Douglas Mawson is not as well known as Amundsen, Scott, or Shakleton, but as this intense and thrilling epic shows, he deserves a place on the pedestal next to these other great explorers of the Antarctic. Trained as a geologist, the Australian-born Mawson launched an expedition to a largely unexplored region of Antarctica in 1912. The effort soon turned into a grim struggle of endurance and survival against an unforgiving environment. Mawson and his team had to cope with the unpredictability of severe weather, hidden crevices in ice that could easily swallow a man, the loss of their food and other supplies, and their slow physical deterioration. Roberts attributes their survival in no small measure to the guts and determination of Mawson. He is portrayed here as a fascinating combination of reticence and aggressiveness, with an ability to both command and inspire his men. This fast-moving account earns for Mawson and his team a well-deserved place of honor in the so-called heroic age of Antarctic exploration. --Jay Freeman
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
Review
“If you like frostbite-inducing weather and death-defying adventure stories, then award-winning author David Roberts gives you what you want: a wonderfully told, impressively researched tale of brave explorers confronting Antarctic blizzards, a deadly landscape pockmarked with deep crevasses and intrepid men trying to come back alive.” (Chuck Leddy - Minneapolis Star Tribune)
“Impressively seamless and straightforward. A tale of action . . . strongly founded on the words of the expeditionary members themselves.” (Christina Thompson - Boston Globe)
“Mawson, the unsung hero of Antarctica, gets his due at last.” (Paul Harris - Guardian)
“Admirably succeeds in restoring the luster that the [expedition] and its leader deserve.” (Dennis Drabelle - Washington Post)
“Others have written the loose outlines of Douglas Mawson’s astonishing survival against the worst conditions that Antarctica can deliver—a lesser-known but equally compelling epic as that of Ernest Shackleton—but Roberts’s telling trumps them all.” (Gordon Wiltsie, author of To the Ends of the Earth)
“This is Roberts at his best, telling a little-known tale of adventure, tragedy, and endurance. Mawson may be the most famous Australian explorer, and
Alone on the Ice is an admirable introduction of him to American readers.” (Greg Child, author of Over the Edge)
“An accurate and enthralling account of the greatest story of polar exploration and survival. Roberts takes the reader back to a time of hardship, collective friendship, and a level of determination unknown in todays culture. This book will make you cherish every meal and the joys of a warm bed.” (Conrad Anker, coauthor of The Lost Explorer: Finding Mallory on Mt. Everest)
