Aurora: Douglas Mawson and The Australasian Antarctic Expedition 1911-14

In 1911 Douglas Mawson organised and led the Australasian Antarctic Expedition (AAE) - a scientific investigation of the Antarctic on a scale never before considered. At the same time it was responsible for the exploration of vastly more territory than any other Antarctic expedition. It consisted of three land bases operated by 32 men, seven major sledging journeys (as well as numerous shorter ones), and a full oceanographic program in addition to its shore-based scientific studies. Yet what was intended by Mawson to be a scientific exercise devoid of heroic adventure, also proved to be a tale of death, determination, and raw courage. This is the first examination of the full expedition since Mawson’s ‘The Home of the Blizzard’ was published in 1915.