Antarctica: Exploring a Fragile Eden

Additional Antarctica: Exploring a Fragile Eden Information

Weaving together the discovery stories of explorers such as Cook, Shackleton, Scott, and Amundsen, with the ecological stories of whaling and sealing, fishing and climate change, man's impact on this magnificent continent is revealed. For such an austere, frozen, and inhospitable environment, Antarctica is in fact a surprisingly fragile Eden.

What Customers Say About Antarctica: Exploring a Fragile Eden:

I would say that not all of the content was intriguing (I think I skipped the chapter on the Falkland Islands), but what really distinguishes this book is the sense of wonder at the natural world: indeed, the conviction that Antarctica is something to be marvelled at simply permeates every page. Thus it is the strength of the authors' fascination with their subject that really pulls you into their narrative. Yes, they have actually taken the trouble to do their own illustrations. The husband-and-wife team of Jonathan and Angela Scott (both award-winning wildlife photographers) have combined three distinct skills in this volume: research; photography and drawing. After reading about five volumes on Antarctic explorers, I decided to buy a book that would allow me to (a) get a visual feel for Antarctica; (b) learn some general knowledge about this frozen continent. I really liked this book. In both these respects the Scotts succeed admirably. And not only is the quality of their sketches high, but they have not taken the easy way out: all the drawings are done by stippling - a technique which requires real patience to get right.The main topics covered are: the discovery of Antarctica; the heroic age of Antarctic exploration; the lives of native creatures (on land, sea and air); conservation; and the continent's future both as an unclaimed territory and a bellwether of climate change.