Mawson's Will: The Greatest Polar Survival Story Ever WrittenThe dramatic story of explorer Douglas Mawson and "the most outstanding solo journey ever recorded in Antarctic history" (Sir Edmund Hillary, mountaineer and explorer) For weeks in Antarctica, Douglas Mawson faced some of the most daunting conditions ever known to man: blistering wind, snow, and cold; the loss of his companion, dogs, supplies, and even the skin on his hands and feet. But despite constant thirst, starvation, disease, and snow blindness—he survived. Sir Douglas Mawson is remembered as the young Australian who would not go to the South Pole with Robert Scott in 1911. Instead, he chose to lead his own expedition on the less glamorous mission of charting nearly 1,500 miles of Antarctic coastline and claiming its resources for the British Crown. His party of three set out through the mountains across glaciers in 60-mile-per-hour winds. Six weeks and 320 miles out, one man fell into a crevasse—along with the tent, most of the equipment, the dogs' food, and all except a week's supply of the men's provisions. Mawson's Will is the unforgettable story of one man's ingenious practicality, unbreakable spirit, and how he continued his meticulous scientific observations even in the face of death. When the expedition was over, Mawson had added more territory to the Antarctic map than anyone else of his time. Thanks to Bickel's moving account, Mawson can be remembered for the vision and dedication that make him one of the world's great explorers. |
Contents
| 3 | |
| 13 | |
| 25 | |
1 | 37 |
The Kingdom of Blizzards | 53 |
The Winter of Intent | 67 |
Outward Bound | 83 |
Discovery and Death | 95 |
Diet of | 145 |
Cross in the Snow | 163 |
One Pair of Feet | 177 |
Corpse in a Crevasse | 189 |
A Winter to Wait | 231 |
The Contract Stands | 249 |
Authors Note | 259 |
In Peril on the Ice | 117 |
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Common terms and phrases
ahead Aladdin's Antarctic Aurora blizzard body broken brought called camp Cape Captain carried Cave clear coast cold companions condition cooked cover crevasse dark Davis death deep dogs drift east edge expedition eyes face falling feel feet fell felt five forced frozen gale glacier half hands hard head hope hundred inland journey knew land legs lifted light load looked Magnetic Mawson Mertz miles mind morning move named night Ninnis noted once pack pain party plateau Pole pulled reach rest rising rock rope Scott seemed ship side skin sledge sleeping slope snow soon southern stood strength surface tent thought took turned wait walked weather weeks weight Wild wind winter Xavier