The Arctic and Antarctic ice shelves have been an object of obsession
for as long as we've known they existed. Countless explorers, including
such legends as Richard Byrd, Ernest Shackleton, and Robert Falcon
Scott, have risked their lives to chart their frozen landscapes. Now,
for the first time in human history, we are in legitimate danger of
seeing polar ice dramatically shrink, break apart, or even disappear. The Ends of the Earth,
a collection of the very best writing on the Arctic and Antarctic, will
simultaneously commemorate four centuries of exploring and scientific
study, and make the call for preservation.
Stocked with
first-person narratives, cultural histories, nature and science writing,
and fiction, this book is a compendium of the greats of their fields:
including legendary polar explorers and such writers as Jon Krakauer,
Jack London, Diane Ackerman, Barry Lopez, and Ursula K. LeGuin. Edited
by two contemporary authorities on exploring and the environment, The Ends of the Earth
is a memorable collection of terrific writing-and a lasting
contribution to the debate over global warming and the future of the
polar regions themselves.
