Overview

Haunting and searingly beautiful, Erebus has attracted explorers, mountaineers, artists and scientists; each drawn to the mountain by their own particular vision or curiosity. The mountain is a truly unique geological phenomenon - an active volcano sheathed in ice, with hundreds of ice caves, steaming towers 6 metres high around its summit and a lava lake. Also, in the minds of many New Zealanders, it is a place of destruction and despair, wrought by a single momentous accident. Antarctica veteran Monteath weaves history, science, art and adventure into a compelling tale, supported by superb images selected from his lifetime of working and voyaging in the area.

Full Product Details

Author:   Colin Monteath
Publisher:   Massey University Press
Imprint:   Massey University Press
ISBN:  

9781991016362

ISBN 10:   1991016360
Pages:   352
Publication Date:   10 August 2023
Audience:   General/trade ,  General
Format:   Book
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   In stock  
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Table of Contents

Foreword Peter Barrett 8 Erebus Son of Chaos 11 1. Antarctica Carved by ice, forged in fire 17 2. 'Mountains of Madness' A continent ringed by fiery islands 29 3. 'This Splendid Burning Mountain' The discovery of Mount Erebus, 1841 46 4. 'Keeper of the Southern Gateway' The first ascent of Mount Erebus, 1908 68 5. 'Give me Erebus for my friend' The second ascent, 1912 91 6. HMS Pemmican sails on Erebus The third ascent, 1959, and beyond 107 7. The heartbeat of Erebus Probing the defences of the volcano, 1970s 129 8. 'No Latitude for Error' Reflections on the 1979 Ross Island air crash 161 9. The darkness beckons Roger Mear's solo winter ascent of Erebus, 1985 185 10. Scrambles in the heart of the Antarctic An ascent of Erebus from Cape Royds, 1991 204 11. Tread lightly in a land of extremophiles The unique microbial world of Erebus 219 12. The magma and the mantle Solving the Erebus enigma, 1980-2016 . . . and beyond 239 13. Shaping a volcano Erebus and the artistic imagination Adele Jackson 263 Erebus chronology 286 Air New Zealand Flight TE901 302 Glossary 308 Notes 313 Further reading 317 About the author 334 Acknowledgements 335 Index 339

Reviews

'Extraordinary characters are accompanied by superb images of the explorations from the earliest sketches to the present . . . [This book] provides a unique understanding of the history and allure of the volcano' - John Daly-Peoples, New Zealand Arts Review; 'Erebus the Ice Dragon: a portrait of an Antarctic volcano, traverses history, adventure, science, geography and art, and is a fine addition to the library of Antarctic literature.' - Alison Ballance, Kete Books; 'This superbly illustrated book has it all -- readable, authoritative text by someone who knows this inhospitable land like the back of his hand, picture editing and research which must have taken years and a high-quality production' - Jenny Nicholls, Waiheke Weekender,‘Absorbing and handsomely produced’ — New Zealand Listener,‘An essential addition to polar libraries, large and small’ — David Barnes, Otago Daily Times,‘An expression of Monteath’s dedication’ — Peter Laurenson, Backcountry,Erebus The Ice Dragon is one of the Listener’s best coffee table books of 2023.

‘Extraordinary characters are accompanied by superb images of the explorations from the earliest sketches to the present . . . [This book] provides a unique understanding of the history and allure of the volcano’ — John Daly-Peoples, New Zealand Arts Review; 'Erebus the Ice Dragon: a portrait of an Antarctic volcano, traverses history, adventure, science, geography and art, and is a fine addition to the library of Antarctic literature.' — Alison Ballance, Kete Books; ‘This superbly illustrated book has it all —– readable, authoritative text by someone who knows this inhospitable land like the back of his hand, picture editing and research which must have taken years and a high-quality production’ — Jenny Nicholls, Waiheke Weekender

Author Information

Colin Monteath is a New Zealand-based polar and mountain photographer and writer. From 1973 Colin worked in Antarctica for 31 seasons, and in 1978 made the first descent into the Inner Crater on Erebus. In 1979 he helped co-ordinate the recovery work following the Air New Zealand crash. He has made numerous first ascents in the Transantarctic Mountains, and in 1993 became the first New Zealander to reach the highest summit in Antarctica, Vinson Massif. Founder of Hedgehog House New Zealand, a photography library and publishing house, he has worked on numerous book projects on the polar regions, including the Reader's Digest book Antarctica: Great Stories from the Frozen Continent (1985), Smithsonian Institution Press's Wild Ice: Antarctic Journeys (1990), and Antarctica: Beyond the Southern Ocean (1996).

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