Hillary's Antarctica

Beautifully illustrated with Jane Ussher's photographs of the hut restoration in Antarctica, plus historic images and never-before-seen ephemera and diary entries, this is a treasure. Sir Edmund and New Zealand were supposed to be a support act to the British Commonwealth Antarctic crossing party. By heading on to the South Pole and reaching it before the crossing party, Hillary exceeded the brief. His actions created tensions, unleashed a media storm, and denied the British a historic first overland to the South Pole since Captain Scott. Hillary even had the audacity to achieve the feat with three farm tractors. Nevertheless, in doing so, Sir Ed Hillary added another fascinating chapter to the exploration annals of Antarctica and he, and his expedition team, laid the foundations for New Zealand's continuous, and increasingly important, presence in Antarctica.

Nigel Watson is the Executive Director of Antarctic Heritage Trust. The Trust cares, among other heritage sites, for the expedition bases left by Captain Scott and Ernest Shackleton in Antarctica. He has led, or participated in, expeditions to Antarctica annually over that time. Jane Ussher is one of New Zealand's foremost portrait photographers, best known for the impressive body of work she developed during 29 years as chief photographer at the New Zealand Listener.