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In the Kitchen

Gran Cocina Latina, The Food of Latin America

Maricel E. Presilla

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Antarctica

Endurance, Shackleton's Incredible Voyage

Alfred Lansing

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Barry Lopez

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Every Day in Tuscany, Seasons of an Italian Life

Frances Mayes

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Antarctic Exploration

READING AND TRAVEL GUIDE

Favorite, new and noteworthy books on Antarctic exploration, many published to mark the centenary of the attainment of the South Pole.

Kids

Books for
In Search of the South Pole

In Search of the South Pole

by Herbert Kari | Huw Lewis-Jones

  • EXPLORATION
  • 2011
  • HARD COVER
  • 192 PAGES

Kari Herbert (daughter of polar explorer Sir Wally) and husband Huw Lewis-Jones collared an international who's who of explorers, historians, scientists and polar experts for this irresistible portrait of place. It's a scrapbook of Antarctic exploration, featuring excerpts from the logbooks, journals and books, a timeline, color reproductions of period posters and other arcana. With 150 photographs, this new book is an essential reference for all Antarcticans. (ANT347, $29.95)

An Empire of Ice: Scott, Shackleton, and the Heroic Age of Antarctic Science

An Empire of Ice: Scott, Shackleton, and the Heroic Age of Antarctic Science

by Edward Larson

  • EXPLORATION
  • 2012
  • PAPER
  • 326 PAGES

In this fresh history, enriched by his own Antarctic travels with the National Science Foundation writers and Artists program, Pulitzer Prize-winner Ed Larson places the famed expeditions of Robert Scott and Ernest Shackleton and the Heroic Age in the larger context of Edwardian politics and society. Not just geography and empire, science was an integral part of the whole Antarctic enterprise. (ANT337, $16.00)

The Roof at the Bottom of the World

The Roof at the Bottom of the World

by Edmund Stump

  • EXPLORATION
  • 2011
  • HARD COVER
  • 272 PAGES

With detailed maps and 100 stunning color photographs, Antarctic veteran Ed Stump shows the Transantarctic range in all its icy glory and, for aficionados, Stump has plotted the routes of the historic expeditions across mountains and glaciers with unprecedented accuracy. (ANT341, $29.95)

The Lost Photographs of Captain Scott

The Lost Photographs of Captain Scott

by David Wilson

  • EXPLORATION
  • 2011
  • HARD COVER
  • 192 PAGES

This gorgeous book of Scott's own photographs -- fought over, lost and forgotten -- supplemented by maps and incisive commentary, is a significant contribution to Antarctic history. Wilson's great uncle was expedition artist Edward Wilson, who died with Scott on his way back from the Pole. (ANT343, $35.00)

Shackleton of the Antarctic

Shackleton of the Antarctic

by T. H. Baughman

  • HISTORY
  • 2009
  • PAPER
  • 115 PAGES

Baughman distills the drama, glory and guts of Ernest Shackleton -- and his admirable life of adventure -- into just over 100 pages. (ANT294, $14.95)

The Storied Ice

The Storied Ice

by Joan Boothe

  • HISTORY
  • 2011
  • PAPER
  • 372 PAGES

A frequent visitor to the Antarctic over the past decade, 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)

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 Ice, A Journey to Antarctica

The Ice, A Journey to Antarctica

by Stephen J. Pyne

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 1998
  • PAPER
  • 428 PAGES

An exhilarating, philosophical meditation on ice, this exhilarating book encompasses the history of exploration, geophysics of the ice, and the symbolic meaning of the White Continent in art and literature. (ANT41, $22.50)

 
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)

