Cheltenham in Antarctica; The Life of Edward Wilson

Cheltenham, UK: Reardon Press, 2000. First Edition. Slipcased. Fine. E. A. Wilson. Special edition boxed, #118 of 500 limited copies, Signed by Authors, [8.5x6in]; 144 pp., 12 color plates and over 100 black and white illustrations; Black leather covers with gilt lettering on spine and inset color portrait of Wilson on front, illustrated end papers, all edges trimmed; Black cloth slipcase with publishers box; Negligible wear. From the introduction, Edward Adrian Wilson (1872- 1912) "... was one of the major influences and personalities of the heroic age of Antarctic exploration and has also been recognised as one of the top ranking ornithologists and naturalists in the United Kingdom during this period. He was also one of the last great scientific expedition artists."

He was a member of both of Robert Falcon Scott's expeditions to Antarctica on Discovery in 1901-1904 and Terra Nova in 1910- 1913 as a zoologist and doctor. This book adds to the few that have been written by or about him, notably by George Seaver and others. It draws on the "... work of Edward Wilson's father, on the published diaries, and on George Seaver. D.M. Wilson is his great nephew and David B. Elder, a local Cheltenham librarian, have produced this biography that uses images and illustrations that have not been published before. The book is also about Cheltanham and the influence the community had on Wilson and how he lived his short, but extraordinary life.

It is evident from other Antarctic accounts that Wilson had a great influence and impact on the members of the expeditions and carried through to his death with Scott on the return journey from the South Pole in 1912.