Nimrod Illustrated

To celebrate the centenary of one of the most exciting expeditions of the Heroic Age of Antarctic exploration comes “Nimrod Illustrated”. The book is a remarkable collage of expedition photographs, paintings and ephemera in a deliberate reminiscence of the expedition scrapbooks kept by so many of the expedition participants at the time. Many of the images are rarely seen, if ever before published, whilst others are better known.Together with quotations from the diaries of expedition participants, they tell the story of the British Antarctic Expedition 1907-1909 which saw the first use of ponies and motor cars in the Antarctic; achieved the first ascent of Mount Erebus; achieved the first attainment of the South Magnetic Pole; and, took Shackleton within 100 miles of the South Geographic Pole to attain a dramatic new ‘Farthest South’ record. This was the expedition that made Shackleton’s name as an explorer and for which he was awarded his knighthood. Edited by Dr. D. M. Wilson, “Nimrod Illustrated” is a treat for anyone interested in Shackleton, the Antarctic, polar exploration or the atmosphere of the Edwardian age.
It is a part of the well regarded series commenced with “Discovery Illustrated: Pictures from Captain Scott’s First Antarctic Expedition” (2001).

Author Biography

Dr. David M. Wilson, PhD. (Essex), FZS, was born in 1963. Having an early career in the theatre, he moved on to study at the United World College of the Pacific and the Universities of York and Essex, where he trained as a philosopher. He is also a trained Counsellor. With a strong interest in Aboriginal cultures, he also has a wide range of ornithological and natural history interests. These have led to ten years of working on Expedition cruise ships, where he is in increasing demand both as an ornithological field guide and as an historian. He boasts numerous explorers and ornithologists on his family tree, which add a uniquely personal flavour to many of his talks. Not least amongst these is his great uncle, Dr Edward Wilson, who died with Captain Scott and his party on their return from the South Pole in 1912. David spends much of his time working to promote our historic Antarctic heritage and is recently retired as Chairman of the Friends of the Scott Polar Research Institute in Cambridge, UK. He is also the producer of several books (Cheltenham in Antarctica: the Life of Edward Wilson, Reardon Publishing, 2000; Discovery Illustrated: Pictures from Captain Scott’s First Antarctic Expedition, Reardon Publishing 2001; and Edward Wilson’s Nature Notebooks, Reardon Publishing 2004) and has also produced a CD of historic Antarctic expedition songs and poems (The Songs of the ‘Morning’: a musical sketch, Reardon Publishing 2002). All the royalties from these works are donated to support Antarctic heritage projects.