Otherworldly Antarctica by Edmund Stump

Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Otherworldly Antarctica:

I wanna go!

Quick synopsis:

A photographic look at Antarctica from a long-time visitor.

Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like:

Antarctica is a desert.

Fun Fact for History Nerds:

Ice covers 98% of Antarctica which is 90% of Earth’s ice and 70% of our fresh water.

My Take on Otherworldly Antarctica:

I’m much older, but I still love picture books. I’m not sure what that says about me, but can you blame me when the pictures look as good as Edmund Stump’s Otherworldly Antarctica? Take a look and I’ll bet you would cut me some slack.

Stump made a book of pictures he took over 40 years of visiting the very cold continent at the bottom of the world. I knew I would like Stump’s energy when he states in the preface how “psyched” he was to visit Antarctica. His writing is minimal for the most part and while there are some great stories such as climbing with his brother, the stars of the book are of course the photos.

I should point out that I am a sucker for anything Antarctica and it is number 1 on my “places to visit but probably won’t because life isn’t fair.” However, not only do the photos range from grand to amazingly intimate (as in close up, don’t be weird), the fact that some were taken decades ago adds a bit of a retro vibe. Get this book and put it on the coffee table so people know how cool you are.

(This book was provided as an advance copy by Netgalley and University of Chicago Press.)

Verdict:

For super cool people. Buy it here!

If You Liked This Try:

• David Day, Antarctica