Welcome!

Enrich Your Travels with Longitude

We've got the classic, new and hard-to-find books and maps to help you get the most out of your adventures.

SIGN UP FOR

Longitude News

Get our monthly e-mail update

GET A

Catalog

BEST OF 2011

Wild Coast

John Gimlette

SEE ALL >

FOR THE HOLIDAYS

To the Arctic

Florian Schultz

SEE ALL >

OUR FAVORITES

Arctic Dreams

Barry Lopez

SEE ALL >

GLOBES

The Pioneer

Replogle

SEE ALL >

Antarctic Exploration

READING AND TRAVEL GUIDE

Click on Essential Reading for the featured set of Antarctic Exploration books and a map. We offer free shipping on anything else you order with the travel books package.

Kids

Books for
Endurance, Shackleton's Incredible Voyage

Endurance, Shackleton's Incredible Voyage

by Alfred Lansing

  • EXPLORATION
  • 1998
  • PAPER
  • 280 PAGES
  • FAVORITE

Lansing's gripping day-by-day story of Shackleton's legendary perseverance is essential reading for any Antarctic traveler; it captures all the fortitude, drama and cheer of this most famous Antarctic expedition. (ANT03, $14.95)

The Ends of the Earth

The Ends of the Earth

by Francis Spufford | Elizabeth Kolbert

  • LITERATURE
  • 2007
  • HARD COVER
  • 544 PAGES
  • HARD TO FIND ELSEWHERE

A handsome anthology of the finest writing of the Arctic and the Antarctic, including classic accounts, fiction, science writing and essays. (ANT264, $29.95)

Through the First Antarctic Night

Through the First Antarctic Night

by Frederick A. Cook

  • EXPLORATION
  • 1998
  • PAPER
  • 520 PAGES

With maps, archival and modern photographs, this original account by ship's surgeon Frederick Cook brings to vivid life the first discovery of the Gerlache Strait, Danco Land and other locales along the northern Antarctic Peninsula. Under the command of Adrian de Gerlache, the international crew also included Roald Amundsen and Henryk Arctowski. (ANT102, $19.95)

North Pole, South Pole

North Pole, South Pole

by Bertrand Imbert

  • EXPLORATION
  • 1992
  • PAPER
  • 192 PAGES

A shirt pocket encyclopedia of exploration, featuring hundreds of well-chosen maps, historic photographs and journal excerpts. (ANT02, $15.95)

The Storied Ice

The Storied Ice

by Joan Boothe

  • HISTORY
  • 2011
  • PAPER
  • 372 PAGES

A frequent visitor to the Antarctic over the past decade (and fine writer), Joan Boothe recounts the thrilling adventures of whalers, sealers, explorers and scientists along the Antarctic Peninsula. With abundant quotes, 100 illustrations, 30 maps and a chronology. (ANT353, $24.95)

Antarctica, An Encyclopedia

Antarctica, An Encyclopedia

by John Stewart

  • REFERENCE
  • 2011
  • HARD COVER
  • 1776 PAGES

This second, much expanded edition of Stewart's A-to-Z of Antarctica, presented in two hefty volumes, features 30,000 entries covering people, geographical features, history, science, politics, wildlife and much, much more. Bravo! (ANT344, $495.00)

Below the Convergence, Voyages Toward Antarctica 1699-1839

Below the Convergence, Voyages Toward Antarctica 1699-1839

by Alan Gurney

  • EXPLORATION
  • 2007
  • PAPER
  • 336 PAGES

A polished storyteller (and popular lecturer on Antarctic voyages), Gurney weaves remarkable tales of early exploration in this riveting account. (ANT43, $15.95)

 
A Chronology of Antarctic Exploration

A Chronology of Antarctic Exploration


by Robert Headland

  • REFERENCE
  • 2009
  • HARD COVER
  • 722 PAGES

Congratulations Bob! This second edition of Scott Polar Institute archivist and Antarctican extrordainaire's authoritative sourcebook on Antarctic discovery and exploration, several years in the making, includes 4,865 entries (!) covering human activity in the Antarctic from 700 BC to 2008. With 38 figures, 72 maps, an index you wouldn't believe and introductory chapter on Antarctic geography, resources and politics, this pricey book is a key reference. (ANT217, $190.00)

