man, his life, his expeditions--in such a concise manner that you can read the account start to finish in one evening at home, or on a flight from O'Hare to JFK. And all this from an author who knows what he is talking about. Baughman is a professional historian who adores the Antarctic. He has written two acclaimed histories and is a regular cruise lecturer. Most important, Baughman is a careful writer and is respected by his colleagues. You can trust what he says.

So if you are intrigued by all you've been hearing about this man named Shackleton, and you want to read about him for yourself and be inspired at the same time without making a time commitment of, say, the entire month of November, "Shackleton of the Antarctic" is for you. Highly recommended.

This Antartctic trip lasted some three years and ended with Scott's heroically-futile death - painfully close to supplies and help. Cherry-Garrard was one of those left at the base camp so he survived the trip - but don't think that his lot was much easier than those that struggled to the Pole. The book is as much about the Antarctic and the terrible hardships as about the people of the expedition. Cherry-Garrard's writing and his character seem to personify the stoic, good-humour of the men around him.

The book is very long and I have to admit that I needed extra maps to make sense of where they were - even though there are maps throughout the book. This is not a book, I think, for someone who is not interested in reading further about exploration in the Antarctic, but it makes an excellent start point to read others.

On a purely aesthetic note, the hard-cover version from Picador has the most wonderful cover and comes with a little ribbon to mark your place. It feels really lovely to read it.

Apsley Cherry-Garrard recounts the heroic stuggle for survival during the exploration of Antarctica early in the 20th century. Much of the text was collected from the diaries of the explorers, and includes excerpts from Sir Robert Falcon Scott's ill-fated journey to the Pole, and Cherry-Garrard's deep winter trek across the Ross Ice Shelf to obtain an emperor penguin's egg.

An incredible history of triumphs against relentlessly harsh conditions. It's enough to make even the most hardy armchair-explorer huddle closer to the fireplace

McGoogan's lively narrative traces Hearne's Royal Navy career, then follows him to the Hudson's Bay Company [HBC] station of Prince of Wales Fort. With the Canadian Arctic still a terra incognita, various quests were under consideration - the Northwest Passage and/or an inland sea leading to Asia being prime contenders. A more specific ambition arose with indications of a vast copper resource near the Arctic Sea. Hearne pursued this rumour by trekking across the Canadian tundra to find it. Various interludes occurred along the way.

Hearne's expeditions to the Arctic seem pre-ordained to failure. Having but a hazy notion of what confronted him wasn't a hindrance. Bureaucracy proved the more serious impediment. The British attitude toward indigenous peoples compounded faulty notions of requirements for such a trip. With no idea of how Native Peoples? societies were structured, British HBC agents blundered into one crisis after another. In today's world, for a man to suggest that women must accompany the expedition to perform specialised tasks would bring down the wrath of the Human Rights Commission. In the 18th Century rise of the HBC in Canada women performed essential roles. No Native Peoples? women meant no Native Peoples? men. No men, no expedition. McGoogan explains all these circumstances without apology or condemnation. It's a professional historian's approach, worthy of full praise.

The other aspect of British imperialism's shortsighted view is the relationships among Canada's Native Peoples. Hearne and others would counsel peace to those who had been warring when the British still painted themselves blue. These animosities were not easily quelled and might break out without warning nor discernible reason. Hearne was confronted with this near the mouth of the Coppermine River. McGoogan, relying on Hearne's own account, describes the massacre of an Inuit settlement leading to the naming of "Bloody Falls". The event remained fixed in Hearne's memory for the remainder of his life.

Hearne, seeking an ephemeral copper lode, traversed immense stretches of the Canadian North. With various teams, but particularly relying on a Dene negotiator, Matonabbee, Hearne viewed the Arctic Ocean, the first European to reach it overland. The copper wasn't there, nor, in Hearne's opinion, was there any possibility of a Northwest Passage. He saw the Great Slave Lake, but when he later reported on his journey, skeptics were confounded by how far west it lay. Canada's vastness overwhelmed chair-bounded geographers. Hearne wasn't simply seeking mineral wealth. He recorded copious observations on plant and animal life in the region, as well as collecting information on the native peoples. More than just an adventurer, Hearne is credited by McGoogan as being one of earliest naturalists.

Hearne's return to England was less than satisfactory. An account of his travels netted him not a penny - he died before publication. One event, a likely meeting with Coleridge at a boy's school, may have led Hearne to become the source of the Rime of the Ancient Mariner. While the notion is McGoogan's speculative idea, it's plausible enough to be valid. It certainly provided a good, if unexpected, title for the life of an Arctic explorer. McGoogan presents that life vividly, with only minor, forgiveable, embellishments. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]