Antarctic, Arctic, Polar

Roald Amundsen’s Journey in Flight – From Pole to Pole – Garth Cameron.

Hard to find in Australia possibly because of the unusual publisher Skyhorse Publishing albeit first American 2014 having been published by the equally difficult to find Pen and Sword, England version of the previous year.

Octavo, 199 pages, illustrated throughout, maps and from original photographs. Useful although sometimes patronising glossary of terms [we do know what an aircraft is]. Very good if not fine copy.

Amundsen’s aviation involvement and it was extensive and, given the period, rather experimental. He was lost through it in the end … his list of life achievements is undoubtedly heroic – we find this side of him all that more interesting.

The writer a New Zealander with a love of flying – powered and gliding produces a well researched book – the presentation has a hint of a self-published style likely because of then Skyhorse – but we like it.

Amundsen in the air – the cold air that is – a significant story and one that was his end.

$35.00

Updating cart…

Macquarie Island and its Future – Sir Douglas Mawson – 1922

A scarce offprint from the Royal Society of Tasmania Paper and Proceedings printed by “The Mercury”, Hobart and published in December 1922.

Original wrapper, 54 pages with seven plates including a full map of the Island. University stamp of Adelaide University School of Geology where Mawson was Professor of Geology at the time of this publication – so he likely had his hands on this copy. It is clearly marked “duplicate” so we feel it has honestly got into the private ownership at some time.

Macquarie Island of course had been central as a chosen station for the Mawson led Australasian Antarctic Expedition 1911-1914. The first radio connection with the Antarctic was achieved … and quite a bit else.

Mawson read his report in an abbreviated form at the 12thJune meeting of the Society that year.

Scarce Mawson Item – Macquarie Island – his views to its future.

SO SORRY SOLD

$120.00

Updating cart…

Rough Water – Stories of Survival from the Seas – Clint Willis

A worthy soft cover published by the aptly named Adrenaline Books, New York in 1999. Octavo, 356 pages, fancy wrap card covers add to sturdiness. Very good to better copy.

Interesting mix of fact and fiction from Shackleton, Knox-Johnstone, Trumbull on the raft with Patrick O’Brian and Wauk (Caine Mutiny – let’s not forget Bogie!) then on to cold water and David Lewis etc. Glossary and bibliography at the end all help those new to the water.

Survival at sea all from your armchair

$25.00

Updating cart…

Race to the South Pole – Roald Amundsen

Published in 2007 by White Star. This is Roald Amundsen’s account of the achievement of the South Pole … from the Murray translation of the first English.

Here modernised and updated with a few recent images as well as some from that day. Map albeit significantly reduced in scale from the original.

Thick octavo, 636 pages, pictorial boards no separate wrapper as issued. A solid production tightly bound.

A good version of this most important account and not one that will bust your pocket.

South Pole achieved by the Amundsen led team.

$30.00

Updating cart…

The Autobiography of “Evans of the Broke” [Or Teddy Evans Polar Explorer] – Admiral Lord Mountevans

And boldly on the dust jacket – Second in Command of Scott’s Last Polar Expedition – Commander in Chief of the Royal Australian Navy and Africa Station and perhaps the Greatest British Naval Adventurer – the first tow fact the third and final rather bold for an autobiography.

This edition published in 1952 by Hutchinson, the first 1946. Octavo, 250 pages, nicely illustrated from period photographs including his polar period. Super copy in a very good jacket.

A determined chap as one could imagine – history has spoilt the Scott / Evans relationship throwing up some unsavoury thoughts from the pair that flow both ways. One day the parrot on the perch the next the feather duster!

The reference to Broke may confuse – he was far from being short of a bob – HMS Broke, his command during WWI, sunk five German destroyers. His time as leader of the Australian Squadron is of significance.

Teddy Evans eked out an eventful life

$40.00

Updating cart…

Two Against the Ice [the “Alabama” Expedition, 1909-1912] Ejnar Mikkelsen

Scarce Travel Book Club publication by Rupert Hart-Davis published London, no date but 1950’s. Translated from Danish by Maurice Michael. Octavo, 224, map of North-East Greenland the location of the adventure. Dust jacket has age, edge tears, some age, generally pretty clean inside a good copy.

One of the great Arctic adventure accounts. The purpose of the expedition was to map out the northeast coastline of Greenland and to recover the bodies of Mylius-Erichsen and Hoeg-Hagen.

Mikkelsen and his engineer Iversen wintered on Shannon Island. Their ship, the Alabama, got trapped in the ice and the rest of the party returned home on a whaler. The pair succeeded after a series of hazardous sledge journeys in recovering the lost records of the missing party and disproving the existence of Peary Channel. On returning to base and finding the crew gone they erected a makeshift hut from salvaged timbers and spent two winters there before being rescued. It got a bit frayed between the two of them, but they made up in the end – this book is dedicated to Iversen.

Classic Arctic adventure in North-east Greenland

$60.00

Updating cart…

Roald Amundsen’s Journey in Flight – From Pole to Pole – Garth Cameron.

Macquarie Island and its Future – Sir Douglas Mawson – 1922

Rough Water – Stories of Survival from the Seas – Clint Willis

Race to the South Pole – Roald Amundsen

The Autobiography of “Evans of the Broke” [Or Teddy Evans Polar Explorer] – Admiral Lord Mountevans

Two Against the Ice [the “Alabama” Expedition, 1909-1912] Ejnar Mikkelsen

Product Categories