Buy used: $12.70

Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime

FREE delivery Friday, August 18 on orders shipped by Amazon over $25

Or fastest delivery Thursday, August 17. Order within 16 hrs 49 mins

Select delivery location

Used: Good | Details

Sold by Luca's Prints

Fulfilled by Amazon

Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.

Have one to sell?

Sell on Amazon

Flip to back Flip to front

See all 2 images

Follow the Author

David Day

Antarctica: A Biography First Edition

by David Day (Author)

3.8 51 ratings

Editors' pick Best History

See all formats and editions

Since the first sailing ships spied the Antarctic coastline in 1820, the frozen continent has captured the world's imagination. David Day's brilliant biography of Antarctica describes in fascinating detail every aspect of this vast land's history--two centuries of exploration, scientific investigation, and contentious geopolitics.

Drawing from archives from around the world, Day provides a sweeping, large-scale history of Antarctica. Focusing on the dynamic personalities drawn to this unconquered land, the book offers an engaging collective biography of explorers and scientists battling the elements in the most hostile place on earth. We see intrepid sea captains picking their way past icebergs and pushing to the edge of the shifting pack ice, sanguinary sealers and whalers drawn south to exploit "the Penguin El Dorado," famed nineteenth-century explorers like Scott and Amundson in their highly publicized race to the South Pole, and aviators like Clarence Ellsworth and Richard Byrd, flying over great stretches of undiscovered land. Yet Antarctica is also the story of nations seeking to incorporate the Antarctic into their national narratives and to claim its frozen wastes as their own. As Day shows, in a place as remote as Antarctica, claiming land was not just about seeing a place for the first time, or raising
a flag over it; it was about mapping and naming and, more generally, knowing its geographic and natural features. And ultimately, after a little-known decision by FDR to colonize Antarctica, claiming territory meant establishing full-time bases on the White Continent.

The end of the Second World War would see one last scramble for polar territory, but the onset of the International Geophysical Year in 1957 would launch a cooperative effort to establish scientific bases across the continent. And with the Antarctic Treaty, science was in the ascendant, and cooperation rather than competition was the new watchword on the ice. Tracing history from the first sighting of land up to the present day, Antarctica is a fascinating exploration of this deeply alluring land and man's struggle to claim it.

ISBN-10

0199861455
ISBN-13

978-0199861453
Edition

First Edition
Publisher

Oxford University Press
Publication date

June 20, 2013
Language

English
Dimensions

6.5 x 1.75 x 9.5 inches
Print length

626 pages
See all details

Alfred Lansing
19,781
Paperback
in Arctic & Antarctica History
106 offers from $3.87

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Beginning with Captain Cook’s voyages in the 1770s and concluding with late twentieth-century threats to international treaties and conventions, Antarctica: A Biography purports to be as comprehensive a title on the southern continent as possible. Day deserves praise for crafting an interesting historical survey of exploration and scientific research that follows a clear narrative and includes entries from lesser-known expeditions. But there are some surprising omissions. An overtly negative consideration of Robert Scott’s doomed South Pole journey includes reference only to Roland Huntford’s infamous 1979 biography while ignoring David Crane’s more recent and evenhanded title. Ernest Shackleton’s survival epic after the loss of his ship, the Endurance, a hallmark of southern heroic tales, receives only one scant paragraph. Strangest of all, in the section on aviation, Day does not include the man who first flew there or piloted an aircraft over more than 1,000 miles of the continent, Alaskan Ben Eielson, instead giving the expedition organizer, Australian explorer George Wilkins, all the credit. To be sure, Day has accomplished some interesting things here, but it is not as complete a volume as claimed. --Colleen Mondor

Review

"Solid as a block of Antarctic ice itself... [Day's] latest book draws on five years of meticulous research to tell the story of human endeavour in Antarctica, the last continent to be discovered. It paints a poignant biographical picture of the characters involved, the gruelling expeditions undertaken, and the rivalries between nations as they raced to chart the continent and claim possession of it ...excellent." --The Economist

"This is an intoxicating book by Australia's greatest historian." --Peter FitzSimons, Australian journalist and author

"A remarkable work of scholarship and sustained analysis." - Ross Fitzgerald, The Australian

"The fascinating narrative offers a compelling historical understanding of passion to control nature and the way national and economic interests drive scientific exploration... Day's work is epic and incorporates this important, unique unpopulated land into the consciousness of scholars." --Choice

"This scholarly but readable volume surveys the geopolitical history of Antarctica from the dawn of the Age of Reason to the present day. Day is a serious historian. His research has taken him around the world, into archives and libraries and into the minds and intentions of governments." --Greg Ray, Newcastle Herald (AU)

"An eye-opening history of the race amongst nations to be the first to plant their flag in the frozen land. It is a big book, covering Captain James Cook's attempts to find the 'Great South Land' in the 1770s to the present and all the explorers and adventurers in between."
--Courier Mail (Brisbane, Australia)

