From the author of the highly acclaimed An Ocean of Air, Gabrielle Walker’s latest book takes as its subject the endlessly mysterious continent of Antarctica. While many previous books on the continent have focused on either its science, wildlife or on exploratory missions travelling to it, this title aims to encompass the whole story in an ambitious narrative history made up of science, natural history, poetry, epic history, personal experiences of what it feels like to be there & why it draws so many varied individuals back again & again. Often described as the most alien place on Earth, the Antarctica is certainly one of the most treacherous, being the only part of our planet where humans could never survive unaided. In this fascinating book, Walker pays homage to its silence & its agelessness, & reveals how its mysteries contain the secrets of our past as well as of our future. Gabrielle Walker has a Ph D in natural sciences from Cambridge University & has taught at both Cambridge & Princeton universities. She is Chief Scientist of strategic advisory firm Xynteo, a consultant to New Scientist, contributes frequently to BBC radio & writes for many newspapers & magazines. In 2009 & 2011 respectively she presented the Planet Earth Under Threat series & Thin Air for BBC Radio 4, & in 2011 she presented The Secret Life of Ice for BBC4. Her previous book, The Hot Topic, was described as ‘the authoritative statement on climate change & what to do about it or years to come’ by James Lovelock, & as ‘a beacon of clarity’ by Al Gore.