From 1911 to 1914, explorer Douglas Mawson led the first Antarctic expedition devoted exclusively to scientific exploration. This gripping photodocumentary details Mawson’s careful preparations for the undertaking, as well as how he and 17 others managed daily life at the base camp on the frozen landscape. It was on one of the many exploratory trips taken from that base camp that tragedy struck. Mawson’s party of three men and the dogs pulling their sledge fell victim to both the brutal environment and their own ignorance. Mawson was the only one to survive, barely making it back to the camp after two months, severely frostbitten and nearly starving. Carmen Bredeson never sensationalizes her subject, nor does she sentimentalize it. Her informative, evenhanded narrative has been carefully researched, drawing on Mawson’s own papers, as well as interviews with the descendants of this passionate, caring individual. Numerous black-and-white photographs, some presented against an icy silver background, illustrate the text that also incorporates significant information about the Antarctic continent. (Ages 9–14)

Describes the life and career of the Australian explorer, Sir Doulgas Mawson, focusing on his 1912 scientific expedition to Antarctica.