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Reader's Review - I received your book this morning at 8 a.m. I thought I would just have a peep at it before taking a shower - at 4 p.m. I finished it after reading all day! It’s a great book, and GENUINELY the best I have ever read on Antarctica. John & Helen Maclean, United Kingdom.
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The Satanic Verses of Antarctica! Unofficially Banned by British Antarctic Survey! Where can we get copies?
Tourist on the MS Andrea, Antarctica.
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Reader's Review - ... I must say what an accomplished writer! Makes for excellent reading with a good balance of humour and seriousness ... Chris Jeffes, ex BAS Antarctica.
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An Overview by Steve Krosky - Adventures Magazine
Most people dream of being at the top of the world. Few dream of being at the bottom of it. But those rare adventurers who dare to travel - and to live - on the continent of Antarctica know just what it's like to be at the bottom of our planet. The story of one of those men is chronicled in the book On Antarctica. In 1980, a British scientist by the name of Len Airey signed up for a two-and-a-half year (it was in fact four years - ed)stay on the most uninhabited continent on earth. During this time he witnessed firsthand the raw life and death struggles that take place for the sake of scientific research in this untamed wilderness. On Antarctica is his story, and the story of those with whom he came into contact during his tenure on the frozen continent. He includes accounts of Antarctic wildlife, tourism, mountaineering, base camp life, fire, war, spies, and much more throughout the book. To be honest, as a literary work, On Antarctica is less than a masterpiece, but neither is its author a writer by trade. It is, however, a remarkable glimpse into a world that few of us will ever see - or perhaps would ever want to. While the narrative at times is somewhat choppy, it still manages to be eerily mesmerizing. The tale of two years on the frozen continent is enthralling, making the continent seem so dead, yet so alive. The lure of the final frontier on this planet speaks through the pages of the book to those who long for extreme adventure, and the challenge of the unknown. As Airey comments, the face of the moon is better mapped than some places on Antarctica.
One warning to potential readers, however: the story is about a band of men left on Antarctica to do research. They are under constant stress, endless pressure, and intense cabin fever. The book often reads like a sailor's tale, and Airey edits very little, leaving a very coarse, raw narrative that some might find objectionable. But On Antarctica is a story of life at its most primitive - where men battle nature and each other without ceasing, and where every minute the struggle to live is more real than perhaps anywhere else on earth.
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Reviewed by Emily Slatten, Framehim.com.
Like many polargeeks, I have long wanted to visit Antarctica. To this end, I once applied for a job at Raytheon, one of the many companies that supplies workers to the many base camps on the continent, confident of my ability to handle the weather and the work. However, Len Airey's On Antarctica has caused me to reconsider my disappointment in not getting a job there.
Len Airey worked as an ionosphericist at the British Antarctic Surveys camp at Faraday for 2 years. On Antarctica is a series of loosely related vignettes from his time there. I am thankful that this book has been written, because nowhere else have I seen the realities of living and working in Antarctica outlined so brutally and honestly.
In 1981, the year Len landed in Antarctica, Faraday and its sister bases were manned by, well, men. And so a common thread throughout most of his stories is that of foulmouthed and foultempered testosterone machines drinking themselves stupid and starting fights. But peppered amongst the perhaps overly-quoted expletives and descriptive scenes of vomit and lust are some fantastic accounts of the work one would actually have to do there, the cramped conditions of the bases, the flora and fauna living there and the reality of being incredibly isolated in one of the coldest places on Earth. Len was in Antarctica during some incredible events: five of his friends and coworkers were lost in two separate incidents. The Falkland Islands turned from a land dispute to a full scale war. He outlines these events and more in a fairly engaging, if not always stylish, prose. We meet the men he worked with, we hear of their foibles and their triumphs. We accompany Len on several outings to Antarctic Mountains, BAS outposts and visiting ships.
Yes, sometimes he uses acronyms and phrases never properly explained; and Yes, it does take most of the book to associate the right name with the right job description and character traits; and Yes, it is sometimes tiring to wade through the litany of profanities on every page, only to realize that this exchange adds little to the movement of the story, such as it is.
But beyond that we, at least for a moment, feel like we have a taste, just a little vicarious taste, of what it must be like down there. And I thank Len for that.
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American Polar Society
The Polar Times
Billy-Ace Baker
Len’s On Antarctica is an excellent read, especially if the reader has ever wintered over. The book, a series of loosely-related vignettes, is illustrated with 40 of Len’s color photographs and excellent drawings by John Elliot very appropriate to the stories.
In 1980, Airey went to Faraday Station to winter-over as an ionosphericist. His contract with the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) was for two years, but he eventually spent nearly four years in Antarctica. His last winter was commander of Halley Base in 1985.
The book gave me the impression that there was a lack of leadership and discipline at BAS bases and very little teamwork or espirit de corps. Personnel were given great freedom for recreation outside the vicinity of the bases. During Airey’s time in Antarctica, five base members were killed in two separate accidents while on recreational trips. In each instance, the parties split up and left a single person alone on the ice to fend for himself.
A few individuals made base life hell for everyone else, lowering morale. Other than off-base forays, the only other recreation seemed to be drinking and fist-fighting. During the first winter at Faraday, there was a sauna in the boathouse, complete wit pornographic magazines, but it was destroyed by fire.
One of my favorite chapters concerns a Twin Otter airdrop at Rothera (in fact Faraday – LA) station of mail and supplies, including an inflatable sex doll named Cindy. After a night of drunken debauchery Cindy wa found on the barroom floor, cut up and covered with ketchup. When qustioned, the duty drunks claimed that the doll became pregnant and that they had to perform an abortion!
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