Search

The sea has been an endless source of fascination, at once both alluring and mysterious, a place of wonder and terror. The Sea Journal contains first-hand records by a great range of travellers of their encounters with strange creatures and new lands, full of dangers and delights, pleasures and perils. In this remarkably researched gathering of private journals, log books, letters and diaries, we follow the voyages of intrepid sailors, from the frozen polar wastes to South Seas paradise islands, as they set down their immediate impressions of all they saw. They capture their experiences while at sea, giving us a precious view of the oceans and the creatures that live in them as they were when they were scarcely known and right up to the present day. In a series of biographical portraits, we meet officers and ordinary sailors, cooks and whalers, surgeons and artists, explorers and adventurers. A handful of contemporary mariners provide their thoughts on how art remains integral to their voyaging lives. Often still bearing the traces of their nautical past, the intriguing and enchanting sketches and drawings in this book brilliantly capture the spirit of the oceans and the magic of the sea. [Description from publishers]

Raised on an isolated farm in southern Iceland, Ragnar Axelsson (born 1958) became captivated early on by the brutal beauty of the North Atlantic and the delicate interactions between its inhabitants and their environment. Born of that fascination, Faces of the North, first published in a small print run in 2004, established Axelsson as one of the leading documentary photographers of our time. It contained about 100 lushly austere, powerful images of Greenland, Iceland and the Faroe Islands, taken over two decades. Long out of print, Faces of the North is now republished in a special anniversary edition that echoes the format of Axelsson's latest publications, Last Days of the Arctic and Behind the Mountains. Containing the original selection of photographs documenting the vanishing lifestyles of the North Atlantic, the new edition also includes previously unpublished photos, Axelsson's personal accounts of the journeys which led to the images' creation and the artist's sketches of the photographs, drawn nightly as he traveled through the Arctic. In the 2004 edition of Faces of the North, Axelsson collected the images of farmers, hunters and fishermen in the Arctic and the Atlantic that he became best known for; in the 2014 edition, his oeuvre comes full circle, as he looks back upon the foundation of his photographic passion and career.[Description from Publisher]

On 21 February 1968, Wally Herbert and his team of three companions and forty huskies set out from Point Barrow, Alaska, embarking on a journey that no one had ever attempted. Sixteen hard months later they finally set foot once more on solid land, having attained the North Pole and crossed the frozen Arctic Ocean for the first time via its longest axis. It stands today as one of the greatest expeditions of all time. Illustrated with unpublished photographs and other personal materials from the Herbert archive, this exceptional photography book is a first-hand record of an astonishing journey one that with rising temperatures and Arctic ice melt will probably never be repeated. An impressive team of explorers and polar experts, including Wally Herbert’s daughter Kari, also provide their reflections and tributes to the expedition and to Wally Herbert, contributing to a remarkable visual and personal testimony of this historic event. [Description from Publisher]

The first crossing of Antarctica in 1957/58 by the Trans-Antarctic Expedition, led by Sir Vivian 'Bunny' Fuchs, was one of the twentieth century's great triumphs of exploration. Sir Ernest Shackleton famously attempted to cross the great white continent during his ill-fated Endurance voyage, and now, one hundred years after he set out, this beautifully illustrated volume celebrates the men who succeeded where he had failed and rewrote the history books. With exclusive access to the spectacular images and private archives of key member George Lowe, photographer and Everest veteran, and items from the Fuchs family collection, there has never been a book on Antarctica quite like this. An outstanding team of explorers and polar experts also provide their reflections and tributes, contributing to a remarkable visual and personal testimony of this historic event. [Description from Publisher]

Life on the Line began as a project by London-based photographer Cristian Barnett. Over a number of years he aimed to make a number of journeys to the Arctic Circle, an invisible line of latitude 66 degrees and 33 minutes north of the Equator. The line intersects eight countries and is home to a rich diversity of peoples for whom the sun never sets in high summer, nor rises in deepest winter. All the photographs were taken on film within 35 miles of the Arctic Circle. Life on the Line celebrates the variety of existence in the circumpolar Arctic, in the face of overwhelming environmental and cultural change. ‘This is not a book about history, either of the North or photography. The journey of these photographs is through the modernity of life as it is lived along the Arctic Circle. Much is startling to those who live in the south, since for us it as an extreme world that we see here. But much is familiar. Everywhere people live with what the modern world has to offer, even if at times, and for profound reasons, they prefer or need to step into territories, of landscape, culture or the human imagination, that is outside and beyond modernity. As we look at these northern people looking out at us, we see both a welcome and fascination. This is the power and authority of these images, the remarkable achievement of a remarkable photographer’. - Hugh Brody. [Description from Publisher]

