Antarctic Oasis: Under the Spell of South Georgia (Hardcover)

~ Pauline Carr (Author), (Author) "FLURRIES OF SNOW SWIRLED out of the darkness..." (more)
Key Phrases: kelp gulls, snow hole, bergy bit, South Georgia, Bird Island, Cumberland Bay (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

The first thing you notice about this handsome book is a surfeit of color. In the mind's eye, the Antarctic is a study in sterile white, but in the Carrs' spectacular photographs, the Antarctic island of South Georgia is brilliant with green and gold lichen and grasses, the bright orange markings of penguins, the tawny beauty of caribou, and spectacular skies. One hundred miles long and glacier-clad, South Georgia is the South Pole's oasis, home to 2.2 million fur seals, hundreds of thousands of penguins, the world's largest flock of wandering albatrosses, countless petrels, and two human beings, the Carrs, a couple famous for their sailing prowess and love of far-off lands. Their gorgeous and unexpected photographs, lively history of the island, and personable account of their lives onboard their 100-year-old yacht reignite our sense of wonder in nature and remind us that it is possible to live in the wilderness and do no harm. Donna Seaman

Review

A magnificent book....[T]he pictures are the best I've seen in a cruising narrative. -- Soundings, December 1998

Stunning photographs, accounts of the Carrs' experiences, and a survey of Antarctic natural history void the impression of a stark, lifeless place. Instead, the Carrs, the only two permanent inhabitants of the island of South Georgia for the past five years, reveal a land abounding with albatrosses, seals, and plush greenery during the summer months. -- Science News, 7 November 1998

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: W.W. Norton & Co.; First Edition edition (May 17, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0393046052
• ISBN-13: 978-0393046052
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 10.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #557,357 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars 5 Stars for the Colour Photography. Next best to going there, May 21, 1999

By A Customer

Fitting tribute to the sometimes threatened wildlife on this island - South Georgia. Apart from the stunning bird photographs with those amazing snow-capped peaks, there is the effusive commentary, emphasizing the natural moods of the place, with journeys by boat, hiking, on skis, explorations made more meaningful with some of the scientists from their bases. In fact the Carr's are the only permanent residents here, so taken with the wildness of the place, and actually run the Whaling museum. Not the least of characters is the famed one hundred year old Falmouth (England, UK) built cutter with whom we can share it's history in the final chapter of the book. This is no ordinary boat, not for all that the Carr's have taken her through these last 25 years. First hearing of the Carr's exploits in John Ridgeway's 'Then we sailed away', somehow the dangers of their journeys, although not exactly glossed over, are not depicted as felt experience as in the Ridgeway work, feeling more like the safe narrative encountered in a childrens' version of a day at sea. The reader is not aware of the friction and general mayhem that is so well recounted by John. Also there is no sense of the 'burden of the possession of mind', lonely outposts bringing on philosophical musings than is done here, unless of course they were were always an idyllically matched and happy couple. It is not that sort of book, rather allowing the displacement of humanity as much as possible in order to bring out into greatest relief, the exorbitant wildlife.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Impasioned account of the remote sub-antarctic, December 30, 1998

By	Robert B.Schoene (Seattle, Washingtom) - See all my reviews

Having been to South Georgia and met the Carr's three years ago, I was very excited to see their marvelous habitat so poignantly displayed. It is a world of the crossroads of many ecologic niches, man's tenuous and not always synergistic intersection with it, and and an adventuresome couple's love for the land, sea, and animals. A bit more could have been said about Shackleton and his place in its history, but over-all highly recommended. It only enforced my desire to return.

RB Schoene Seattle, WA

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A book for adventurers in body or spirit, October 10, 1998

By A Customer

Smitten by South Georgia after 20+ years of sailing the world in a 28' cutter, the Carrs have generously chosen to share the object of their affection through breathtaking photographs and charming text. The reader accompanies them as they explore the coastal bays, ski across glaciers, and wonder at being preened by an albatross. Holding this book in your hands is a reminder of the truth of the definition of work as "love made visible."