Two Planks and a Passion, The Dramatic History of Skiing from Paleolithic Times Until Today

Two Planks and a Passion, The Dramatic History of Skiing from Paleolithic Times Until Today


by Roland Huntford

  • HISTORY
  • 2009
  • PAPER
  • 440 PAGES

Roland Huntford, the biographer of Nansen, Scott and Shackleton, turns his eye on the original polar conveyance in this masterly, engrossing history of skiing from its Paleolithic origins (older than the wheel) to today. (EXP67, $24.95)

Antarctic Destinies: Scott, Shackleton, and the Changing Face of Heroism

Antarctic Destinies: Scott, Shackleton, and the Changing Face of Heroism


by Stephanie Barczewski

  • BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
  • 2009
  • PAPER
  • 400 PAGES

A specialist in cultural history, Barczewski reconsiders Robert Falcon Scott's Terra Nova expedition of 1910-12 and Ernest Shackleton's Endurance expedition of 1914-16 and the changing reputations of the two great British heroes. (ANT267, $27.95)

Antarctic Eyewitness, South with Mawson and Shackleton's Argonauts

Antarctic Eyewitness, South with Mawson and Shackleton's Argonauts


by Charles Laseron | Frank Hurley | Tim Bowden

  • EXPLORATION
  • 2000
  • PAPER
  • 336 PAGES

A facsimile edition of two great Antarctic expeditions, both involving Frank Hurley. (ANT132, $17.95)

Before the Heroes Came, Antarctica in the 1890s

Before the Heroes Came, Antarctica in the 1890s


by Tim Baughman

  • EXPLORATION
  • 1999
  • PAPER
  • 160 PAGES

This well written account of the pioneering Antarctic encounters stars Carsten Borchgrevnink, who spent the first winter on the continent in 1898 at the hut still standing at Cape Adare, and other early explorers. (ANT105, $16.00)

Cherry, A Life of Apsley Cherry-Garrard

Cherry, A Life of Apsley Cherry-Garrard


by Sara Wheeler

  • BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
  • 2003
  • PAPER
  • 353 PAGES

Wheeler (Terra Incognita) captures the thrill of Victorian polar exploration -- and the anguish of a man haunted by the death of his colleagues on the march back from the pole. (ANT168, $14.95)

Crossing Antarctica

Crossing Antarctica


by Will Steger | Jon Bowermaster

  • EXPLORATION
  • 2010
  • PAPER
  • 312 PAGES

Steger and Bowermaster's now classic account of their 3,700-mile Trans-Antarctic expedition, the first crossing of the continent on foot. (ANT321, $15.95)

Edge of the World: Ross Island, Antarctica

Edge of the World: Ross Island, Antarctica


by Charles Neider

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 2001
  • PAPER
  • 461 PAGES

A memorable account of adventures at Ross Island and the South Pole, including Neider's mishap with a helicopter on Mt. Erebus. With a nice selection of detailed maps and black-and-white photographs. (ANT157, $19.95)

Explorer, The Life of Richard E. Byrd

Explorer, The Life of Richard E. Byrd


by Lisle Rose

  • BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
  • 2008
  • HARD COVER
  • 544 PAGES

Drawing on recently available archives, Rose, a navy man himself -- and commentator on Byrd for A&E's Biography series and PBS's American Experience -- paints a vivid, balanced picture of the Antarctic explorer and polar champion. (ANT279, $34.95)

Home of the Blizzard, The Story of the Australasian Antarctic Expedition, 1911-1914

Home of the Blizzard, The Story of the Australasian Antarctic Expedition, 1911-1914


by Douglas Mawson

  • EXPLORATION
  • 2007
  • PAPER
  • 438 PAGES
  • OUT OF PRINT

This 1915 classic by explorer and Australian national hero Sir Douglas Mawson, one of the great stories of Antarctic adventure and exploration. (ANT65, $14.95)

