Antarctica Books

Dateline Annapolis 2005:
City dock is abuzz over this tale by David Mercy. The worlds' capitol for sailing has had several bookstores feature this book in storefront displays. It is a simple tale and the narrator moves seemlessly from a simple folksy style a la Hemingway to breathless descriptives evoking Wilbur Smith comparisons. It seems like a tall tale yet if you can find the documentary from Norway TV One you understand the book is understated. It is highly recommended and is a fast read.

This is an excellent book for those that enjoy realistic adventure stories. It's very hard to put this book down once you start reading it. You will be both impressed and dumbfounded by the author's bravery and disregard for the dangers he faced. All in all a very compelling tale of man vs. the elements of nature. Highly recommended

Its a mad, mad, mad, mad adventure. What a vicarious thrill. I'm still cold!

What a great story, all the more so because it is true! I could hardly put this book down and I enjoyed every minute reading it.

I highly recommend this book.

Yes it's quite an adventure, and at times the descriptions put you there in the Drake and on Antarctica. "Berserk" however, is lacking for a few reasons. Not only is David Mercy an inexperienced sailor, he doesn't seem to have the assistance of an experienced editor, meaning that all of his terminology and description of boats and sailing is painfully inaccurate and misleading (i.e. "we were on the tack," and "I hate jibbing"). If you know anything at all about sailing, this will become infuriating.

The writing itself is often awkward, reading like a day-by-day journal that was quickly fleshed out with a lot of filler. There are literary tricks that don't work, and the book is littered with pop-culture and literary references that become distractingly frequent and at times wholly inaccurate.

The author's personal journey is entirely unfulfilling. A supposed director with an aversion to cameras (or is that a hopeful author?) quits everything and travels the "hippy trail" in South America, seemingly with the means to go anywhere he wants (or at least the ability to call his dad if he's in trouble... at age 35). At one point eager to sail all the way to Africa, and the next yearning to explore the Amazon, he comes off as a shallow over-funded yuppie with a short attention span.

Even when waxing philosophical or reflecting upon his past, what he shares is insubstantial. He keeps saying how much the trip changed his life, never really saying in what way. We are set up to expect a major shift in his worldview, but when he returns home, it is just as shallow and empty as before the voyage. At least twice he refers to "becoming a sailor," but this impression also seems to have no lasting effect. In the end he attempts to wrap things up with a philosophical denoument, which comes from left field and entirely misses its mark, showing not only a lack of understanding, but a deficiency in writing.

I'm still jealous of the journey, but this book may be best described as an example of how not to get to Antarctica. One would do well to avoid the author's mistakes.

This book was my first taste of Madeleine L'Engle and without a doubt, I fell in love with her. L'Engle's writing style is one of transparency and authenticity. Our book club went through this one together, and it sparked a lot of good conversation.

I started reading this book a number of years ago when I was in high school, but only recently did I get the book and finish it.

While I still enjoy L'Engle's writing and craft, her content let me down here. I was disappointed in what I had remembered as a brilliant piece of Christian writing -- though apparently I hadn't read far enough into the book to encounter anything at odds with orthodoxy.

Maybe it is growing as a reader or as a Christian or both, but my perspective on this book has changed, and I have to agree with the reader from Ohio that Ms. L'Engle's work here is riddled with contradictions, experience-over-Scripture reasonings, and a few vaguely disturbing conclusions.

I was also surprised and disappointed with the almost one-sided and flat picture she seems to have of God, even while she claims that He is so big and outside of us that we cannot hope to comprehend Him. Scripturally, this is true to a point, however, Scripture also tells us that He has revealed Himself to us . . . in Scripture and through the incarnation of the Word, Christ.

Almost in contradiction to God's revelation, however, L'Engle warns us not to take His Word literally -- leaving me to wonder if she truly believes the Bible is God's Word, that He had anything to do with writing it, or if she reads it as if only human authors are responsible. This seems rather likely, actually, as she at one point considers dismissing part of the Old Testament as simply "wrong" because she doesn't like it and doesn't think it sounds like the God she has formed in her mind.

The only attribute of God she talks about is love. While this is undoubtably an extremely important attribute of God, He has also told us about many other attributes: holiness, righteousness, justice, mercy . . . even righteous jealousy and anger. The only times she speaks of such ideas, tho, is if they support her lovey-dovey amorphous image of God. Otherwise she ignores them.

