Antarctica: A Biography

A Biography

Nonfiction, Science & Nature, Science, Social & Cultural Studies, Political Science, History
Cover of the book Antarctica: A Biography by David Day, OUP Oxford
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: David Day ISBN: 9780191650079
Publisher: OUP Oxford Publication: January 24, 2013
Imprint: OUP Oxford Language: English
Author: David Day
ISBN: 9780191650079
Publisher: OUP Oxford
Publication: January 24, 2013
Imprint: OUP Oxford
Language: English

For centuries it was suspected that there must be an undiscovered continent in the southern hemisphere. But explorers failed to find one. On his second voyage to the Pacific, Captain Cook sailed further south than any of his rivals but still failed to sight land. It was not until 1820 that the continent's frozen coast was finally sighted. Territorial rivalry intensified in the 1840s when British, American, and French expeditions sailed south to chart further portions of the continent that had come to be called Antarctica. For the nearly two centuries since, the race to claim exclusive possession of Antarctica has gripped the imagination of the world. Antarctica: A Biography is the first ever major international history of this forbidding continent - from the eighteenth century voyages of discovery to the fierce rivalries of today, as governments, scientists, environmentalists, and oil companies compete for control. On one level it is the story of explorers battling the elements in the most hostile place on earth as they strive for personal triumph, commercial gain, and national glory. On a deeper level, it is the story of nations seeking to incorporate the Antarctic into their own national stories - and to claim its frozen wastes as their own.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

For centuries it was suspected that there must be an undiscovered continent in the southern hemisphere. But explorers failed to find one. On his second voyage to the Pacific, Captain Cook sailed further south than any of his rivals but still failed to sight land. It was not until 1820 that the continent's frozen coast was finally sighted. Territorial rivalry intensified in the 1840s when British, American, and French expeditions sailed south to chart further portions of the continent that had come to be called Antarctica. For the nearly two centuries since, the race to claim exclusive possession of Antarctica has gripped the imagination of the world. Antarctica: A Biography is the first ever major international history of this forbidding continent - from the eighteenth century voyages of discovery to the fierce rivalries of today, as governments, scientists, environmentalists, and oil companies compete for control. On one level it is the story of explorers battling the elements in the most hostile place on earth as they strive for personal triumph, commercial gain, and national glory. On a deeper level, it is the story of nations seeking to incorporate the Antarctic into their own national stories - and to claim its frozen wastes as their own.

More books from OUP Oxford

Cover of the book The Fall of the Celtic Tiger by David Day
Cover of the book Letters of a Peruvian Woman by David Day
Cover of the book Givenness and Revelation by David Day
Cover of the book Mass Extinctions and Their Aftermath by David Day
Cover of the book Anaesthesia: A Very Short Introduction by David Day
Cover of the book Socrates: A Very Short Introduction by David Day
Cover of the book High-Skilled Migration by David Day
Cover of the book Slang: A Very Short Introduction by David Day
Cover of the book Aristocracy and its Enemies in the Age of Revolution by David Day
Cover of the book Overcoming Developing Country Debt Crises by David Day
Cover of the book A Zeptospace Odyssey: A Journey into the Physics of the LHC by David Day
Cover of the book Present Imperfect by David Day
Cover of the book Constitutional Dialogue in Common Law Asia by David Day
Cover of the book The Evolutionary Interpretation of Treaties by David Day
Cover of the book The Laws of Thermodynamics: A Very Short Introduction by David Day
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy