Storms, Ice, and Whales: The Antarctic Adventures of a Dutch Artist on a Norwegian Whaler

by Willem van der Does (Author/Illustrator), Ruth van Baak Griffioen (Translator/Preface), Joost C.A. Schokkenbroek (Introduction)

During the heroic age of Antarctic exploration, Dutch artist Willem van der Does talked his way aboard a Norwegian whaler and made a daring, often dangerous voyage to Antarctica in 1923. Storms, Ice, and Whales is the riveting eyewitness account of his nine-month ocean journey, including 141 original illustrations by Van der Does.

At once adventure story and natural history, Van der Does's tale is alive with the sights and sounds of his exploits, as well as the many powerful emotions he experienced during this epic trip. The first Dutchman ever to set foot in Antarctica, Van der Does grippingly captures the excitement, fascination, and fear generated by life in the coldest place on earth. His travelogue chronicles an amazing range of adventures, from the harpooning and processing of whales at sea to a ski trip atop the forbidding Ross Ice Shelf, and he renders much of what he saw in distinctive pen-and-ink illustrations that enliven every chapter.

First published in the Dutch East Indies in 1934 and later in the Netherlands, this historical gem is now available in English for the first time. The book has been expertly translated by Ruth van Baak Griffioen, who also contributes a preface containing firsthand anecdotes about Van der Does the man and highlighting the fascinating story of how she came to know and translate this book of his.

An entertaining, vividly realistic memoir and visual journal of whaling life, Storms, Ice, and Whales will appeal to a wide range of readers.

360 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1934

Reviews

[Greta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Willem Van der Does has the adventure of a lifetime when he signs on as a laborer on the whaling ship Ross. He travels from Norway to the Antarctic and lives to write about it. More than a continuous weather report on the high seas, Van de Does describes the penguins, sea lions, albatross and a few other creatures of the air and sea. When he returns to land he spends a considerable amount of time researching the flora and fauna. His skill at drawing enriches every chapter he writes.