With its graphic descriptions of the wind, ice and snow on the edge of Antarctica, this non-fiction book for younger readers does not pull any punches. Neither does it sugar-coat the physical and mental damage sustained by the mostly young men keen to become polar explorers.

The members of the Australasian Antarctic Expedition 1911-1914 were all incredibly young. The listing at the start of the book shows that the leader, Douglas Mawson, at 29, was one of the older members. Apart from three aged 40, 31 and 38, most of the 20 members were in their early to mid-20s, with one only 19.

Erecting prefabricated huts at Cape Denison … declared by the party to be the windiest place on Earth … the men hunkered down until the Antarctic spring, when they set out on sledging expeditions to explore.

Mawson, a geologist, had been to the Antarctic once before and had declared he would never return, but even after this expedition, when he barely survived, he did go back. Some episodes from the 1907 expedition with Shackleton are interspersed with the later accounts.

Grocowicz, a polar historian and author, has drawn on diaries, letters and expedition reports for this and her earlier series of books about Antarctic explorers such as Scott, Amundsen and Shackleton. She brings to life the extreme conditions with which Mawson’s group had to contend: snowed-in huts, a good day for outdoor work was -17 degrees, gale force winds, and snow whipped to the height of their thighs.

The members of the group who did not survive are remembered in the names of two glaciers, and there are fascinating Frank Hurley photographs of life at Cape Denison.

Reviewed by Jennifer Somerville

Age Guide 10+

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Joanna Grochowicz is a polar historian and author based in London. Fast-paced and exquisitely written, her novels of early exploration reveal in fascinating detail the human aspirations and tragedies that have shaped our understanding of the polar regions. Drawing on diaries, letters and expedition narratives from archives and personal collections around the world, Grochowicz brings to light new and often overlooked elements of heroic age exploration.

Realistic portrayals of historical figures and the interplay of personalities lend her work a grittiness and authenticity that is not often present in historical writing for children and young adults.

Visit Joanna Grochowicz’s website