" For those who enjoy sweeping historical biographies, David Day's Antarctica is a polar reference piece par excellence. "--The Cairns Post (Australia)

"In his latest book, noted Australian historian David Day seeks to capture the spirit of Cook and Mawson and the deeds of subsequent explorers, which eventually turned into a race for Antarctic sovereignty. Unlike traditional histories of Antarctica, which focus almost exclusively upon exploration and individual explorers, Day blends that narrative with the increasing politicisation of Antarctica as European powers, then the Americans, and eventually Argentina and Chile jostled for territory." --Sydney Morning Herald

"2012 is the centenary of Scott and Amundsen's race to the South Pole, and publishers have jumped on the band sledge. The winner of the bid for territory goes to Antarctica: A Biography... by David Day, a historian and Australian national treasure. This enormous book approaches the subject head on. The colourful end papers are eloquent: the 'New Map of the World 1703' at the front shows a blank 'taint of ignorance' at the South Pole; at the back there is a more modern cartographer's Antarctica, with its surrounding islands. What Day aims to deliver is the bit in between. The result is a clear and intriguing history of flag-raising."--Literary Review (UK)

"Day has done a remarkable job of collating information from rich and varied international sources. He draws from original accounts, newspaper articles, the recently released papers of US naval officer and polar explorer Richard Byrd..." -- Nature

"Day weaves a masterly tale of expeditions and their leaders in this hugely detailed and well-researched tome. There are some absolute gems with new insights for even the most avid readers on the subject." -- Times Higher Education

"His thought-provoking and detailed work reminds us that the future of Antarctica remains even more fiercely disputed and uncertain than when Bellingshausen and Bransfield first saw the continent." -- Irish Times

"A well-researched, scholarly work that examines nearly 250 years of history with a deft pen and a dry wit."-- Country Life

"Day's Antarctica is an impressive piece of work, an impartial and deeply researched account of the politics of polar annexation."--Times Literary Supplement

"Well-researched history... An intriguing addition to a centuries-long geopolitical adventure story." --Kirkus Reviews

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Oxford University Press; First Edition (June 20, 2013)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 626 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0199861455
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0199861453
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.16 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.5 x 1.75 x 9.5 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #2,652,292 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #348 in Antarctica Travel Guides
- #903 in Arctic & Antarctica History
- #2,446 in Expeditions & Discoveries World History (Books)

Customer Reviews:
3.8 51 ratings

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Videos

Help others learn more about this product by uploading a video!

Upload your video

Important information

To report an issue with this product, click here.

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.

David Day

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read author blogs and more

Customer reviews

3.8 out of 5

51 global ratings

5 star
4 star
3 star
2 star
1 star

How customer reviews and ratings work

Sort reviews by

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

R. Beise-Zee

Comprehensive overview

Reviewed in the United States on March 9, 2013

Verified Purchase

It is a comprehensive and thorough overview over the discovery of the Antarctica and the development of various national claims. Authoritatively researched and well written. Day writes very chronologically, which somewhat lacks the big picture. Necessarily some interesting adventures are described rather brief. There are of course more detailed accounts of Shackleton, Scott, etc., so Day attempts to put this all together into a "biography" of the human interaction with the continent. In this way it puts the focus on the continent itself. However, it is rather light on natural and geographic descriptions. It read the kindle version and there are no maps which are sadly missed.

4 people found this helpful

Helpful

The Curious Race for Antarctic Ownership

Reviewed in the United States on November 3, 2015

Verified Purchase

“Antarctica” is a very curious book. I had expectations of the stories of Amundsen and Scott in their race to the pole, the gripping survival story of Shackleton and the exploits of Mawson. Indeed, these courageous men are mentioned but only in passing. Shackleton, for example, is glossed over in a handful of pages. Instead, the book gives extensive coverage to the politics and diplomacy of Antarctica. Clearly, this reader had false expectations.

As far as Antarctic diplomacy is concerned, this largely involved the claiming of ownership rights to the vast and icy continent. In the 21st century, this sounds strange. Racing to own or claim title to certain parts of the continent seems to be such a pointless exercise. What did Antarctica have to offer? Well, potential mineral resources were often assumed to be there but precious little was ever found. Rather, it seems that a number of countries were in search for misguided prestige.

Britain was the earliest of possible claimants with Captain Cook sailing south in the late 18th century. He never sighted the continent but may have whetted the appetite of other nations. Principal among these in no particular order was France, Norway, Australia, New Zealand and, later, the United States and the Soviet Union. There was also the duelling Latin America nations of Chile and Argentina. To this day, all these countries, except the U.S. and Russia, “claim” part of the continent. However, as time has shown, these claims are almost totally spurious. No one “owns” Antarctica. Rather, it is a giant international park.

David Day has done a fine job in detailing the machinations of the various competing parties. Unfortunately, it is a somewhat dry topic. Perhaps Day should have devoted more attention to the explorers?

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Lake

very detailed...dry

Reviewed in the United States on June 25, 2013

Verified Purchase

This is a highly detailed book, and best suited to historians.

