From Publishers Weekly
On assignment for Smithsonian magazine (where portions of this book were published) and under the auspices of the National Science Foundation, Parfit spent a full season in Antarctica. It was an exciting and rewarding year, from his arrival in a whiteout to departure on the research vessel Hero with a dramatic rescue of fire victims. He traveled far and wideto the South Pole station and other isolated camps, to Mt. Siple, in virgin territory, aboard the icebreaker Polar Sea. There were periodic returns to the "city," McMurdo; Parfit took a crash course at a survival school, built an igloo, skinny-dipped in an ice hole. He visited the Russian and Chilean stations, accompanied marine biologists on the Hero. While he pays proper respecteven wonderto the landscape and wildlife, his focus is on the remarkable men and women, scientists and military personnel, who choose to work in Antarctica. Parfit, author of The Boys Behind the Bombs, enjoyed his year at the Far South; so will the reader. January 3
Copyright 1985 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 1985 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Library Journal
On assignment for Smithsonian magazine, the author wintered in Antarctica"the greatest unknown in the world." The factual yet lyrical exposition of that unknown is the achievement of this fast-moving, entertaining account. Antarctica's superlatives are recounted and given human scale and significance via interviews with the international continent's scientific community. At the same time, Parfit's own everyday experiencesoften told through the words of the Antarctic pioneersare story enough to support his contention that "the life everyone led in Antarctica was so strange that even the most recent past was legendary." This is the best of travel writing, combining exhilarating adventure with intellectual discovery. It should be a popular addition for most general collections. Jerry Maioli, Western Lib. Network, Olympia, Wash.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