Hoosh: Roast Penguin, Scurvy Day, and Other Stories of Antarctic Cuisine

Hoosh: Roast Penguin, Scurvy Day, and Other Stories of Antarctic Cuisine


by Jason C. Anthony

  • FOOD
  • 2012
  • PAPER
  • 286 PAGES

Posted to the Transantarctic and other remote field camps over eight Antarctic summers, Jason Anthony understands that cold, isolated explorers dream of food. From the celebrated Hoosh of early days (a porridge of fat, melted snow and dried meat) to the cafeteria fare at McMurdo, Anthony traces the history of Antarctica through it stomach.Suprisingly appetizing, the book opens with Anthony's great good fortune of discovering an expert baker at McMurdo, who slipped 12 delicious loves of crusty olive bread into his rations for a three-month stint at a field camp. Yum! With a nod to Roland Huntford, David Walton, Charles Swithinbank, Paul Dalrymple and many other legendary Antarcticans, the book is as well-researched as it is a delight to read. (ANT367, $26.95)

1912, The Year the World Discovered Antarctica

1912, The Year the World Discovered Antarctica


by Chris Turney

  • EXPLORATION
  • 2012
  • HARD COVER
  • 358 PAGES

Turney looks at the great leap forward in Antarctic science that was made 100 years ago with the expeditions of not just Scott and Amundsen but also those of Mawson, Filchner and Shirase in this brisk and engaging history of science and exploration in the Antarctic. An Australian scientist himself, Turney sees Mawson as the scientific hero of the age. (ANT368, $27.00)

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)

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)

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)

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)

Pilgrims on the Ice, Robert Falcon Scott's First Antarctic Expedition

Pilgrims on the Ice, Robert Falcon Scott's First Antarctic Expedition


by Tim Baughman

  • EXPLORATION
  • 2008
  • PAPER
  • 334 PAGES

Baughman brings to life all the excitement and accomplishments of Captain Scott's first Antarctic expedition of 1901-1904 in this scholarly, level-headed evaluation of the Discovery expedition. (ANT106, $18.95)

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)

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'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)

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, $16.00)

South Pole, The British Antarctic Expedition 1910-13

South Pole, The British Antarctic Expedition 1910-13


by Christine Dell'Amore

  • ART & ARCHITECTURE
  • 2011
  • HARD COVER
  • 136 PAGES

With excerpts and quotes from Scott and others, this glorious book of 100 iconic images by expedition photographer Herbert Ponting features 12 dramatic fold-out pages. (ANT356, $45.00)

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, Britain sent two great expeditions, that of Robert Falcon Scott in 1910, and four years later, that of Ernest Shackleton, into the great unknown. The rest is stuff of legend. Here in one handsome book are not only hundreds of haunting photographs by Herbert George Ponting and Frank Hurley, drawn from the albums presented to the king, but also lively essays, maps, paintings and other ephemera from the Royal Collection. (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 Quest for Frank Wild

The Quest for Frank Wild


by Angie Butler

  • EXPLORATION
  • 2011
  • HARD COVER
  • 224 PAGES

Angie Butler's gripping -- and superbly illustrated -- tale of Frank Wild and her seven-year quest to unravel the mystery of the last days of one of the great polar explorers, includes Wild's heretofore unpublished memoirs. Butler has just returned from South Georgia, where Wild's remains were finally laid to rest next to his boss, Ernest Shackleton, in the cemetery in Grytviken. (ANT355, $60.00)

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, $21.95)

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 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)

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)

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)

The Last Viking, The Life of Roald Amundsen

The Last Viking, The Life of Roald Amundsen


by Stephen Bown

  • BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
  • 2012
  • HARD COVER
  • 356 PAGES

Stephen Bown plumbs the archives of The New York Times, Amundsen's own words and other contemporaneous accounts to tell the full story of the unusual and hugely accomplished explorer. Best known for conquering the South Pole (100 years ago this year), Amundsen was also an aviation pioneer and the first through both the Northeast and Northwest Passages. Generally portrayed as dastardly, dour and driven, Amundsen was actually quite a celebrity, packing the house for his entertaining slide-lectures, who spent much more time in New York City than back home in Norway. (ANT369, $27.50)

The Longest Winter, Scott's Other Heroes

The Longest Winter, Scott's Other Heroes


by Meredith Hooper

  • BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
  • 2012
  • PAPER
  • 320 PAGES

The riveting tale of Scott's Northern Party, drawn from contemporary account, expedition diaries, journals and letters. (ANT312, $16.95)

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.