| Welcome,
This is
a selective and very personal web site by an enthusiastic, amateur collector of
books on historical exploration in Antarctica. It exists to simply encourage others
to read about the extraordinary people that went to the driest, coldest, most
inhospitable continent on this earth. The courage shown, the hardship endured
is something special and reading about them I am sure will leave you full of admiration.
To
newcomers to this site and to this subject, I urge you to read 'The Worst Journey
In The World' by Apsley Cherry - Garrard. This book gives a good indication
of the hardships endured and of the stress of leadership in such extreme conditions.
Study also the difference in leadership qualities of these early explorers.
Roland Huntford has written some well researched books- (Scott & Amundsen
/ The Race to the Pole). They also have been described 'as the case against
Scott'. Make your own mind up about him- he was a product of the age and perhaps
not the incompetent ogre that he is sometimes made out to be. Above all, enjoy
the often understated heroic efforts of those who lived in an age of enlightenment.
This is not a commercial site and I run it solely to share my
enthusiasm for the subject. It has been in existence in various
forms since 1997. During that time I have answered a host of questions
from various sources about the Antarctic and Antarctic books.
I hope to continue to do so. I welcome comments and updates on
the books listed and particularly if you spot any factual errors.
mailbox (at) scelder.org.uk
Stewart Elder.
Updated 2/10/08
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