Bitter cold. Fast whipping winds. Blinding blizzards. That's the general weather forecast for the better part of Antarctica. The world's most southern point is nothing but a vast sheet of ice; yet, explorers are drawn to its barren beauty. Antarctica: Firsthand Accounts of Exploration and Endurance is a journey to the "highest, driest, windiest, coldest and most remote" of the seven continents.

Edited by Charles Neider, Antarctica is a fascinating collection of vivid tales from the journals of 14 explorers including James Cook, Robert F. Scott, and Richard E. Byrd. This anthology of first-hand accounts of the days and months of the great explorers, including those moments when the survival of the entire expedition was in doubt. With an average temperate of 57° below zero, these brave and articulate men weave tales of the harsh conditions and the amazing battles against Mother Nature. For example, Robert Falcon Scott would march/ski for twelve-hour stretches in the blinding snow across this ice continent. During one such outing, a blizzard engulfed the party, and a crewmember was lost. They found him a few miles back, stripped of clothing, and raving mad.

Available for the first time in paperback, Antarctica is a thrilling tribute to the limitless ambition and pioneering spirit of man.