Though she claims that literalists (she uses this name as tantamount to an insult) limit the character of God by their literalism, it is in fact L'Engle who creates a limited, flat, and powerless God by her completely subjective image of Him.

By ignoring the other aspects of His character that He Himself has revealed in Scripture, she comes up with a God who is at odds with Scripture, particularly the Old Testament. So what does she do with this conflict? She ignores anything in the OT that disagrees with her, almost saying that it has no meaning.

And that "almost" is what I find most difficult about L'Engle. She "almost" says a lot of things. She almost says she has the right to pick and choose which parts of the Bible are real and which aren't. She almost says that experience is more important than special revelation. She almost says that the Bible is really just a big allegory.

Understand me, she doesn't SAY any of these things, at least not in this book. Not being a theologian, I cannot be certain of this, but I am pretty sure she never actually crosses over into heresy . . . she just flits around very close to it.

On the whole, I find L'Engle can be a refreshing reminder of the mystical, experiential, loving side of God -- something that, it is true, the "literalists" (like myself) often forget or are even afraid of. However, she offers little else, and it is dangerous to read her as if she is a student/teacher of Scripture, for she seems quite willing to place her own "God experience" above what God actually says in Scripture.

I have read nearly all of Madeleine L'Engle's books and while Penguins and Golden Calves is not her best work, it is interesting and well-written. Like most of L'Engle's non-fiction the book combines Christianity, social commentary, personal stories, poetry, and the spark that illuminates so many of L'Engle's books. To L'Engle, Penguins are icons and Golden Calves are idols. Each chapter focuses on a specific subject and ties it to spirituality. One chapter focuses on the importance of words, another on Abba, and another on Amma. Like always, L'Engle is opinionated, but even when I disagreed with her opinions I still enjoyed the book.

This book was a wonderful affirmation of faith. So many so called "Christian" writers simply spew the same ideas phrases and make those of us who question or search for new truth feel that we are doomed. Madeleine L'Engle shares her insights and faith and helps us see that many of the tired old things we have been taught are simply not true.

This book is loaded with positive, faith-filled statements and then retractions on the same subjects of faith! I couldn't believe some of the hypocrisy and thinly-veiled attempts to 'get back' at two Christian women who suggested that her books read more like liberal manifestos than Christian presentations. She suggests that the bible can become an idol when taken literally. I expect Christians to take the words of Christ to heart if this is their religion, whatever does she mean? I read this entire book and came away more perplexed than inspired. Her vague, abstract notions of the spiritual life are disturbing at the very least. Not what I would consider a positive Christian book, but more of a philosophical treatise on how God "should" be like (which happens to be a God who ultimately forgives Satan in the next life--say what?!). She claims to have read the bible many times in her life, which is very good, but her faith is in a God of her experience rather than the God who reveals himself in the bible as a God of Love but also a God who demands obedience.

I met the authors on a recent cruise to Antarctica and could not wait to purchase the book. During the cruise, they gave insightful and interesting talks about the continent. Once they told us about the book I was first in line in Ushuaia, Argentina at the only bookstore where it was available as I was still away and the book was not available at Amazon.com yet. This book is a must for anyone thinking of going or is going to Antacrtica. It is a beautiful book and I went and saw a lot of the places in the book. It reads easily as there is plenty of information on the wildlife and various places to see, but there is not too much information to overwhelm you. It is also very compact and can easily be brought on a trip. My only regret is that I didn't have it before I went to Antarctica.

This book is quite interesting as an introduction to visiting Antarctica. The contents deals with the oceanography of the area surrounding the continent. Title could be misleading if one thought that the book was a guide to various "cruises" or cruise ships that go to Antartica.

I bought this book as a gift for a scientist who will be going to Antarctica next year. It was a mistake. It doesn't have the information I was expecting.
In addition, this is not a full-sized book. It's only 5 inches by 7 inches.
I don't want to ruin someone's livelihood so I will try to be fair. This book is not suitable for my purposes and might be right for a tourist to tuck into a suitcase.

This is a great guide book designed for people cruising to Antarctica. The person who gave it one star doesn't know what s/he is talking about. It's not meant to be a coffee table book or a gift book: 5x7 is the ordinary (and very convenient) size for a guide book.

