Two Below Zero: A Year Alone in Antarctica

by Don McIntyre, Peter Meredith

Genres: Nonfiction

256 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1996

Reviews

[ALX · Rating 4 out of 5]

In January 1995, Don and Margie McIntyre landed at Cape Denison on the Antarctic coast, the same area where Douglas Mawson headquartered his 1911-1914 Australasian Antarctic Expedition and that he called the "Kingdom of Blizzards". I found Two Below Zero while reading Alone on the Ice: The Greatest Survival Story in the History of Exploration. Their goal was to live for a year, out of sight of Mawson's dwelling, minimizing their environmental impact and without any means of rescue nearby (although they did have almost daily contact with their family, friends, the press and business associates through a fax machine and a satellite phone).
If you read enough Antarctic stories (especially historical narratives) you can't help but wonder if you could survive on that continent. What would it be like and could I endure? This book documents the first question and provides a much clearer answer (in terms of the nitty-gritty detail of hygiene especially) than given by some of the first explorers. Accompanied by some truly breath-taking photographs of the landscape, there's plenty of pictures of daily life and the endless chores that illustrate the beauty and the pain of living in Antarctica, both pretty epic. Although not listed as an author, many of Margie McIntyre's diary entries make it into the narrative and provide a really interesting perspective on just how emotionally draining and disruptive she found the year in Antarctica. She has a serious battle with depression, and "polar depression" and/or madness is mentioned in a lot of the historical narratives but the mental strain of surviving in that region isn't ever given enough detail for my taste. While I didn't like reading about her struggles, I think this is a vital issue that isn't mentioned enough because the "adventure" aspect seems to take precedence over the sometimes daily fight to maintain spirit and sanity.

[Liam · Rating 5 out of 5]

The McIntyre's adventure feels like the modernisation of an epic myth. A courageous couple swept up in a wind of adventure, then soon after the 150km/hr wind in the "kingdom of the blizzard" for a year. The book acts as an adventure diary chronicling the significant and often omitted smaller details of Antarctic survival not found in other adventurer autobiographies.

Breath-taking and humanising photographs make the reader root for the couples survival even thought the outcome is already known. Excerpts from Margie's ( co-author) diary showcase the psychological toll of isolation though her bravery and endurance is awe-inspiring.

The story goes through all aspects of the adventure from inception to logistics though an expansion of the epilogue would have nice to showcase the impact their adventure and their reflections upon their return. Nevertheless, you'll still find Margie sharing her story as a volunteer educator at the Mawson's Hut museum in Hobart - I met her there in Dec 2024!

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book of life of a couple living a year in a shoe box in one of the windiest coasts of antartica having to endure to winds and being cabin bound for weeks on end while trying to stay sane with occasional forays outside during winter. They were well organised but i still think they could have included a small shower cubicle instead of the hard way they had to go about it instead. Lots of pictures and some surprises throughout year alone.