McGonigal D., Woodworth L., e.a.

Frances Lincoln, 2003. ISBN 0711222851

Beautifully designed book with extraordinary pictures which focuses on all aspects of Antarctica: geology, exploration, modern scientific research, areas, flora and fauna. This book is a large format and is over 600 pages long. A joy to the eye!

Mary Trewby (ed.)

Toronto, Ontario: Firefly Books Ltd. 2002. ISBN 1-55297-590-8

Large-format hardcover which describes on 208 pages various subjects related to Antarctica in an alphabetical order. Information on mammals is somewhat limited, but this is compensated for by the attention paid to other interesting topics such as ecology, plankton and fish species, including nice photographs. Antarctic Treaties and early explorers are also covered.

Bernard Stonehouse

Wiley; 1st edition 2002. ISBN-10: 0471986658

Large format hardcover, 360 pages.

Sandford Moss

Columbia University Press, New York 1988. ISBN 0.231.06268.0

This book approaches live on Antarctica from an ecological/biological perspective: it begins with a general description (climate, geology) and continues with chapters on the Southern Ocean (dynamics, plankton and plankton feeders). Next in the food chain are the crustaceans that are being eaten by fish and birds, who, in turn, are food for other sea birds and seals. Following the food web, most of the organism are being explained. This book provides excellent background reading. I am less fond of the American style of writing (such as "animals that are doing business here") and in my opinion the black and white drawings are not very special either, but the content is excellent.

Chris Furse

Anthony Nelson Limited, 1979. ISBN 0.904614.02.6

A team of sixteen Englishmen carry out research on Elephant Island and the surrounding islands. It never quite becomes clear what kind of research they are involved in, but all their journeys and setbacks (cold, wet sleeping bags, accidents) are described in a kind of diary. That makes the whole book not very readable. It does indicate just how inhospitable the place is and how changeable the climate. They mention tasting penguin meat, the odd penguin dies by accident or fuel is spilled in the sea. You do wonder about what exactly these men are doing there. Nice black-and-white and colour photographs. The appendices give a list of the various types of vegetation, including mosses.

Smellie, J.L., López-Martínez, J. and others

Britisch Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, 2002
ISBN 0951.8886

A4-sized softcover. 78 pages, with accompanying maps BAS GEOMAP Series, Sheets 6-A and 6-B, 1:25.000.

Provides a brief historical introduction on Deception Island, its topography and geology and how volcanic activity has altered Deception. Detailed, but interesting.

Ron Naveen, Colin Monteath, Tui de Roy and Mark Jones

Smithsonian Institution Press, 1990. ISBN 90.5112.167.9, NUGI 816/825

This book (224 pages) was put together by four photographers: Ron Naveen, Colin Monteath, Tui de Roy en Mark Jones. That is a guarantee for beautiful pictures of landscapes and penguins. Each of the photographers has contributed a chapter, with one writing a bit more factual, another in a slightly more poetic way. Interesting are descriptions of flora and fauna on South Georgië and about volcanic research on Mount Erebus.

Kim Heacox

National Geographic Society, 1998. ISBN 0792270657

In the Lonely Planet this book is referred to as a missed opportunity, but I didn't think it was that bad. It is little more than an introduction. In the course of four chapters the author describes the main ingredients of Antarctica: geology and climate, exploration, flora and fauna and modern tourism and research. Beautiful pictures, as you would expect from National Geographic.

Gerard Cheshire

Parragon Inc., 2007
ISBN-13: 978-1405486705

Hardcover, 256 pages. Coffeetable book with pictures of the Arctic and Antarctic.