I May Be Some Time, Ice and the English Imagination

I May Be Some Time, Ice and the English Imagination


by Francis Spufford

  • EXPLORATION
  • 2003
  • PAPER
  • 372 PAGES

An imaginative history of the myths, symbols and culture of British polar exploration -- and especially its focus on the martyr, suffering and death with a stiff upper lip. Fascinating. (ANT58, $19.95)

In Shackleton's Footsteps, A Return to the Heart of the Antarctic

In Shackleton's Footsteps, A Return to the Heart of the Antarctic


by Henry Worsley

  • EXPLORATION
  • 2011
  • HARD COVER
  • 288 PAGES

Henry Worsley and other descendents set out from Shackleton's hut at Cape Royd to celebrate the centenary of the 1908 Nimrod expedition, retracing the exact 870-mile route -- and going on to finish the last 97 miles that eluded Shackelton. Team leader Worsley's book explores the history of the original expedition and reasons behind its failure, while capturing the meticulous planning, fundraising and training for the new expedition. (ANT330, $24.95)

Lost Men, The Harrowing Saga of Shackleton's Ross Sea Expedition

Lost Men, The Harrowing Saga of Shackleton's Ross Sea Expedition


by Kelly Tyler-Lewis

  • EXPLORATION
  • 2007
  • PAPER
  • 416 PAGES

The dramatic tale of Shackleton's support team, stranded at Cape Evans when their ship the Aurora was set adrift in a gale. Tyler-Lewis draws on a rich source of newly discovered journals and diaries, interviews and her own experiences in the Antarctic to bring the story to life. (ANT225, $15.00)

Mawson's Will, The Greatest Polar Survival Story Ever Written

Mawson's Will, The Greatest Polar Survival Story Ever Written


by Leonard Bickel

  • EXPLORATION
  • 2000
  • PAPER
  • 261 PAGES

The classic tale of Sir Douglas Mawson's 1911 journey back to camp after losing his two men, his dogs, and most of his food and equipment. (ANT121, $15.99)

Off the Map, Tales of Endurance and Exploration

Off the Map, Tales of Endurance and Exploration


by Fergus Fleming

  • EXPLORATION
  • 2006
  • PAPER
  • 518 PAGES

Master storyteller Fleming (Killing Dragons, Ninety Degrees North) recounts 43 tales of adventure, both well-known and obscure, in this wonderfully diverse sampling. He opens with the exploits of Marco Polo and the Mongol Empire, moving briskly through the centuries up to Albert Nobile's fateful attempt to reach the North Pole by balloon. (EXP36, $16.00)

Polar Exploration, The Heroic Exploits of the World's Greatest Polar Explorers

Polar Exploration, The Heroic Exploits of the World's Greatest Polar Explorers


by Beau Riffenburgh

  • EXPLORATION
  • 2010
  • HARD COVER

A volume in the National Geographic Society Exploration Experience, this casebound book includes facsimiles of key documents, archival photographs and succinct accompanying text. (EXP76, $29.95)

Polar Journeys, The Role of Food and Nutrition in Early Exploration

Polar Journeys, The Role of Food and Nutrition in Early Exploration


by Robert Feeney

  • EXPLORATION
  • 1998
  • PAPER
  • 279 PAGES

This is the book for anyone who has ever wondered about hoosh, pemmican and all the other makings of the early explorers' diets. The author, a biochemist, looks at the nutrition and diet of explorers, linking developments in food preservation techniques to the history of polar exploration. (ANT107, $27.95)

Race for the South Pole

Race for the South Pole


by Roland Huntford

  • EXPLORATION
  • 2011
  • PAPER
  • 352 PAGES

Side by side, day by day, Huntford lets Scott and Amundsen speak for themselves, placing the original diary entries of each man on facing pages. He includes superb original maps and photographs, and the never-before-translated diary of Amundsen's charismatic lead skier. (ANT326, $16.95)

