Product Description
From astronomer Edmond Halley's 1699 voyage in the Paramore to sealer John Balleny's 1839 excursion in the Eliza Scott, Below the Convergence tells the story of British, American, and Russian expeditions to Antarctica-the fabled Terra Australis Incognita.In search of scientific knowledge, national prestige, and profit, these courageous explorers captured the hearts and attention of their countrymen who longed to hear what lay below the Convergence, the sea frontier marking the boundary between the freezing Antarctic waters and the warmer sub-Antartic seas. The stories of their herculean adventures and discoveries makes for riveting reading and offers an abundant history which, writes Dava Sobel in the New York Times Book Review, "introduces the concept of deep cold with lyrical precision." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Well Research and Developed and an Interesting Read
Beginning with Ptolemey and all the way up to the first siting of the Ant- arctic Continent, Gurney does a yeoman's job of presenting the finds and ever expanding knowledge of the Southern Ocean.As a sailor and scientist, Gurney presents both the good and bad when discussing the voyages of discovery of such men as Captains Cook and Bellinghausen; versus the luck and scandals of the sealers and whalers.

Each discovery builds on the previous findings and Gurney explains not only what the political consequences were but also the economic impacts.The sad part of this documentation is the annihilation of first the fur seals and then the other seals for the hides and oil, and then onto the whales.The destruction was so complete, that it is only now, one hundred years after the ending of the trade that the populations are back up to their pre-1800 numbers.

What I found most gratifying was Gurney's narrative as to what happened to the 'discoverers' later in life.Most died young, some from disease and quite a number of others (including Cook) where killed by natives of the islands they discovered.It's only fitting in a way, since their discoveries contributed to the destruction of so many of the native culture (such as Tahiti and Tierra del Fuego).

Recommended for anyone with an Antarctic interest
For whatever reason, recent book reviewers try to relate any nautical book to Patrick O'Brien's fiction.This is akin to relating the taste of any strange mystery meat to the taste of chicken.There is absolutely no relationship between the present book and O'Brien's fiction.One can wonder if some reviewers actually read the books they review.Having said that -

The book provides an interesting overview of early Antarctic exploration, both planned and accidental.There is a chapter on scurvy, the bane of historic long sea voyages, with indications of the various means used for prevention - as usual, politics got in the way of common sense (the British government used lime juice controlled by British interests instead of the more effective lemon juice controlled by Spanish interests) and the government was slow to adopt what was being routinely used in the private sector.There is also a chapter on the problems in finding longitude, and an overview chapter on the Southern Ocean and the Antarctic Convergence.

Accounts of the voyages begin with Edmund Halley's expedition aboard the Paramore in the closing years of the 17th century, then skip forward to the second voyage of James Cook (1772-1775). Sealers began their activities immediately after the American Revolution.One problem with scientific exploration, then as now, was that commercial interests immediately rushed in to exploit any resources discovered, initially decimating the fur seal population.John Nicol in his autobiography (see John Nicol, Mariner) mentions being aboard the Amelia (1791-1792) when they killed and skinned 30,000 seals at the Island of Lopex (Lobos Island in northern Peru).The sealers added some knowledge, but mainly to identify sealing grounds.There are some comments about diet - people commonly ate penguins among other things.

People carrying out research are familiar with dealing with bureaucracies that want proposals two or three years in advance with an indication of what discoveries will be made before the research is conducted.Consequently, real discoveries are often unfunded, i.e., it is work carried out on the side while carrying out other funded work.William Smith commanded the merchant ship Williams on a voyage from Buenos Aires to Valparaiso when he discovered the South Shetland Islands, somewhat by accident, early in 1819 while sailing westward around Cape Horn.On a subsequent voyage around the Horn that same year, he made an unauthorized deviation in his route to go south for further exploration (insurance companies tended to forbid such deviations).After he reported his discoveries, the Royal Navy chartered the Williams later that same year and, under the command of Edward Bransfield, made the first observations of the mountain ranges on the Antarctic Peninsula and sailed a short distance into the Weddell Sea (the British lost Bransfield's journal).The immediate rush of sealers into the area resulted in the slaughtering of an estimated half million seals during the 1820-1821 season.Forty sealing ships visited the islands during the 1821-1822 season and essentially exterminated the remaining seals.William Smith eventually died in poverty in an almshouse.

The book goes on to discuss the voyages of James Clark Ross, James Weddell, and others up through 1839, with some mention of later expeditions.It provides a good description of the early Antarctic explorers and their voyages through the ice and freezing temperatures.

Below the Convergence
After decades of reading daily, this is the first book I have ever read that when I finished, I immediately turned to the first page and started my second reading.For anyone interested in Antartica, this book is a must, and it is very well written. It's about courage, determination, the environment and maybe most of all about geometry.

