The silence calling : Australians in Antarctica 1947-1997

The Silence Calling is Tim Bowden's exemplary record of their [Australian's in Antarctica] achievementPeter Pierce, Australian Book Review[The Silence Calling] is full of drama and adventure and a sense of the last frontier.Yvonne Preston, Canberra TimesBooks simply don't get much better than this.

Tim Bowden's 600-page saga about the Earth's last great wilderness, its only untamed frontier is an epic work befitting the beauty and the terror of Antarctica.Sunday TelegraphThe Silence Calling is a fascinating and often moving account of the work and life of Australians in Antarctica.

It traces the development of the Australian National Antarctic Research Expedition (ANARE) from the first day the Australian flag was raised on Australia's remote Southern Ocean outpost of Heard Island on Boxing Day 1947 up to the present day. Thousands of men and women from all over Australia and from many backgrounds have lived, worked and, indeed, played in that dangerous, hostile and overwhelmingly beautiful environment to become part of Australia's Antarctic legend. However, The Silence Calling is not just about personal endeavour and hardship; it is also about exploration, discovery and Australia's significant contribution to international scientific research. The Silence Calling is the culmination of four years' work by noted broadcaster and historian Tim Bowden, who was commissioned by the Australian Antarctic Division to write this book.

He has spent many months in Antarctica in pursuit of the elusive qualities that make ANARE and its people unique.

The story he tells combines courage, endurance, beauty, drama and personal tragedy to trace the achievements of an extraordinary community of people.