Ice in the Rigging: Ships of the Antarctic 1699–1937

Throughout much of the time Antarctica has been known to humanity, ships, especially sailing ships, were the only way of reaching the frozen continent. Mitchener tells the gripping stories of these ships and those who sailed them on the toughest maritime assignment of all.

It is easy to forget the extreme hazards faced by the early venturers in this icy wilderness since the romantic age of sail has been overtaken by modern ice-class vessels. But hundreds of years ago the bravest of mariners took their tiny sailing craft across the furious westerlies and deep into the pack ice, simply to see what was there. What they found led others to risk their own lives, for national pride or commercial gain. Mitchener brings to life those early days in one well-researched comprehensive volume covering over 140 vessels. This is the definitive history of the ships that ventured into Antarctic waters for exploration or commerce. This book weighs 3.5 pounds.