Exploring the Polar Regions

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Gr. 8-11. Despite an unappealingly dense, drab design, this study in the Discovery and Exploration series will find favor with motivated readers for its meaty combination of soberly related but hair-raising adventures and sharp analyses of the physical, cultural, and political effects wrought by Europe's empire building. After noting that, at least before the twentieth century, the objective of every expedition to the polar regions eventually changed from an exploration of new territory to a desperate attempt to survive, he chronicles the search for the Northwest Passage, efforts to reach both poles, and modern progress in exploring Antarctica. Illustrated with a relatively generous array of unfortunately poorly reproduced black-and-white photos, prints, and maps, and closing with extensive multimedia resource lists, this book, like Kevin Grant's companion volume, Exploration in the Age of Empire: 1750-1953, also now available, will be a solid addition to academically oriented collections. John Peters
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved


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Gr 6-10-These first titles in a proposed 10-volume set explore multiple aspects of the history of exploration. Each one stands on its own, but all the books share a common analytical view, looking beyond basic facts and dates to examine the events and conditions that spurred different journeys. The mixed motivations of politics and religion in Empire and the Cold War's effect on the race for the moon in Space are examples. Readers also see the strong, and not always positive, impact exploration had on science, culture, trade, and power. The breadth of each volume varies depending on the topic. America describes the Lewis and Clark expedition in detail, with much use of journals and quotes, while Ancients deals more with peoples than individuals, and necessarily relies largely on second-hand sources. Each title opens with a chapter highlighting a particularly vivid event from the period, such as the Apollo 13 mission, then moves to a more chronological progression. Writing is generally clear, with data and quotes smoothly woven into the narrative. The authors acknowledge the courage and leadership of individual explorers, but also note their errors and misconceptions. Clear black-and-white maps have a consistent look throughout the series. Inset boxes offer more detail on such relevant side topics as the physical properties of Arctic ice. Not intended as quick references, these useful titles look more closely at the complexity of exploration from a broad historical perspective.-Steven Engelfried, Beaverton City Library, OR Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.


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