“It is difficult to read this engaging memoir without a smile on one’s face, such is the author’s enthusiasm for the world’s southernmost continent and its endemic penguin species, the Emperor…Francis’s descriptions of his visits to this spot, where 60,000 Emperors live in a ‘great penguin jamboree,’ add moments of sheer joy to this mesmerizing and memorable book.”—The Economist
“A highly readable, enjoyable account of one man’s year serving as a doctor at Halley Research Station… A keen observer of his surroundings, the author writes vividly of auroras, clouds, stars, sunlight, darkness, ice and snow… A literate, stylish memoir of personal adventure rich in history, geography and science.” —Kirkus
