Polar reads: The Storied Ice by Joan Boothe

If you want a comprehensive overview of Antarctic exploration without having to read every Antarctic account, The Storied Ice: Exploration, Discovery, and Adventure in Antarctica’s Peninsula Region is the book for you.

From ancient times when the Greeks theorised the existence of a southern continent that counterbalanced the land masses of the Northern Hemisphere to the contemporary exploration of Antarctica, this book has it all.

The Antarctic exploration is a remarkable one, full of men devoting their lives (in many cases losing them) in the hope of gaining glory and knowledge of the last continent. The figures found in the pages of The Storied Ice are not just Shackleton, Amundsen, and Scott, but also unsung heroes that contributed, in one way or another, to a better understanding of Antarctica.

These are the tales of sealers, whalers, pioneer aviators, scientists, and several expeditions during Ant­arctica’s “Heroic Age”. All of them are woven together, placing the individually captivating stories in a historical context that casts new light into each adventure.

The polar historian Joan Boothe dives into the Antarctic history and summarises it for the reader in an accessible way without losing the importance of the details. This well-documented volume includes maps and black and white pictures, as well as annexes with valuable timelines of the Antarctic exploration.

Whether you’re planning to travel to the cold latitudes of the seventh continent or you’re an armchair traveller fascinated by the stories of men seeking the unknown, this is a fascinating read.