Below the convergence: voyages toward Antarctica, 1699-1839

by Alan Gurney

A Convergência é uma linha que, a cerca de 800 milhas da Antártica, divide o hemisfério sul em duas regiões de climas opostos: de um lado, as terras temperadas do mundo "civilizado"; de outro, o inferno gelado descrito por Dante. Neste livro, Alan Gurney conta as viagens dos navegadores que se aventuraram abaixo da Convergência quando a Antártica ainda não havia sido descoberta e era apenas uma área gigantesca na imaginação dos europeus.
Durante séculos acreditou-se que no Pacífico Sul existia um continente de proporções asiáticas, habitado por milhões de nativos. Em 1768, quando o explorador James Cook zarpou da Inglaterra a bordo do Endeavour, tinha o objetivo de verificar até que ponto essa fantasia correspondia aos fatos. Tudo o que avistou foram algumas ilhas. Se havia ali um continente, era definitivamente bem menor do que se esperava.
Houve centenas de tentativas de atingir a terra mais ao sul do planeta - e o custo das descobertas foi alto. Capitães intrépidos e marujos que muitas vezes não passavam de adolescentes enfrentavam, por exemplo, muralhas de icebergs, tempestades que surgiam do nada, o terrível escorbuto (que dizimava tripulações inteiras) e mesmo o canibalismo de algumas tribos do Pacífico Sul. Feitas à custa de sangue, determinação e valentia, foram viagens que puseram no mapa um lugar fantástico onde hoje há cientistas tomando café em suas bases ao longo da costa e, às vezes, até turistas fotografando pingüins.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Nautical, Adventure, Travel

315 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1997

Reviews

[Rick · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a delightful read about the early explorations of the least populated and coldest continent on earth ... Antarctica. Gurney's book confines itself to the explorations that occurred in the roughly 150 year period from the end of the 1600s through the mid-1800s; all these explorations preceded any actual landing by man on the continent, which landing is thought to date to 1895. The focus of "Below the Convergence" is how each maritime adventure brought to light a bit more about this mysterious area to the far south. Each discovery added a bit more to the mosaic that was slowly revealed.

This book languished on the shelf for years until finally picked up for study ... and glad for it. Gurney gained most of his knowledge of Antarctica from cruises he took, helping him write a thoroughly engaging tale of these early ventures that aimed to prove the existence of a southern continent. If you enjoy history, especially nautical, and liked the Patrick O'Brian series of books set in the Royal Navy in the early 1800s, you will enjoy this addition to the literature. Recommended.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been interested in Antarctic voyages since I read The Endurance about Shakleton's harrowing experiences. In many ways this book was more information than I wanted, but I enjoyed how the information was given even when I wasn't that interested in the information. I especially appreciate Gurney's word smithery and vocabulary prowess. Almost every page had me pulling out the dictionary...except that half the words weren't to be found there! That's when I went to the internet to find out that doyen means "the most respected or prominent person in a particular field" and that pettifogging means "placing undue emphasis on petty details."

I also kept a map at hand. There were some at the back of the book but I found a map with more context helpful. Most places weren't on the map but he gave longitudes and latitudes so I could find the area. My geography improved a lot by this exercise too!

Unfortunately he seems to enjoy casting disparagement on Christians, especially evangelical Christians, any chance he can get. He belittles Christians and missionary efforts on Tahiti and thinks they ruined it. But at least he was honest that evangelicals had a greater care and love for the natives of these remote places than Darwin did.

[Izzie Flynn · Rating 1 out of 5]

Tried to read this several times and it just goes off on historical tangents. It's so utterly full of historical facts that it's nearly impossible to barrel through what. This is one of my favourite historical topics but unfortunately this book/author is not for me. I'd still recommend others give it a go though.

