If we consider Europe and Asia as two distinct continents, then there are seven continents in all, scattered across Earth. In fifth place, in size order, is Antarctica. For centuries it went unnoticed; humankind took little note of its existence until the beginning of the 19th century. It had long been Terra Incognita Australis: The Great Unknown Southern Land, situated somewhere in the Western Ocean. It was uninhabited by any native populations; it was visited by very few mariners or explorers. It remind, for the most part, a virgin continent, not corrupted.
The Antarctic environment is of extraordinary beauty and biological differentiation: flora and fauna have developed interesting strategies to counteract harsh conditions. It's a world of extremes, cruel pitiless, where many species have to fight hard to survive. In this volume of heroic reportage, Colin Monteath, a renowned writer, photographer and specialist on Antarctica presents the mysteries of the Forgotten Continent. In an outstanding achievement, Monteath took magnificent photographs in temperatures of -40 °C, in winds that reached 95 mph (150 km/h).
Colin Monteath is a freelance photographer, writer and mountaineer who has travelled widely in the world's polar and high mountain regions. In 1984 he founded Hedgehog House, photographic library and publishing company, with the principal aim of "increasing the awareness of the need to look after the polar and mountain regions." He is author of New Zealand -Land of Wind (White Star Publishers, 1996) and Wildlife Cubebook (White Star Publishers, 2007)
Customer Reviews:
Excellent Image of the Forgotten Continent
by Hansjürgen van de Loo in Germany (07/08/2011)
I have travelled with the author to the Ross Sea Region in 2009, one of the last Expeditions made so far. I can't get tired of viewing and reading this excellent book over and over again because of the exhilarating beauty of the photographs mirroring this outstanding and yet almost unspoiled continent. Very pleasant for the reader is the structure of pictures according to the various regions of this seemingly only white Antarctic world the explorer can discover for himself. It is so relaxing to see a part of the globe without interference of mankind. This book is an asset to the literature on the 7th continent and very much worth its reasonable price!