I was disappointed with the map. I purchased it a few months after our trip to the Antarctic Peninsula and found that many of the places we visited were not shown on the map. This could possibly be explained by the fact that the map is in Spanish and we used English names.

A nice souvenir for your trip to Antarctica, this map is nice purchased beforehand. during your trip you can have items notated and the adventure signed by your tour guides and Captain of your ship. For a small tour group like mine, you can also have everyone sign the back.
In this way it is a wonderful souvenir for framing.

If you are one of the many tourists who visit the Antarctic Peninsula by cruise ship, then this is the map for you. An excellent reference to takei with you and plot your voyage while travelling or once you get back before you forget the details of your exact route. Not a nautical chart, but an excellent map to explain to friends and family where you went and to sue with your photo's to show where you visited on your trip to the Antarctic.

The chart is very extensive with much detail. If you are planning a trip out of Ushuaia, Argentina this will be handy to have.

If you enjoyed Dr. Gerri Nielsen's Ice Bound: A Doctor's Incredible Battle for Survival at the South Pole or Sara Wheeler's Terra Incognita, and especially if you liked Roff Smith's Life on the Ice: No One Goes to Antarctica Alone, you will be delighted with Alexa Thomson's "Antarctica on a Plate." Ms. Thomson rivals Roff Smith for sheer audacity in thinking that she is qualified to be hired and to travel to Antarctica, or that she can manage as a cook in tent at a base camp that is packed up and buried (sometimes for years) when not in use.

Her audacity serves her well as she joyfully bungles her way around her tent kitchen, enduring exploding stoves, waves of eccentric explorers, and the possibility that any day the whole camp could get blown away. A reader who, through lack of sufficient youth, health, funds or qualifications is unable to see Antarctica firsthand can revel in the vicarious adventure of seeing it through Alexa Thomson's eyes.

This reader owns and has read shelves of books about Antarctica, and "Antarctica on a Plate" has become my new favorite.

This might be an adequate book for the twenty-something crowd or the teenie boppers, but it is largely tedious, laden with self-pity and complaint over the living conditions. She exaggerates her qualifications to get a cooking job for an Antarctic outfitter, then frets that she isn't able to do it very efficiently. Those who dine at her table apparently find the fare adequate in quality, if sometimes shy in quantity. I listened to this book as an audio book and found there were a few adequate moments, but most of it was whine, whine, whine. Want some cheese with that?
She did fall in love with the Antarctic landscape and offers some great descriptive passages. The book culminates with her falling in love with a married man who runs a weather station. She stews over the ethics of falling in love with someone who is already spoken for, then goes right ahead and does it.
"Big Dead Place: Inside the Strange and Menacing World of Antarctica" is a much better account of living and working in arctic conditions. "Icebound" is another book that deserves your attention. Anthony Bourdain has nothing to fear from this flaky chick and her culinary capers.

I read this book when it first came out in Australia and it is an absorbing, funny page-turner. I think many of us have felt just like the author who was stuck in a rote, materialistic, urban life -- is this all life has to offer? She wanted change and boy did she make a change! She lied her way into a job in Antarctica as a cook! People have described this book as Bridget Jones-meets-Antarctica. And it is an apt summary, but I think it's more than that. For one, the writing is certainly better than your average chick lit. And the subject is something both men and women can relate to: the search for something more meaningful in life than just making money and buying a lot of stuff. The way the author goes about doing that -- with equal parts intention and chance -- felt true, nerve racking at times, and completely fascinating. If you've ever felt 'there's got to be more to life than this' and have longed for adventure and meaning, this book will especially speak to you. If you just want something gripping to read, the author has a good story and tells it exceedingly well with wonderful language.

When we read about explorers who planned an almost eight-month trip across 3700 miles of Antarctica we think of white-out conditions, super-cold temperatures, monotony and long, grueling hours basically doing the same thing day in, day out. That is exactly what Will Seger documents in this journal he maintained of his 1989-1990 trip across the 7th continent with five other people.

A French, Chinese, Russian, English and Japanese teammate made this quite an interesting international team, although the writer does not go into great details of their personalities. (He later admits that the language barrier kept them from knowing more about each other.) If there is one flaw to this book it's that the other team mates weren't portrayed in great detail. We only get short sketches of the other players.

