Mawson cover art

Mawson

And the Ice Men of the Heroic Age - Scott, Shackelton and Amundsen

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Mawson

By: Peter FitzSimons
Narrated by: Paul English
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About this listen

Douglas Mawson, born in 1882 and knighted in 1914, was Australia’s greatest Antarctic explorer. On 2 December 1911, he led an expedition from Hobart to explore the virgin frozen coastline below, 2000 miles of which had never felt the tread of a human foot. After setting up Main Base at Cape Denision and Western Base on Queen Mary Land, he headed east on an extraordinary sledging trek with his companions, Belgrave Ninnis and Dr Xavier Mertz. After tragedy struck, Mawson found himself all alone, 160 miles from safety, with next to no food.

Peter FitzSimons tells the staggering tale of Mawson’s survival, despite all the odds, arriving back just in time to see his rescue ship disappearing over the horizon. He masterfully interweaves the stories of the other giants from the Heroic Age of Polar Exploration - Scott of the Antarctic, Sir Ernest Shackleton and Roald Amundsen - to bring the jaw-dropping events of this bygone era dazzlingly back to life.

©2011 Peter FitzSimons. (P)2011 Bolinda Publishing Adventure Travel Adventurers, Explorers & Survival Arctic & Antarctica Expeditions & Discoveries World

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Critic reviews

"Narrator Paul English transports the listener to the frozen continent of Antarctica at a time when explorers pushed the limits of human endurance—and often beyond. The author intertwines the major heroes of the southern ice with a general history of early Antarctic exploration while focusing on Australia’s famed Antarctic explorer, Sir Douglas Mawson. English’s voice presents a theatrical narration with his adroit use of accents and varied tone as he recounts stories of hardship, tragedy, and triumph. Both author and narrator are Australian, and some listeners may find the combination of colloquialisms and Australian accent a bit of a puzzle. Nonetheless, English’s superb storytelling returns the listener to the age of heroes a century ago." (AudioFile Magazine)
All stars
Most relevant
Must listen to all the episodes. Thank you so much for all your research. Andy

Gripping

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Would you consider the audio edition of Mawson and the Ice Men of the Heroic Age to be better than the print version?

Not having read the print version I can't comment

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I would have liked to listen in one sitting but it was too long for that

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This was an excellent book read by a very good narrator. I learnt a lot about explorers I'd never heard of and their amazing experiences.
I'd definitely recommend this book to anyone who's interested in real people and what they put themselves through in the cause of science and exploration

An excellent listen

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A very well written truly inspiring story of wonderful people who struggled against all the odds and it was a very well narrated book as wellHighly recommend to anyone interested in Antarctic adventures

Highly readable

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Very well narrated. My husband loves all books which are full of exploration and adventure especially by those who struggled and risked their lives to discover places never before explored so this book was right up his street.

Simply excellent and highly recommended.

Well enjoyed by my husband

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Heroic and powerful story of the Antarctic Expeditions. Very informative and comprehensive . A very enjoyable read.

Best read in ages!

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