Antarctica: A History in 100 Objects

by Jean de Pomereu, Daniella McCahey

This stunning and powerfully relevant book tells the history of Antarctica through 100 varied and fascinating objects drawn from collections around the world.

Retracing the history of Antarctica through 100 varied and fascinating objects drawn from collections across the world, this beautiful and absorbing book is published to coincide with the 250th anniversary of the first crossing into the Antarctic Circle by James Cook aboard Resolution , on 17th January 1773. It presents a gloriously visual history of Antarctica, from Terra Incognita to the legendary expeditions of Shackleton and Scott, to the frontline of climate change.

One of the wildest and most beautiful places on the planet, Antarctica has no indigenous population or proprietor. Its awe-inspiring landscapes – unknown until just two centuries ago – have been the backdrop to feats of human endurance and tragedy, scientific discovery, and environmental research. Sourced from polar institutions and collections around the world, the objects that tell the story of this remarkable continent range from the iconic to the exotic, from the refreshingly mundane to the

- snow goggles adopted from Inuit technology by Amundsen
- the lifeboat used by Shackleton and his crew
- a bust of Lenin installed by the 3rd Soviet Antarctic Expedition
- the Polar Star aircraft used in the first trans-Antarctic flight
- a sealing club made from the penis bone of an elephant seal
- the frozen beard as a symbol of Antarctic heroism and masculinity
- ice cores containing up to 800,000 years of climate history

This stunning book is both endlessly fascinating and a powerful demonstration of the extent to which Antarctic history is human history, and human future too.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Travel

224 pages, Hardcover

Published October 25, 2022

Reviews

[Allegra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can I please go to antarctica now thanks

[Sesana · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm kind of a sucker for these "... in 100 Objects" books, and I did enjoy this one. With this one, the selection of objects left a little something to be desired. Some of them didn't seem to contribute much to an understanding of Antarctic history. Some of them were objects that don't exist anymore, which I feel isn't quite in the spirit of a book like this. Also not in the spirit, entire classes of things, like ice breakers or tide gauges.

[Carol Griffiths · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an enjoyable read for those of us who are fascinated by the southern continent. The 100 (fairly random) objects all have interesting aspects. For those who know little about Amtarctica it would provide a good introduction.

[Grace · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meandering and poorly organized, but on the whole interesting and informative

[R · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great insight into the history of the Antarctic continent. It's a good jumping off point for those interested to research further into each object or account, but has some lesser known things for people who are already well versed. The book overall could do with better editing to make historical sequences clearer or to link the objects between stories. Sometimes the photo is better related to a later paragraph or doesn't relate to the story much at all.

[Graemme Boone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book! History and artifacts about the continent Antarctica! Very interesting.

[Paul Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice compilation of interesting facts and stories about what makes the great white continent so great.

[AS · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this! Definitely want to pick it up again at the library to remember all the details.
I’ve read many books about Antarctica and this one is very special, because it gives detailed background information about the experiences of so many people through so many different time periods.

I’d say this is my top pick if I were to recommend a book about Antarctica, along with Sara Wheeler’s wonderful Terra Incognita.