Antarctica

by Charles Neider (Editor), James Cook, Edmund Hillary

Antarctica is a fascinating collection of vivid accounts from the journals of fourteen explorers.

Genres: History

460 pages, Hardcover

First published December 1, 1988

About the author

Charles Neider was an American writer, known for editing the Autobiography of Mark Twain and authoring literary impressions of Antarctica.

Reviews

[Trevor McGuire · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book would have been helped greatly by more elucidating footnotes and helped dramatically by some images. Many of the explorers wrote at great length about memorable photographs, but none of those photographs were included in the book. Additionally, when captains' logs referred to reefing sails, or mentioned the mizzenmast, etc, a footnote here and there explaining what part of the ship it was, or what a particular verb meant when used nautically would have deepened the book. Those holes aside, many of the chosen writings I understand, but this book goes in the same vein as many other writings of Antarctica: focus on Scott's deadly Pole trip, and not on Amundsen's successful trip.

[Mesa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great collection, though a bit academic, so only worth the read if you like dead white guys who travel and have a strange fascination with the southern continent.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved all the excerpts from longer books, definitely whetted my interest in a few that I would have otherwise passed over.