Race to the End: Amundsen, Scott and the Attainment of the South Pole

Race to the End: Amundsen, Scott and the Attainment of the South Pole


by Ross MacPhee

  • EXPLORATION
  • 2010
  • HARD COVER
  • 245 PAGES
  • FAVORITE

Curator of the riveting exhibition at the American Museum of Natural History, MacPhee includes panoramic maps, never-before-seen photographs of artifacts from Scott's last camp, iconic photographs by Ponting and Hurley, and contemporary accounts of the two celebrated expeditions in this month-by-month and day-by-day look at the two iconic expeditions. (ANT322, $27.95)

Race to the Pole: Tragedy, Heroism, and Scott's Antarctic Quest


by Ranulph Fiennes

  • EXPLORATION
  • 2005
  • PAPER
  • 480 PAGES

British polar adventurer Fiennes reconsiders the legacy of Robert Falcon Scott. (ANT220, $14.95)

Scott of The Antarctic

Scott of The Antarctic


by Charles Frend

  • EXPLORATION
  • 1948
  • DVD

John Mills stars as Robert Falcon Scott in this 1948 epic, a film which helped to elevate Scott to national hero. In Technicolor with a magnificent soundtrack by Vaughn Williams. (ANT325, $9.99)

Scott of the Antarctic, A Life of Courage and Tragedy

Scott of the Antarctic, A Life of Courage and Tragedy


by David Crane

  • BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
  • 2007
  • PAPER
  • 608 PAGES

In this balanced and dramatic biography, Crane looks at Robert Falcon Scott afresh in the context of Edwardian exploration and empire, showing him to a be flawed hero but a hero nonetheless. (ANT233, $16.95)

Scott's Last Expedition, The Journals

Scott's Last Expedition, The Journals


by Robert Falcon Scott | Max Jones

  • EXPLORATION
  • 2008
  • PAPER
  • 529 PAGES

Scott's account of his last doomed expedition, recovered beside his frozen body. With an introduction by Bainbridge and extensive annotations by editor Max Jones (including a contemporary account of Scott by J.M. Barrie). (ANT46, $17.95)

Seven Summits

Seven Summits


by Dick Bass | Frank Wells | Rick Ridgeway

  • EXPLORATION
  • 1988
  • PAPER
  • 336 PAGES

For those heading to Africa, this book about two men trying to conquer the world's seven summit includes a detailed description of the (non-technical) Machame route on Kilimanjaro. (EXP48, $15.99)

Shackleton's Boat Journey

Shackleton's Boat Journey


by Sir Edmund Hillary | Frank Worsley

  • EXPLORATION
  • 1998
  • PAPER
  • 220 PAGES

This classic account by the captain of the Endurance features the team's remarkable two-week boat journey from Elephant Island to South Georgia. (ANT72, $14.95)

Shackleton's Way, Leadership Lessons from the Great Antarctic Explorer

Shackleton's Way, Leadership Lessons from the Great Antarctic Explorer


by Margot Morrell | Stephanie Capparell

  • EXPLORATION
  • 2002
  • PAPER
  • 224 PAGES

The authors of this volume use the Shackleton story to illustrate principles of leadership, including the importance of hiring an outstanding crew, creating camaraderie and leading effectively in a crisis. (ANT140, $15.00)

South, Ernest Shackleton and the Endurance Expedition

South, Ernest Shackleton and the Endurance Expedition


by Frank Hurley

  • EXPLORATION
  • 1919
  • DVD
  • OUT OF PRINT

The original 1919 film produced by expedition photographer Frank Hurley and Ernest Shackleton, tinted, toned and restored by the British Film Institute. (ANT164, $29.95)

The Endurance, Shackleton's Legendary Antarctic Expedition

The Endurance, Shackleton's Legendary Antarctic Expedition


by Caroline Alexander

  • EXPLORATION
  • 1998
  • HARD COVER
  • 160 PAGES

A retelling of the ill-fated expedition featuring 170 well chosen photographs by Shackleton's expedition photographer Frank Hurley -- many previously unpublished. (ANT67, $35.00)