Description from Publisher: 29 May 2013 is the sixtieth anniversary of the first ascent of Mount Everest. The allure of Everest remains undimmed, and the publication of this unique book celebrates this most majestic of mountains, with exclusive access to the photographic imagery and private archives of celebrated climber and photographer George Lowe, the last surviving member of that triumphant expedition. Not only the anniversary of the first ascent, 2013 sees other significant Everest anniversaries: 50 years since the first American ascent; 35 years since the first ascent without supplementary oxygen; and 25 years since the first ascent by a route up the South Buttress on the eastern Kangshung Face. An outstanding team of mountaineers and distinguished contributors associated with Everest provide their reflections and tributes, helping to create a remarkable visual and personal testimony to this historic event and to a mountain like no other.

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution is the charity that saves lives at sea. For nearly two hundred years its volunteers have shown courage and selflessness in facing storm and shipwreck to offer assistance. Never taken for granted, these qualities of service transcend the centuries to ring as true now as in the earliest days of the lifeboats. This unprecedented new book is a photographic celebration of every-day bravery, compassion, and outstanding commitment in the toughest of conditions. From the Cornish coasts to the Shetland Isles, we join crewman and photographer Nigel Millard as he travels the length of Britain and Ireland, living and working with his fellow lifeboatmen and accompanying them on their rescue missions. In 2011 alone some 7,976 people were saved by lifeboat crews and a further 17,670 were assisted by the service's new lifeguard units, with lifeboats launching on average almost 20 times a day. This book honours the dedication of generations of hard-working people who generously give their time to those in danger and their families who wait for news while the lifeboats are out a visual tribute to the sea and those who go to it. All around our coasts, and every day of the year, the men and women of the RNLI are on duty's call. Though the RNLI has evolved, through its technologies and size of organisation, its sense of purpose and vision, to end preventable loss of life at sea, is as clear as it was in the very beginning. This is a simple story of a voluntary rescue service, of men and women happy to race to the assistance of strangers at all hours of day or night should ever the need arise. We hope these photographs show something of this spirit. We are encouraged never to forget the bravery, skill and sacrifice of the people of the RNLI. They are heroes all. [Description from Publisher]

Description from Publisher: Explorer Bruce Parry takes an epic Arctic journey, following the six-month Polar summer through Greenland, Canada, Alaska, Russia and Scandinavia to document a vital part of our world at a point of extraordinary change. \ud In this companion to a landmark BBC series, Arctic tells the stories of traditional Arctic inhabitants along with the oilworkers, miners and scientists who have been attracted to this dramatic yet hostile landscape in search of the wealth of natural resources and ecological data it can provide. He highlights the friction between old and new ways as traditional lifestyles are threatened by many factors:climate change, new legislation and the intrusion of big business. Within engaging, intimate text and specially commissioned photography along with stills from the series, this book provides a human focus in an environmental context. Immersing himself in the cultures of peoples like the Chukchi, the Sami, the hunters of Qaanaaq and the Gwitchin tribes of the Canadian north, Bruce stresses their connection to the lands and hunting grounds that sustain them while exposing the issues they face. Rich in content and narrative, Arctic Circle with Bruce Parry brings human stories and global issues to the fore, pinpointing cultures on the brink of irreversible change.

In 1911 the world was watching, waiting, hoping, attention focused on a desolate spot at the very end of the earth, as two men raced to conquer the South Pole. A hundred years after Roald Amundsen's triumph and Robert Scott's tragic demise, our fascination with the Antarctic remains as acute as ever. On the centenary of their epic expeditions, this book traces our search for the South Pole, from the earliest encounters with Antarctica's icy waters, through the Heroic Age to modern times. In addition to the words of Scott and Amundsen, vivid descriptions from the logbooks, journals and narratives of pioneers such as Carsten Borchgrevink, Ernest Shackleton and Douglas Mawson provide first-hand experiences of this enigmatic and unforgiving region. In our own times, there is commentary from modern explorers and travellers, writers and scientists, who explain what the South Pole means to them. Among those featured are Edmund Hillary, Vivian Fuchs, Ranulph Fiennes and Borge Ousland. Stunning images by Herbert Ponting and Frank Hurley, and from the personal collections of explorers and adventure photographers, as well as contemporary ephemera and artefacts, illustrate the hardships of life on the ice. The authors have woven together the narrative of this enduring human quest with individual stories to place the Scott-Amundsen race in historical context and consider its legacy in the manhaulers, extreme skiers and adventure tourists of today. In the 21st century the South Pole remains an international stage for ambition and personal endeavour. [Description from Publisher]