[E Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a wonderful book. It covered centuries of attempts to discover the Terra Australis Incognita.
It also went into the struggle to discover the cause and cure for scurvy, the creation of the lines of longitude and latitude, and the invention of an accurate timepiece or chronometer.
James Cook was the first to circumnavigate the continent on his voyage of 1772-1775 with the ships Resolution and Adventure. He was a meticulous captain who insisted on keeping the ships clean and the sailors free from scurvy.
The second circumnavigation was in 1819-1821 by the Russians, Fabien Bellingshausen and Mikhail Lazarev with the ships Vostok and the Mirny . They also recorded the first sighting of the continent near what is now Queen Maud's Land in January of 1820.
The third circumnavigation was in 1830-1832 by John Biscoe and a Mr. Avery with the ships Tula and Lively. They were searching for seals but also looking for new lands and natural history specimans.
Many ships visited the numerous islands around the continent. Some were discovered by explorers and some by sealers looking for lucrative fur seals and whale for whale oil. These animals were hunted almost to the brink of extinction.
Sailing was a dangerous occupation in these times, and to sail through the iceberg filled waters and the frightful weather of the Antarctic region was even more so. Many ships and sailors were lost at sea or died from disease. Many ships lost their crews to desertion when they docked reached a
port that would accommodate the deserter.
Luckily there were enough brave or foolhardy men that kept up the exploration of this southern
wilderness .

[James S. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Quite dense and encyclopedic, but in spite of this - or because of it - quite dull and devoid of drama. It has all the suspense and humanity of an encyclopedia article. You can finish this book and have no sense at all of what it was like to sail into the ice.

[Kim Zinkowski · Rating 4 out of 5]

B+. I liked it a lot.

[Doris Raines · Rating 3 out of 5]

NICE BOOK.

[Simon J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Appropriately published by Penguin, here is a sequence of grand adventures retold in grand, adventurous prose. Marvellous.

[Lara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really I'd prefer to give this 3.5 stars. Parts of this book are fascinating, and Gurney is an engaging writer who drew me in almost immediately. However, the book lost something once he got into the history involving the sealers and whalers. It's somewhat hard to relate or sympathize with folks of that profession in this county and in this day and age (at least for me), and Gurney made an attempt at it, but that attempt mostly fell flat. I'd really like to read something that makes those men come alive for me, despite their practices, and this wasn't quite it. I'm definitely interested in reading Gurney's book on the later expeditions to Antarctica at some point though--I imagine he's done an excellent job on that era of exploration.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was surprised by how good this book was. Overall, first rate research and writing. There were, however, some places that could've used an editor's hand. A lot of typos and some parts that could've been streamlined. It felt a little like the editor took a break and just left things to the writer. It did get a little uneven once it got to the sealers, after Halley and Cook. But that's more than halfway into it, and everything up to that point was so well-written and so interesting. The sealers just weren't as compelling, so their part of the story can't help but drag a little. At that point, the editor could have started slashing material without losing much.

[Thera · Rating 3 out of 5]

the story itself is totally interesting and compelling, like any story about antarctic exploration. BUT i'm seriously considering mailing a corrected copy of it to W.W. Norton and asking for that editor's job. because it wasn't edited for content, it reads like an 8th grader wrote the transitions "and now i will explain this because it needs explaining to be understood" and there is actually a sentence that reads "he did not go on another voyage, in 1790 he sailed to iceland." what?
anyway if you can get past that, it's dece.

[Morgiana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very good book about early Antarctic exploration. Gurney has a very engaging writing style, and I will definitely be reading his other book Race to the White Continent, which covers James Clark Ross and everything after him. For me the only downer was the chapter about the whalers, which I thought was less interesting. But the rest of it's great.

[Sam McLean · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is a little amateur for my taste. But I'm a professional historian do that's fine. it reminds me of the writing of a very bright but undeniably undergraduate student. The author writes well but gets excited over the little details in a way that suggests he was leaning about the subject, got excited and made this book.

This book would be fine for a teenager who can deal with the over-excitement, or a precocious youth who voraciously devours reading material.

[Carl · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a bit unfocused at times and could have used an editor. Some good info on Wendell, but lacking in other areas. The author goes on way too many tangents as if to prove how much he knows instead of staying on the main topic.

[Vagabond Geologist · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book with a little too much nautical jargon for my taste. Having said that, the jargon does add to the atmosphere of the book and in no way detracts from the stories of these remarkable men. If you like exploration, adventure or sailing then you should consider reading this book.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

So detailed and incredible. This guy knows way too much. I felt like i was there on every bleak and uplifting voyage (except for all the seal bludgeoning)