From an armchair reader, nothing exciting truly happens. The sky is either blue or white. The dogs are either resting or running across ice-packed snow. Conversations are minimal and time alone excruciating. The most depressing event is the death of one of the dogs, but by the time that happens it is expected. And then later a female dog goes into heat and gets pregnant...

This book is still a good read because one thing Seger does well in this book is talk about the human psyche. What does he and his mates think about all these months? What does one do alone in a tent with wet gear around you? How do the dogs handle the "adventure?" How does one spend the time day in, day out in the middle of nowhere? What goes through one's mind? What is the one thing a human misses the most in such a desolate place? And what pieces of equipment should one never leave home without while on such an endeavor?

Yes, it got boring at times. The most exciting entries, besides the first and last day, was his entry from the South Pole. He did not give me a good feeling about the US National Science Foundation and their dictatorial treatment of any and all private expeditions on Antartica. He gave the Soviets and even Chinese government more credit for assisting them across the continent.

His observations on another adenture, Reinhold Messner, seems to be typical of many others who have met that Austrian. Messner is mentioned in several passages because Messner had anther expedition planned in Antartica at almost the same time. Although he was very diplomatic in his descriptions of the man, it's obvious that Messner had his own agenda.

Another negative vibe I got from the book is Segel's feelings toward Adventure Network, the company that originally contracted to assist them in their expedition. Granted, the company was fairly young and inexperienced in 1989, but I still wouldn't want to deal with that company today simply from what I read in this book. Neither Adventure Network nor the National Science Foundation were later mentioned in the epilgoue of this book.

I have great respect for people who complete such adventures. The time, money and personal sacrifices all six teammates undertook is quite admirable. I have no desire to follow them to the South Pole. I am quite happy hiking up 10,000' mountains and forest trails of the South and Northwest.

Don't expect much "Adventure" in this book. However, on a hot summer night this book will refresh your spirit and you'll be thankful you are not at the South Pole. But, for an explorer who made the Arctic regions his mantra, and who later became a great protector of the Poles, this is a good book to read and reflect on one of Earth's last pristine legacies.

Despite what others might say, this book is about an adventure. Doing the unthinkable and something that no one has done before is by it's very nature an adventure. Others may have you believe that unless something catastrophic happens it is not an adventure, but usually bad things happen from lack of proper planning. Don't discount Steger as a true adventurer simply because he is smart! People who have done a fractional amount of the exploration Will Steger has should appreciate this book. However, if your idea of adventure is sliding a little closer to the fire in your stocking feet while you read about some blokes misfortune via improper planning then read another book.

This book is an account of the first crossing by foot of Antarctica by veteran adventurer Will Steger and his team. Steger is no adventurer in the British tradition of SCott, instead his crossing his meticulously planned and carried out. Very little out of the ordinary occurs. THe lesson in this book is that most adventure travel is boring, unless disaster strikes! Even a less than enthralling adventure however, would have been made better by a more gifted writer than STeger. His descriptions are stilted and the diary style entries only reinforce the boredom. If you want to know how to plan an expedition, read this book. Other wise there are far better adventure stories out there. Read The Last Place on Earth by Roland HUntford or Endurance by Alfred Lansing.

It is tough to get through this book. Only the first half is about Shakleton's expedition. The rest amounts to a log of the Aurora crew that Shakleton relays second-hand.

The Endurance expedition, itself, is quite a piece of history, but the book does a poor job of showing this. The writing is dry. Killing dogs, penguins and seals is a regular thing. Location and weather are reported on almost every page. He does give a good sense of the cold, however and the food supplies.

My case of Shackleton Fever finally ended with this book -- the story of the doomed antarctic expedition as seen through the eyes of Shackleton himself. He emerges from these pages as an intelligent man who is modest about his achievements -- but not so modest as to blunt the excitement of his story. This book also gives many additional details of his attempts to rescue his men, and the often-overlooked story of the not-so-lucky supply expedition that awaited him on the far side of the antarctic ice pack. Perhaps the only fault of the book is that its careful narrative strips some of the mystery away from Shackleton's almost superhuman story. After reading 4 books on the subject, I find I still prefer Lancing's original version (see my review). But true Shackleton buffs won't rest easy until they have seen the original silent movie of the same name, including remarkable cinematography by Frank Hurley -- now available on videotape as a mesmerizing 90 minute movie from the dawn of motion pictures.

