Customer Reviews

Time on Ice: A Winter Voyage to Antarctica

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book is one of the few books that portrays not only the classic aspects of human adventure but the more philosiphical underpinnings of our own life experiences in the clutter of modern civilization. Time on Ice will not only take you to antarctica, but to the desolation and isolation experienced therin. The moments of beauty, excitement, distress and love all connect at a very human level. I would recomend this book to anyone, something i have never done before.

While I can't quite share the enthusiasm of several of the other reviewers (Viking spirit and all that), I thought this was a solid book and enjoyable to read. It generally moves along at a slow pace, but this is to be expected given the nature of the trip. Accounts alternate from Deborah's view to Rolf's. Of the two, Deborah is the slightly better writer and she sometimes hits on long bouts of excellent descriptions of everything from the weather to their mood. Rolf's writing is more technical but provides a decent balance to Deborah's. This may not be hardcore, edge-of-your-seat adventure (though there are tense moments), but it's a good bet for anyone interested in long distance sailing, Antartica, polar environmentalism, or any combination of these.

Too frequently, we read of harrowing adventures caused by lack of preparation or mistakes. Not so in this case. "Time on Ice" is the story of an expedition by two extremely well prepared and experienced high latitude sailors who execute with near perfection a well thought out plan to winter in Antarctica. Sharing their experience and knowledge, they tell in excellant fashion, the incredible tale of "overwintering" in a land of magnificent beauty reserved for the few capable of enduring it's demanding climate. Deborah Shapiro and Rolf Bjelke are not only sailors, environmentalists, naturalists and explorers with superior survival skills, they are top notch writers and photographers who wrote a book which is exciting to read and difficult to put down. This book is a "must read" for sailors, people who are interested in wilderness and nature, environmentalists and anyone with an interest in the Polar regions.

I have been fortunate to share Deb and Rolf's adventures; I stayed in radio communications with them throughout both their arctic-antarctic adventures, and helped edit both their books. Even in draft form, even though I knew the story in detail, its first reading was exciting. It is truly unfortunate that a lot of the material was cut during the final edit by the publisher.

I've also seen the video that was made during their stay...it punctuates their story with unforgetable images.

I know I have prejudice, but I am convinced that anyone who has an interest in the human aspects of exploring will find it absorbing. This is NOT a book designed just for sailors. It is a story about challenge and what it takes to meet that challenge.

"Time on Ice" is a very good read. Written by a couple who are clearly dedicated to themselves, the earth, the environment and to sailing. Aboard their steel round-hull ketch they sail from the Nordic regions to antartica and spend the winter. Highly active, they venture out most days, skying, documenting and generally reveling in their isolated, personal vistas.

Expert sailors, whose motto is "keep adventure at bay", they carefully approach every aspect of their sailing with respect for the sea and for their chosen means of transport. Northen Light, their beloved yacht is beautifully maintained and prepared and cared for. Those of us who love boats and people who love boats will enjoy this book.

As a sailor i was originally only intersted in the fiiting out of the boat,and the trip.but found the entire book fun to read.highly recommended

This book is an excellent combination of sailing adventure, exotic travel, and natural history. It is rare to have a book jointly written by two individuals with such different styles work this well but I found the alternating chapters and different perspectives very refreshing. Deborah's enthusiasm and excitement were a good balance to Rolf's pragmatic and technical approach. The sailor interested in high lattitude voyaging will gain much from this book, as will the adventure traveler considering a visit to the polar regions. It is clear that the authors truly love their subject and their passion to protect this last vast wilderness sometimes feels elitist - as though they should be allowed to visit and enjoy the Antarctic but no others. I am sure I would have felt similarly had I gone through that much work only to find crowded anchorages and cruise ships on my arrival. Apparently it isn't enough to go to the edge of the Earth to get away from things, you have to do it in the off season. Overall a great read!

An incredble journey.

Well written, alternating chapters between Deborah and Rolf. This is a wild ride. Most of us sailors/adventurers will never make this journey. Deborah and Rolf are the most likeable and articulate sailor-environmentalists that show us life from Pole to Pole. If you have any interest in Antarctica or blue water sailing, you willl find this book to be very compelling.

This is a very interesting book. I was amazed with their strength to accomplish their dream. The only negative aspect is that the book sometimes has a lot of details and it lacks more details about their day to day activities.

An A plus documentary of modern vikings illuminating contemporary society's potential impact on the last largely untouched continent.This book full of insights about living together,especially in a small space in a huge frozen sea .This human space is as sensitive as is their external surroundings, clearly one of the world's most hostile and beautiful environments. Highly recommended for its focus on the story and the implications of what they experience and not on the egos of its highly accomplished authors. Full of suspense and interesting detail for the serious sailer and outdoor adventurer wannabe.