Mawson: A Life, Vol. 27

Peter Laud, Sunday Times, 29 August 1999
' . . . in this definitive biography . . . Ayres reveals a man whose passions extended far beyond the frozen continent that made him famous.'

Bary Dowling, Weekend Australian, 25 September 1999
'Ayres has given us a carefully researched work that will be of special value to those with an existing interest in Mawson, geology, Antarctica, or in Adelaide society of the time.'

Paul Heinrichs, The Age, 9 August 1999
' . . . by unearthing a massive amount of new material, using thousands of previously unpublished personal letters and expeditioners' diary notes, Ayres manages to chip away the ice to reveal the man inside that well-known image of a knight in woollen armour.'

Gideon Haigh, The Age, 2 October 1999
'Philip Ayres' life of Mawson is a minor masterpiece of research . . . if you wish to know what Mawson did . . . you won't leave Ayres' book shortchanged. It is full of fascinating disclosures . . .'

Malcolm Knight, Aurora, September 1999
'Philip Ayres has written a splendid book: a copy should be in every polar library . . . [a] scholarly and meticulously researched book.'

Heather Rossiter, Quadrant, November, 1999
'Philip Ayres has researched neglected archives and brought forth a detailed account of an unknowable man. It is a valuable volume for the record.'

Michael Daniel, News Weekly, October 1999
'Mawson is the product of a number of years of research. Philip Ayres has thus provided a significant contribution to our understanding of this eminent Australia.'

Book Description
In the heroic age of polar exploration, Sir Douglas Mawson stands in the first rank. His Antarctic expeditions of 1911-14 and 1929-31 resulted in Australia's claiming 40 per cent of the sixth continent. The sole survivor of an epic 300-mile trek, Mawson was also a scientist of national stature. His image on banknotes and stamps reflects enduring public esteem. Yet until now there has been no comprehensive, objective biography of this tall, quiet figure. In this long-awaited, most impressive and readable biography, Philip Ayres not only illuminates Douglas Mawson's many achievements but also enables us to know and understand him as a human being. The book's many illustrations include reproductions of exquisite early colour photographs from the Antarctic expedition of 1911-14.

About the Author
Dr Philip Ayres is Associate Professor of English Literature at Monash University. His main fields of research are eighteenth-century England and Australian biography. His previous books include Malcolm Fraser: A Biography.


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About the Author:Philip Ayres is an associate professor of English literature at Monash University and a fellow of the Royal Historical Society. He is the author of Malcolm Fraser: A Biography, Classical Culture, and The Idea of Rome in Eighteenth-Century England.


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