Antarctic Literature

This list is not at all comprehensive, it is just a choice of books which I find useful, informative, good reading matter … it is currently a start only, but will be added to in future.

Below, you will find the following sections: Antarctica, Antarctic History, Falkland Islands and South Georgia.

Antarctica

McGonigal, David and Dr Woodworth, Lynn (Editors, 2001): The Complete Encyclopedia Antarctica and the Arctic (published by Firefly Books, ISBN 1-55297-545-2). 608 colourful pages which cover almost anything from natural history, wildlife and detailed chapters on the history of research and exploration. Largely focussing on Antarctica.
Schillat, Monika (Editor, 2001): First Antarctic Reader (Ushuaia, Fuegia. ISBN 987-96999-1-2). Seven chapters on various subjects such as history, modern travelling in Antarctica, Global Change in Antarctica and others. Short, interesting and entertaining, written by a selected handfull of today’s leading Antarctic experts.
Shirihai, Hadoram: The complete Guide to Antarctic Wildlife (published in the EU by Alula Press Oy and in the US and Canada by Princeton University Press. ISBN 0-691-11414-5). 510 pages, a detailed introduction into the wildlife of Antarctica and the Southern Ocean, including the subantarctic islands and the Falkland Islands. The main focus is taxonomy, information about behaviour and ecology is less detailed.
Soper, Tony (third ed. 2000): Antarctica. A Guide to the Wildlife (Bradt Travel Guides (England) and The Globe Pequot Press Inc (US). ISBN 1 84162 019 X). 144 pages about the most important wildlife species you might encounter during a trip to Antarctica. Good first introduction and overview.
Williams, Tony D. (1995): The Penguins (published by the Oxford University Press in the series Bird Families of the World. ISBN 0-19-854667 X). 295 pages, containing everything about penguins (what else?) you might possibly want to know – as far as known to anybody! That includes behaviour, ecology and environmental threats to penguin populations.

Antarctic History

Alexander, Caroline (1998): The Endurance (popular and well-illustrated book about »The Boss«).
Bickel, Lennard (1982): Shackleton’s forgotten Argonauts (Shackleton’s Ross Sea party during his »Endurance/Aurora« expedition..Eextremely interesting!).
Bickel, Lennard (1994): Mawson’s Will. (About Douglas Mawson, the Australian explorer with the iron will).
Cherry-Garrard, Apsley (1922): The Worst Journey in the World (classical book about extremely difficult winter expedition to get eggs of Emperor Penguins).
Gurney, Alan (2000): The Race to the White continent (good overview).
Huntford, Roland: The last Place on Earth. (The discovery of the South Pole, Amundsen and Scott).
Huntford, Roland (1985): Shackleton.
Mawson, Douglas (1915): The Home of the Blizzard (2 volumes. Classical book about a classical expedition).
McElrea, R. & Harrowfield, D. (2004): Polar Castaways. (About the »Aurora«, which went to the Ross sea as part of Shackleton’s famous »Endurance/Aurora« expedition).
Menzies, Gavin (2002): 1421: The Year China discovered the World (exactly what the title says).
Riffenburgh, Beau (2004): Nimrod. (The first Antarctic Expedition lead by Shackleton).
Rosove, Michael H. (2000): Let Heroes Speak. Antarctic Explorers 1772-1922 (good overview).

Falkland/South Georgia

Stanford’s.
McIntosh, E., Walton, D.W.H. (2000): Environmental Management Plan For South Georgia ( Published by the British Antarctic Survey. Copies are obtainable form Government of South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands). 103 pages. Inventory of natural and human history of South Georgia and regulations.
Strange, Ian J. (1992): A Field Guide To The Wildlife Of The Falkland Islands And South Georgia (HarperCollins Publishers, London. ISBN 0-00-219839-8). Includes additionally a general information section about the Falkland Islands and I would highly recommend it to everybody travelling this archipelago.

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