Well written and informative
Every fan of Antarctic exploration should read this book. It is a great tribute to those who came so many years before Shackleton, Scott and others into this completely unknown part of our world. The accounts are vivid and often times humorous, in spite of the incredible hardships these men endured. Although this might be considered difficult subject matter, the author does a great job of telling each story of adventure in a compelling and griping manner. We owe much to these men for their leadership, courage and vision. The account of Captain Cook is particularly good. What a great leader! This is a good addition for all you arm-chair explorers.

Detailed, gripping reading
In an age where the entire planet hads been mapped from space it's hard torealize that there was a time, not that long ago, when the existence of aSouthern continent was still a matter of speculation and doubt. Gurney'sbook beins with voyages of the Dutch East India company, skirting the Southpolar regions around the beginning of the 17th century and ends with thecomplete maping of the coast of Antarctica in the mid-19th. Along the wayare detailed stories not only of the early polar explorers, but scores ofdetailed asides on such diverse topics as the food and other provisionsused by sailors, the problem of scurvy, the history of the rum ration, andthe story of John Harrsion and his clocks that made detailed navigation andmapping possible. An excellent choice for fans of sailing, history,discovery or geography. ... Read more

Product Description
In Deep Freeze, Dian Olson Belanger tells the story of the pioneers who built viable communities, made vital scientific discoveries, and established Antarctica as a continent dedicated to peace and the pursuit of science, decades after the first explorers planted flags in the ice.

In the tense 1950s, even as the world was locked in the Cold War, U.S. scientists, maintained by the Navy’s Operation Deep Freeze, came together in Antarctica with counterparts from eleven other countries to participate in the International Geophysical Year (IGY). On July 1, 1957, they began systematic, simultaneous scientific observations of the south-polar ice and atmosphere. Their collaborative success over eighteen months inspired the Antarctic Treaty of 1959, which formalized their peaceful pursuit of scientific knowledge. Still building on the achievements of the individuals and distrustful nations thrown together by the IGY from mutually wary military, scientific, and political cultures, science prospers today and peace endures.

The year 2007 will mark the fiftieth anniversary of the IGY and the commencement of a new International Polar Year—a compelling moment to review what a singular enterprise accomplished in a troubled time. Belanger draws from interviews, diaries, memoirs, and official records to weave together the first thorough study of the dawn of Antarctica’s scientific age. Deep Freeze offers absorbing reading for those who have ventured onto Antarctic ice and those who dream of it, as well as historians, scientists, and policy makers. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Accurate but Somewhat Boring
The author did a commendable job of accurately explaining--ad nauseam--how the US established a presence in Antarctica.However, I really wasn't interested in reading all the stuff about the logistics of getting there.While that may interest some people, I would have put it at the end of the book.However, I had to read over 300 pages before I got to the material of greatest interest to me--what it's like living there under horrendous winter conditions.The book is worth buying, but I recommend you start reading at Chapter 9.

An Outstanding Institutional History of a Significant 20th Century Scientific Pursuit at the South Pole
This represents something of a personal recommendation for me, for it deals with a subject of special interest in my specific work as a space historian. The movement of America into Antarctica came with fits and starts in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, but it was because of the International Geophysical Year (IGY) in 1957-58--a broad scientific effort involving more than 60 nations--that the formal outposts so significant to current scientific efforts there were established. This same IGY led to the beginning of the space age, for the United States and the Soviet Union both agreed to launch scientific satellites as part of the effort. The Soviets, therefore, launched Sputnik 1 on Octover 4, 1957, ushering in the space age. No less important was the effort to understand the poles, and this is a very fine institutional history of the National Science Foundation's efforts to create and sustain the American foothold in Antarctica. It is based on extensive research in documentary sources, a good use of oral histories, and something for which I am most envious, field work at the pole.

From someone who actually was in Deep Freeze
Deep Freeze is a terrific book about the IGY/Deep Freeze program and the beginning of the "modern" age of Antarctic exploration and research.It also provides the reader with a frame of reference many books omit: well-summarized information on the "heroic" age of exploration as well as a more contemporary perspective.With meticulous research and documentation, buttressed by oral histories and interviews, it was obviously a herculean task.It is extremely well written, with each
chapter's conclusion leaving you eager to read the next, smoothly and logically transitioning you along.I was particularly impressed with the candid descriptions about the behind-the-scenes events of which most Antarctic buffs would have little or no knowledge.The presentations on
Antarctic science were particularly well written (especially helpful for any layman).This book is nothing short of monumental, and a very important reference for all those interested in the coldest, windiest, emptiest, most remote and largest desert on earth.I'm buying several copies for my friends and family, because: (1) I've been there, done that, and got the Tshirt (several, actually), and (2) it will make a great Christmas present!Undoubtedly the finest non-fiction book I have read in the last decade. ... Read more

Product Description
This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process.We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide.We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more