The Great White South: Being an Account of Experiences with Captain Scott's South Pole Expedition and of the Nature Life of the Antarctic

Ponting's book is an absolute must for anyone interested in Scott's Last Expedition. His narrative is witty and engaging throughout, whether it be concerned with his fellow travellers and their experiences, or related to the native wildlife - his chapters on seals and penguins are a particular delight. The only downside to this edition is that the publishers unaccountably saw fit to provide a platform for another of Roland Huntford's incredibly tiresome and bitter rants about Captain Scott himself, by inviting him to contribute an unworthy, though mercifully short, introduction. Huntford's by now largely discredited iconoclasm despoils some of the dignity and freshness of Ponting's own work. Just ignore it and enjoy Ponting himself.