The British Antarctic Terra Nova Expedition of 1910-1913 remains firmly imprinted on the public consciousness. The tragic heroism of Captain Robert Falcon Scott and his brave companions is known to us all and the wider scope and accomplishments of the expedition are also very familiar. This is in no small part due to Herbert Ponting's photography and filming of the ambitious endeavour. The first professional photographer to accompany an expedition of this kind, his images of Antarctica are exceptional and have left us with an enduring and memorable record. His written account of being part of Scott's team is sometimes overlooked but The Great White South is a truly engaging and enjoyable tale. From vivid descriptions of the icy landscape, gales at sea and near-death experiences with killer whales to his perceptive character studies and love of Adélie penguins this is a terrific read.In writing his book, Ponting hoped to inspire the next generation of British children to emulate the courage and ambition of Scott. It achieves that and much more.
This new edition features a specially commissioned preface by renowned adventurer and explorer Sir David Hempleman-Adams.
 
Herbert Ponting was born in Salisbury on 21st March 1870. The son of a successful banker, he started work in a bank branch in Liverpoolbut decided that banking was not the career for him. Emigrating to California he ran a fruit ranch and worked in mining and in 1895 he married the American Mary Elliott. Following a chance meeting witha photographer in San Francisco he turned his long-standing interest in photography into his next career, entering his pictures in competitions and winning awards. At the turn of the century Ponting headed to Asia as a freelancer,travelling extensively in Burma, Korea, Java, China and India taking stereoviews and covering the Russo-Japanese war of 1904–05. He wrote illustrated articles for magazines including Country Life, The Graphic, The Illustrated London News, Pearson’s and The Strand Magazine. In 1905 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society (FRGS). His flair for journalism and reputation as a photographer led to his being chosen as the expedition photographer aboard the Terra Nova at the age of 40. He was the first professional photographer to be included on an Antarctic expedition.