Prof's Choice

Explorations, Treaties, and the Crystal Desert

Frank Worsely, Shackleton's Boat Journey (Norton, 1977) — A first-hand account of the most spectacular epic of Antarctic exploration.

Roland Huntford, Last Place On Earth (Atheneum. 1985)—Huntford argues that Scott had no business being in command of the 1911-1912 polar expedition. (My personal feeling is this view goes too far.) When the book came out, Huntford who has also written a biography of Shackleton—understandably became persona non grata at the Scott Polar Research Institute.

David Campbell, Crystal Desert: Summers in Antarctica. (Houghton Mifflin, 1992) An engaging look at life sciences in the Antarctic.

Keith Suter, Antarctica: Private Property or Public Heritage? (Zed Books, 1991) Well written, with excellent scholarship, this is the best book on the history of the Antarctic Treaty and the challenges to it. Published for the 30th anniversary of the treaty, it unfortunately came out too soon to include information on the 1991 Protocol on Environmental Protection.

LaBelle