Book Review: Life in the Freezer

Life in the Freezer was the first natural history television series that captured my imagination. It was the first time I asked for a TV series on VHS (2 tapes) and I even sent away for the prints, which was an offer with the video. But it wasn't until fairly recently that I found out that a book was available to accompany the series.

I'm quite a fan of book and series accompaniments, especially those from the BBC Natural History Unit. This was, in 1995, Alastair Fothergill's first outing as a popular science author and he definitely pulls it off. It seems that Life in the Freezer was the first 'big' series that David Attenborough was involved in that wasn't of his own orchestration. The idea was that of Mr. Fothergill's and he managed the whole process. Anyway, on to the book...

The Antarctic is a place of superlatives and the author could have probably gotten away with facts and figures as (I believe) this was the first real documentary about Antarctic wildlife and the people that explore and work on the continent. However, this book is so much more than that. While in the recent Africa series, they made a big deal about telling us stories that we didn't know - these stories have always had a place in BBC nature documentaries - and they are thankfully present in this tome. One story that stands out is that of the sheathbill bird. The author describes the sheathbill as a bird that "Nobody except another sheathbill could describe as being attractive". Unfortunately there is no photograph to let us view such an ugly bird for ourselves in the book. However, a google search shows me that I find that description a bit harsh - it looks like a puffy white pigeon with a bit of an odd face to me! We find that these birds will rely on 'food' such as penguin faeces, but will also tunnel under the nest of incubating shags and steal their egg right from under them! A wonderful story of life in the Antarctic.

The book doesn't fail visually either. Maps are used in each of the eight chapters and provide a wealth of information from the maximum extent of ice throughout the year to pointing out where the various places discussed in the book actually lay. There are some wonderful photographs in the book too, mainly provided by Ben Osborne, who was commissioned at the time to provide these special photographs. One photograph that really stands out from the photographs of cute seals and baby penguins, is that of a giant petrel. The face and neck of which is covered in the bright red blood of an elephant seal carcass.

The book is old, I understand that, but for me it stands the test of time. It is a wonderful read. So, while some of the data many be out of date it is worth your time because of the photographs, the maps, and the expressive writing - which is powerful enough in one paragraph to have you making travel plans to the Antarctic yourself, but in the next paragraph have you turning the heating up and making a hot chocolate; thankful that you're not there!

If it's easily available, do read it!

Own or Loan:         Loan
Read Again:           No
Recommend:         Yes
Overall out of Five:3