It describes every explorer,every nation, every effort to claim the Antarctic in great and laborious fashion.

It is very dry and encyclopedic in the details, and so little of the drama or human interest of the exploration is expressed.

For example Scott's, Shackelton's and Amundsen's expeditions are very briefly described and rather quickly dismissed relative to the former two as incompetent or self serving -- which to a large extent they may have been. Still, they are great, compelling and sad adventure stories which this book is not about the telling...

So, it you want a year by year history of who and what nation claimed what and why, this book does that very well.

If you want some appreciation of the human effort, struggles etc to explore Antarctic or reach the pool you will have to look to the many other books on the topic which a scan of those available on Amazon will richly supply, souch as 'south', 'the worst journey in the world' etc.

It depends on what you want... I finished this book as a historical overview of the claiming of the continent after reading many of the personal narratives, but found those many other books that describe the explorers, their trials and travails etc far more interesting and truly exciting than this dry exposition of the history regarding the national, personal and diplomatic claims to the continent which this book portrays.

7 people found this helpful

Helpful

John A. Macurak

Great read but where are the maps??

Reviewed in the United States on June 5, 2013

Verified Purchase

This is an early review as I'm only 200 pages into the book. Mr. Day has done a considerable amount of research and provides a well mapped out history of the exploration of the Antartic Continent. Speaking of maps, one of the disappointments of this book is that there are no maps!! I find myself referring to maps out of Below the Convergence and Philbrick's book: Sea of Glory.

Day's book provides a great overview and could be an exceptional learning tool if maps of explorations were included.

4 people found this helpful

Helpful

Lighthouseguy

Sweeping overview of Antarctic history

Reviewed in the United States on July 4, 2013

Verified Purchase

From Captain Cook to the modern day tourist adventurers, David Day covers three plus centuries of exploration, exploitation and colonial claims of sovereignty over the last place on earth- the Antarctic Continent and its surrounding waters. I found the early chapters covering the efforts of Cook, Bellingshausen, Ross and others the most compelling and interesting. Having read many of the accounts of the heroic years in the Antarctic, I was a disappointed in the somewhat brief and dismissive chapters on Shackleton and Scott. David Day is squarely in the Roland Huntford camp in his opinion of Scott as his closing paragraph leads off "The bumbling incompetence of Scott and his expedition was not realised by some at the time." The later chapters on the post war years and the jockeying for priority of discovery amongst the contending countries, whilst in great detail, was less interesting and at times a struggle to get through. For readers new to the Antarctic and its story, this is a comprehensive overview. For those more widely read on the subject, it was perhaps less successful.

6 people found this helpful

Helpful

Peter L. Murray

Outstandingly Informative

Reviewed in the United States on November 29, 2014

Verified Purchase

David Day authoritatively relates the political history of the Antarctic Continent since its discovery in the early 19th century until the present day. This is a must read for anyone interested in the last World frontier as we start the 21st Century.

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Joanne A. Currey

Good for historical purposes

Reviewed in the United States on January 28, 2014

Verified Purchase

Good as a history lesson but it got too boring to continue. I did not finish the book. I would rather read the books on the actual adventures of the explorers.

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Top reviews from other countries

Alan Rapsey

A Good Book

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 14, 2013

Verified Purchase

Avery interesting read which deals with a period of history not recorded before. I recommend it to other readers of the Kindle.

derekboggy

great read

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 2, 2013

Verified Purchase

did not put it down until I had finished it what the explorers put themselves through you could not have imagined.

Ann Teak

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 1, 2014

Verified Purchase

Thank you exactly what was wanted, well packed as usual.

Pompom

500 pages of Antartica

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 14, 2013

Vine Customer Review of Free Product( What's this? )

Antartica feels a world a way for most of us - seen in documentaries and that's about all. This book does a really good job of enlightening those of us who have only skirted the edge of Antartica, fleshing out the bones in a very readable, accessible way. Recommended.

B. Lawes

Long, thorough, and mostly successful biography.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 18, 2014

Vine Customer Review of Free Product( What's this? )

A large weighty tome, this is an interesting academic biography for the Antarctic continent. There has clearly been a great deal of research carried out and the information within is thorough, however, it is clear that the book would have benefited from some more careful editing, as when David Day tries to add some colour to the facts he often resorts to the same phrases. The book would also have been made far more interesting and accessable had the text been accompanied with some illustrations and maps, as it becomes dry and confusing following the text with no way of understanding the geography of the continent in relation to the various claims from different countries and the many names for landmarks.
Unfortunately, and it is no fault of the author, the early chapters covering the primitive exploration of the continent and the race to the pole are far more exciting and engaging than the later half of the book which covers the geopolitics of Antarctica.

See more reviews

Follow the Author

Antarctica: A Biography First Edition

Customers who viewed this item also viewed

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Review

About the Author

Product details

Videos

Important information

About the author

David Day

Customer reviews

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Top reviews from other countries