--Auralgo

This is one of the best survival/adventure stories that you will ever read. The events which take place during the Imperial Trans Antarctic Expedition of 1914-1917 are re-told by several different points of view and this gives the overall story a multi-faceted persona. The main re-telling of the story of the ENDURANCE is told primarily from Shackleton's point of view and re-affirmed through diary notes of his mates. His point of view is very straight-forward. He doesn't dwell on the painful and depressing conditions as you might expect but, seems to exude a strong, matter-of-fact leadership style which most likely gave his men strength in the face of such disastrous and dangerous conditions. Contrast his account of the ENDURANCE voyage with that of the AURORA which was originally planned to be the expedition's supply ship and you clearly see what I am talking about. The painful, weakened conditions of the AURORA men is agonizing to read...frostbite, scruvy, depression, fatigue, hunger, thirst, and the loss of 3 of their comrades. This is not implying that Shackleton never mentions the poor shape of his conditions or of his crew; it just seems that he doesn't dwell upon it however worried he may have been. Yet, we sense his concern for the failing health of some of his men and we share his pride when they are in fact rescued from Elephant Island and he watches them eat "proper" food for the first time in a very long time. In fact, one can hardly review this book without letting Shackleton, in his own words, describe the joy that found when they encountered when his small party found the whaling village at Stromness Bay, "We had pierced the veneer of outside things. We had "suffered, starved, and triumphed, groveled down yet grapsed at glory, grown bigger in the bigness of the whole."...We had reached the naked soul of men." This is truly one of the greatest adventure stories ever written.

I'm not really sure how to summarize this book. I had to read it for my intro to creative writing class, since my professor went to grad school with the author. It's about a guy named Iple, who lost his hearing and decides to go to Antarctica with a bunch of researchers. It's also about a shortstop in Brazil. And a dinosaur named Isabella who remembers everything that ever happened in the past. I don't think I would have ever picked this up on my own time, but the style was interesting to look at.

Travel In The Mouth Of The Wolf is a wryly written novel that blends elements of mysticism and even science fiction into a life-affirming journey. When a freak accident renders an easygoing young man deaf, he decides to take control of his life by traveling to Antarctica. On the way he encounters a bevy of unusual individuals. Twin little girl psychics seek to wrest control of the future of humanity's destiny, while the hidden secrets of a frozen dinosaur carcass may yet contain clues to make scientists dream. Part fable, part creation myth, always engaging and lyrical, Travel In The Mouth Of The Wolf is a mentally stimulating whirlwind journey from first page to last.

Fattaruso is my brother's English professor at DU, so it was through him that I heard of this book.

I think overall this is an interesting and intriguing book. I love the writing style, and the storyline is very creative, though incredibly farfetched. It definitely keeps you reading, though I will say that a few chapters in the middle move a little slowly. The flow is very disjointed, but I think that's a lot of what makes the book so unique. By the time you get to the last chapter, it's absolutely wonderful.

Very good, entertaining read, and quick too, so if you're just looking for something on a rainy day to pass the time, this is a great book for that.

This book is enjoyable and at times profound. It is a nice introduction to the continent. My only wish is that the book had more pictures since I will never see the antarctic. I especially wish more pictures were taken of the exployers' huts.

It may be a perfectly wonderful book but reaching the slopes of Mount Erebus is no feat since it is right outside of McMurdo Station. As a person who has spent time working at all 3 Antarctic Station, I find the book description overblown. I'm sure the book itself is full of wonderful photos as Antarctic is truly a stunning place. However, if someone is looking for an adventure story, I doubt if this covers it.

If you are a fan of the history of the period, you will like this book. It grinds on and on with dry dull facts. Better than 3/4 of the book is devoted to general cold war history. Only in the last 2-3 chapters is the drama of the mission told

An intersting account highlighting US military and Soviet Arctic studies, with interludes briefly covering CIA propietary airlines and the development of the Fulton/Skyhook retrieval system. Points out why both countries considered the Arctic important for study for military purposes during the height of the Cold War. Well written, with firsthand accounts from the people involved in a dramatic plan to parachute personnel near a just-evacuated Soviet ice station to reveal its secrets, then recover them with the first operational use of the Fulton recovery system, also known as Skyhook. (Seen in movies such as Thunderball and The Green Berets.)Highly recommended for anyone interested in Arctic studies or covert operations during the Cold War.