The Frozen Ship, The Histories and Tales of Polar Exploration

The Frozen Ship, The Histories and Tales of Polar Exploration


by Sarah Moss

  • EXPLORATION
  • 2009
  • PAPER
  • 244 PAGES

Moss demolishes cherished myths of the golden age of polar exploration -- and retells many of the greatest stories -- in this elegantly written, revisionist account of the cult of heroism. (ARC206, $13.95)

The Heart of the Great Alone: Scott, Shackleton, and Antarctic Photography

The Heart of the Great Alone: Scott, Shackleton, and Antarctic Photography


by David Hempleman-Adams | Emma Stuart | Sophie Gordon

  • EXPLORATION
  • 2009
  • HARD COVER
  • 240 PAGES
  • NEW

One hundred years ago, during the reign of King George V, it's hard to imagine the stir surrounding these two great expeditions, caused in part by these captivating and haunting images, presented here along with essays, maps, paintings and other ephemera from the Royal Collection. Polar explorer David Hempleman-Adams provides the evocative captions, giving depth and context. (ANT298, $47.50)

The Last Place on Earth, Scott and Amundsen's Race to the South Pole

The Last Place on Earth, Scott and Amundsen's Race to the South Pole


by Roland Huntford

  • EXPLORATION
  • 1999
  • PAPER
  • 576 PAGES
  • FAVORITE

Igniting huge controversy when it first appeared, Huntford's rousing dual biography contrasts Amundsen's well-planned campaign to achieve the Pole with Scott's ill-fated quest. (ANT100, $15.95)

The Race to the White Continent, Voyages to the Antarctic

The Race to the White Continent, Voyages to the Antarctic


by Alan Gurney

  • EXPLORATION
  • 2002
  • PAPER
  • 288 PAGES

Gurney captures the fanfare, ego and discovery of 19th-century polar exploration in this compelling narrative of the 1837-1842 Antarctic voyages of Dumont d'Urville, James Clark Ross and Charles Wilkes. (ANT136, $15.95)

The South Pole, A Historical Reader

The South Pole, A Historical Reader


by Anthony Brandt

  • EXPLORATION
  • 2004
  • PAPER
  • 463 PAGES

An anthology of accounts of Antarctic Exploration and the quest for the South Pole. (ANT216, $15.00)

The South Pole, An Account of the Norwegian Antarctic Expedition in the Fram, 1910-1912

The South Pole, An Account of the Norwegian Antarctic Expedition in the Fram, 1910-1912


by Roald Amundsen | Roland Huntford

  • EXPLORATION
  • 2001
  • PAPER
  • 1008 PAGES

Amundsen's vivid narrative, first published as 2 volumes, reflects his modesty -- and focus on the practical details of getting to the Pole. (ANT148, $27.00)

The Worst Journey in the World

The Worst Journey in the World


by Apsley Cherry-Garrard

  • EXPLORATION
  • 2006
  • PAPER
  • 573 PAGES
  • FAVORITE

Cherry-Garrard's epic midwinter jaunt to an emperor penguin rookery is just a warm-up for the main event: Scott's doomed last expedition. (ANT23, $18.00)

With Byrd at the South Pole, the Story of Little America

With Byrd at the South Pole, the Story of Little America


by Joseph Rucker | Willard Van der Veer

  • EXPLORATION
  • 1930
  • DVD

The Academy-Award winning tale of Byrd's expedition to Antarctica. (ANT165, $29.95)

Mountain of Ice


by Nova

  • NATURAL HISTORY
  • 2006
  • DVD

Filmed for a Nova special, the eight-person expedition to climb Mount Vinson, Antarctica's highest mountain, included writer Jon Krakauer, mountaineer Conrad Anker and veteran Antarctic guide Dave Hahn. (ANT297, $19.95)

More Recommendations

Here are some other groups of books that might be of interest

Longitude provides recommended reading for travelers in partnership with the leading tour operators and travel programs for hundreds of destinations worldwide. We've got the classic, new and hard-to-find books and maps to help you get the most out of your adventures.