Product Description

Sara Wheeler was the first woman selected by the American government to be the "Writer in Residence at the US South Pole Station". She spent six weeks at the pole. In this book she reveals how people live on the bases and how the landscape affects them.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #15494 in Books
• Published on: 1997-09-04
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 320 pages

Customer Reviews

An intelligent and insightful despatch from 90 South
Sara Wheeler visited Antarctica under the Writers and Artists program. She travelled extensively and visited the staions of many countries.
This book strikes me as being astonishingly perceptive. She appreciates subtle and less-subtle differences between the nationalities (I'm afraid that the laddish atmosphere of the British base was somewhat unwelcoming). She points out that the real reason for all of these countries maintaining an antarctic presence is more political than scientific.
This book is a rare blend of the spiritual and the scientific. Wild lonely places often evoke a feeling of closeness to God and although many authors have written about this, Ms Wheeler in addition furnishes us with explanations on katabatic winds.
There are tangible connections between her journey and those of the early explorers.....
Lots of little things ring true; she does not display her antarctic mementoes because, off the ice, no-one will understand. I can well believe it. Try telling someone you would like to visit Antarctica and watch their reaction......
Great book. Better travel writing than Theroux, and that's high praise. Buy it.

Jewel-like clarity and detail. Incredible.
Extraordinary. Made me laugh and cry at once. Deadpan British humour and intriguing detail coexists along soaringly touching, even mystical, reverie. There is nothing sentimental about Wheeler's love for the Antarctic. This is a real journey told with incredible candour. It's a privilege to have read it.

One of Wheeler's cleverest adjectives to describe detailed, jewel-like writing that she admires is "lapidary." She uses it twice in the book to describe the Antarctic writing of other authors. But HER OWN writing is as jewel-like and detailed in the extreme. What an extraordinary book. It's not like a book at all - it's like a world.

A Book of Outstanding Beauty, Intelligence and Humor
In writing this novel, Sara Wheeler brings life and humour to the most desolate of continents. Although primarily a travelogue, after finishing it I found it had been a great deal more. Sara manages to convey the essence of Antarctica and its attraction to the individuals past and present who choose to explore, live and work there. She has also been able to capture the human aspect of this continent - the often eccentric but (usually) incredibly welcoming nature of the people she encounters along the way (this task is aided by her superbly dry wit).

Whether you have an interest in Antarctica or not, I suggest you read this book - you won't be disappointed.