Being the Story of the Australasian Antarctic Expedition, 1911-1914

By Mawson, Sir Douglas

London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1938, Sixth Edition and 1st Edition in this form, 12mo – 18.1cm. [xix], 348pp. glossary, indexed, 2 diagrams and plans plus 8 maps.

Dust Jacket is in very good condition, clipped and showing some wear to extremities but complete and serving its purpose very well with the covers and spine showing no wear or fading. Interior with beginning foxing to preliminaries and page edges. No prior ownership markings. A complete copy in Very Good condition. Rosove 217.D1.

This is the first-person abridged narrative of The Australasian Antarctic Expedition led by Douglas Mawson to explore the area of Antarctica facing Australia. The expedition in the Aurora, captained by John King Davis, left Hobart on 2nd December 1911. Mawson landed with 19 men on 8th January on the Western end of Adélie Land. Initially intending to be a member of Scott’s party, Mawson decided to command his own expedition and organized the first official Australasian Antarctic Expedition. The expedition’s primary objective was to systematically explore the areas of Antarctica known as King George V Land and Terra Adelie. Despite extraordinarily harsh and extreme conditions the expedition achieved a great deal: over 2000 miles of unknown Antarctic coastline was charted and the scientific discoveries were so extensive that their publication continued well into the 1940s. Mawson’s narrative of the expedition is fascinating reading, but most compelling is his account of his epic journey returning to base camp at Cape Denison during which his two companions perished – one (Lt. Belgrave Ninnis) falling down a crevasse with the dog team and most of the food, supplies and the tent – the other (Dr. Xavier Mertz) dieing of an apparent overdose of vitamin A as a result of eating dog liver. Mawson struggled to survive on toxic rations which caused severe stomach cramps, made the soles of his feet detach, and made his hair to fall out in clumps. This is one of the most extraordinary tales of survival, and Mawson’s first expedition provides one of the truly epic stories of endurance in the history of Antarctic exploration. “One of the most gripping Antarctic stories”. (Conrad)

$150.00 - S O L D