Mawson: A Life - Hardcover

Ayres, Philip

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0522848117 ISBN 13: 9780522848113

Publisher: Melbourne University Publishing, 1999

Synopsis

In the heroic age of polar exploration, Sir Douglas Mawson stands in the first rank. His Antartic expeditions of 1911-14 and 1929-31 resulted in Australia's claiming 40 per cent of the sixth continent. The sole survivor of an epic 300-mile trek, Mawson was also a scientist of national stature.
Philip Ayres has now uncovered, from many unpublished sources, a complex and interesting figure. He portrays Mawson the geo-politician with influential friends and rivals who, in 1942, offered his services to Prime Minister Curtin as Ambassador to Washington. In the Antartic darkness of 1913, he confronted the bewildered delusions of a companion who believed himself to be Jesus Christ. During the Great War, he compiled detailed reports on chemical weapons during visits to the vast war factories of England.
Ayres also shows us the devoted husband of Paquita; the social Mawson of the Adelaide Club; the scientist within his national and international networks; the geologist who in 1924 failed to get the Sydney Chair; and the litigious Mawson, suing or threatening suit against associates who failed him.
In this biography, Philip Ayres not only illuminates Douglas Mawson's many achievements but also enables us to know and understand him as a human being.
The book's many illustrations include reproductions of exquisite early colour photographs from the Antartic expedition of 1911-14.

About this title

About the Author:

Dr Philip Ayres is Associate Professor of English Literature at Monash University.

Review:

' . . . by unearthing a massive amount of new material, using thousands of previously unpublished personal letters and expeditioners' diary notes, Ayres manages to chip away the ice to reveal the man inside that well-known image of a knight in woollen armour.' -- Paul Heinrichs, The Age, 9 August 1999

' . . . in this definitive biography . . . Ayres reveals a man whose passions extended far beyond the frozen continent that made him famous.' -- Peter Laud, Sunday Times, 29 August 1999

'Ayres has given us a carefully researched work that will be of special value to those with an existing interest in Mawson, geology, Antarctica, or in Adelaide society of the time.' -- Bary Dowling, Weekend Australian, 25 September 1999

'Mawson is the product of a number of years of research. Philip Ayres has thus provided a significant contribution to our understanding of this eminent Australia.' -- Michael Daniel, News Weekly, October 1999

'Philip Ayres has researched neglected archives and brought forth a detailed account of an unknowable man. It is a valuable volume for the record.' -- Heather Rossiter, Quadrant, November, 1999

'Philip Ayres has written a splendid book: a copy should be in every polar library . . . [a] scholarly and meticulously researched book.' -- Malcolm Knight, Aurora, September 1999

'Philip Ayres' life of Mawson is a minor masterpiece of research . . . if you wish to know what Mawson did . . . you won't leave Ayres' book shortchanged. It is full of fascinating disclosures . . .' -- Gideon Haigh, The Age, 2 October 1999

About this edition

• Publisher: Melbourne University Publishing
• Publication date: 1999
• ISBN 10: 0522848117
• ISBN 13: 9780522848113
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 342