ICY GRAVES - LAID TO REST
It's been a fascinating book to research and write, combining as it does, a range of stories from all periods of Antarctic exploration, the earliest being from Carsten Borchgrevink's Southern Cross Expedition of 1898-1900, and the most recent from 1982, the year of the Falklands War. I've also sought to represent the experiences of explorers from as many nations as possible, including Argentina, Australia, Brazil, France, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, South Africa, the Soviet Union, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Some of the challenges of inclusion were expected - most obviously those of language and physical access - but others were totally unanticipated. I was astonished, for instance, to be told by the South African National Antarctic Programme that they retain very few expedition records for longer than five years! The complex history of US exploration - with ownership being divided between private individuals, the US Navy, and, more recently, the US Antarctic Program - has also resulted in a wide dispersal of records. Indeed, this dispersal has been so comprehensive that, when I asked USAP for a list of all US casualties, with dates of death, causes and locations, I was told that they held no list - and that they would be grateful if I could provide them with one once my research was complete.
Despite these challenges, I'm delighted with the range of the stories that have come to light. Inevitably, given that my focus has been on Antarctic fatalities, many of the episodes I've researched are tragic - but there are also tales of extraordinary heroism, determination, and survival as well. Just as importantly, many are almost entirely unknown - and I shall be delighted if the book helps to bring them to wider public notice. The stories are arranged thematically, with chapters on cold, fire, sea ice, motor vehicles accidents, air disasters, and mental illness and suicide. In the introduction, I also examine the reasons for the surprising obscurity of some of the accidents. Why are they so little known given their intrinsic drama?
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