The Home of the Blizzard: The Story of the Australasian Antarctic Expedition, 1911-1914

“Outside the bowl of chaos was brimming with drift-snow and, as I lay in the sleeping-bag beside my dead companion, I wondered how I would manage to break and pitch camp single-handed.” ~ Douglas Mawson

The Home of the Blizzard is a tale of discovery and adventure in the Antarctic – of pioneering deeds, great courage, heart-stopping rescues and heroic perseverance. This classic book is also a detailed account of the Australasian Antarctic Expedition’s daily subsistence on the icy continent, its scientific endeavours, and Douglas Mawson’s epic sledge journey in 1912-13 during which his companions, Ninnis, and Mertz, both perished.

It is illustrated with over ninety original photographs depicting the wildlife, the harsh living conditions, and the spirit of the explorers.

Mawson’s writings were first published, in two volumes, in 1915. An abridged popular edition was published in 1930. This facsimile edition of the abridged popular edition was first published in 1996.

Douglas Mawson was born in Yorkshire in 1882, and moved to Australia, with his family, in 1884. Throughout his life he made important contributions to many fields of science, including geology, forestry, and conservation.

Mawson is best remembered, though, as a pioneering explorer of the Antarctic region. His polar feats so excited public imagination that thousands of admirers once carried him down the main street of Adelaide.

He was knighted for his achievements in 1914, and his death, in 1958, was marked by a state funeral.