Description from Publisher: Through the lives of legendary climbers and mountaineers, Mountain Heroes presents an epic account of endurance, enterprise, heroism and fellowship in the wildest of places. Come face to face with those who have spent their lives at altitude: explorers and pioneering travelers, intrepid ice climbers and extreme skiers, ecologists, photographers, and film-makers. \ud The weathered faces of black-and-white portraiture from the world's great collections are displayed alongside modern photographs by a group of leading adventure photographers, such as Glen Denny, Cory Richards, and Gordon Wiltsie. Among those featured are Sir Edmund Hillary, Tom Hornbein, Conrad Kain, Yvon Chouinard, George Mallory, Alex Lowe, Lynn Hill, Reinhold Messner, Tenzing Norgay, Joe Simpson, Jim Whittaker, Galen Rowell, Edward Whymper, Royal Robbins, Pat Morrow, Fred Beckey, Steph Davis, Marko Prezelj, Kit Deslauriers, Dean Potter, and Steve House. A unique and beautifully designed book, Mountain Heroes also includes special contributions from admired members of the mountaineering community, including Sir Chris Bonington, Stephen Venables, and Doug Scott.

Description from Publisher: A lavish collection of spectacular photography above and below the ocean waves, this book is a stunning visual celebration of the explorers and scientists, naval officers and yachtsmen, fishermen and divers, who have harnessed, surveyed and investigated the great oceans of the world and in so doing have broadened the horizons of our understanding. Atmospheric black-and-white prints from the finest maritime collections and leading photographers such as Annie Leibovitz appear alongside modern imagery by leading marine photographers Rick Tomlinson and Nigel Millard. Completely international in its scope, some of the famous names to appear include Robert FitzRoy, Jacques Cousteau, Robert D Ballard, Wilfried Erdman, Isambard Kingdom Brunel, Sarah Campbell and Ben Ainslie.

Description from Publisher: The Arctic is warming faster than any other region on earth. This rapid climate change has had a devastating effect on the region's ecology and, consequently, on the Inuit people who depend on the Arctic ice for their livelihood and culture. Hailed as one of the greatest documentary photographers of our times, Ragnar Axelsson has been recording the changing face of life in the Arctic for some 30 years. First published in 2010 and with an extended second edition in 2013, Last Days of the Arctic presents 160 of his stunning photographs from Canada and Greenland, with superb duotone printing, captions added for the black-and-white photographs and new images. Axelsson's gorgeous photographs show vast glaciers, sleds gliding across ice and houses buried in snow, but they also depict how the Inuit's changing way of life foresees the changes that are on their way to the rest of the world. The first edition of Last Days of the Arctic won critical acclaim, with photo features in The New York Times. Nominated Book of the Year in the Times, it was described as a ‘gift for the eyes, mind and heart’. The book was named one of the best photography books by the Sunday Times and Germany’s Die Welt. Axelsson's documentary of the same name was aired on the BBC and elsewhere, also to acclaim.

Description from Publisher: An exploration of pioneering polar photography and modern portraiture, Face to Face: Polar Portraits brings together in a single volume both rare, unpublished treasures from the historic collections of the Scott Polar Research Institute (SPRI), University of Cambridge, 'face to face' with cutting-edge modern imagery from expedition photographer Martin Hartley. The first book to examine the history and role of polar exploration photography, Face to Face features the first portraits of explorers, some of the earliest photographs of the Inuit, the first polar photographs to appear in a book, and rare images never before published from many of the Heroic-Age Antarctic expeditions. In addition to this remarkable collection is a foreword written by Sir Ranulph Fiennes; a fascinating exploration into 'photography then' - the history of photography and its role in shaping our vision of the polar hero by historian and curator of art at SPRI, Dr Huw Lewis-Jones; a discussion between Dr Lewis-Jones and Martin Hartley about 'photography now', focusing on the essential role that photography plays in modern polar adventuring; and an afterword entitled 'The Boundaries of Light' by the acclaimed anthropologist and author Hugh Brody.