New Maps and Graphics That Tell the Story of A Continent

Antarctic Atlas

A FINANCIAL TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR 2020 
SHORTLISTED FOR THE ESTWA AWARD FOR ILLUSTRATED TRAVEL BOOK OF THE YEAR 2022 
 
One of the least-known places on the planet, the only continent on earth with no indigenous population, Antarctica is a world apart. From a leading cartographer with the British Antarctic Survey, this new collection of maps and data reveals Antarctica as we have never seen it before. 
 
This is not just a book of traditional maps. It measures everything from the thickness of ice beneath our feet to the direction of ice flows. It maps volcanic lakes, mountain ranges the size of the Alps and gorges longer than the Grand Canyon, all hidden beneath the ice. It shows us how air bubbles trapped in ice tell us what the earth's atmosphere was like 750,000 years ago, proving the effects of greenhouse gases. Colonies of emperor penguins abound around the coastline, and the journeys of individual seals around the continent and down to the sea bed in search of food have been intricately tracked and mapped. Twenty-nine nations have research stations in Antarctica and their unique architecture is laid out here, along with the challenges of surviving in Antarctica'sunforgiving environment. 
 
Antarctica is also the frontier of our fight against climate change. If its ice melts, it will swamp almost every coastal city in the world. Antarctic Atlas illustrates the harsh beauty and magic of this mysterious continent, and shows how, far from being abstract, it has direct relevance to us all.

These mesmerising maps offer sparklingly clear prospects of an otherwise almost incomprehensible terrain

Tells the story of Antarctica in maps and shows the continent in ways never seen before

A cartographer and scientist with the British Antarctic Survey, Fretwell has created 70 new maps each revealing different aspects of the icy continent. We learn the locations of the "pole of ignorance", the world's driest place, and the largest penguin colonies, but also about the human history and politics of the region and - alarmingly - what Antarctica might look like once all the ice is gone.

Shows Antarctica in wonderful detail ... Peter Fretwell tells the tale of Antarctica through a collection of carefully constructed maps setting out the continent's geology, people and nature

A collection of maps and data from a leading cartographer seen in a new and fresh way ... really informative

Peter Fretwell is an award-winning cartographer and leading scientist at the British Antarctic Survey. He pioneered the use of satellite imagery to find and monitor polar wildlife, a project that has led to him discovering almost half of the world's emperor penguin colonies. He is a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and has completed four field seasons in Antarctica. He lives near Cambridge with his wife and family.

One of the least-known places on the planet, the only continent on earth with no indigenous population, Antarctica is a world apart. From a leading cartographer with the British Antarctic Survey, this new collection of maps and data reveals Antarctica as we have never seen it before. 
 
This is not just a book of traditional maps. It measures everything from the thickness of ice beneath our feet to the direction of ice flows. It maps volcanic lakes, mountain ranges the size of the Alps and gorges longer than the Grand Canyon, all hidden beneath the ice. It shows us how air bubbles trapped in ice tell us what the earth's atmosphere was like 750,000 years ago, proving the effects of greenhouse gases. Colonies of emperor penguins abound around the coastline, and the journeys of individual seals around the continent and down to the sea bed in search of food have been intricately tracked and mapped. Twenty-nine nations have research stations in Antarctica and their unique architecture is laid out here, along with the challenges of surviving in Antarctica'sunforgiving environment. 
 
Antarctica is also the frontier of our fight against climate change. If its ice melts, it will swamp almost every coastal city in the world. Antarctic Atlas illustrates the harsh beauty and magic of this mysterious continent, and shows how, far from being abstract, it has direct relevance to us all.

Peter Fretwell

Lisa Fretwell

The world's best-loved bird from the world's best-known publisher - what's not to like?!

Penguins are at once the most iconic of birds, and the least familiar, to those of us who have never visited the frozen south – this beautifully written and illustrated book is just what is needed to change the latter. Packed with information, from the purely scientific to the broadly cultural, it is admirably thorough but always utterly readable, and brings to vivid life an extraordinary avian family

Simply wonderful! If you like feeling joy, you'll love this book. How have we managed without it?

Wedge-winged waddlers on land; sublime swimmers in southern seas, penguins are some of the most popular birds in all the world. This ace, accessible celebration of all the species - from Kings to Emperors, Gentoos to Macaroons - deftly mixes natural history and human history to explain both their enduring appeal and the many challenges they face

Always work with penguins. They are electrifyingly charismatic. When you run out of things to say or film, just cut to a penguin. The audience love them. It’s the Penguin Rule. Glad to see Penguin have embraced it in style

A lovely paean to penguins. Fretwell’s fascination for these birds is infectious and you come away from reading this warm, encyclopaedic book full of wonder for the penguins and the unique ways these birds have adapted to survive in some the most extreme places on the planet

Beguilingly illustrated by Lisa Fretwell

Celebrate 90 years of a publishing powerhouse with an ode to one of the world’s best-loved birds, written by the polar scientist Peter Fretwell and illustrated by his artist wife Lisa

In a perfect match of form and function one of the world’s favourite publishers delivers the last word on one of the world’s favourite birds. Peter Fretwell, the lead scientist at the British Antarctic Survey and his wife Lisa Fretwell, an artist and teacher, have produced a charming, beautifully-illustrated handbook on all things penguin. Rich with science, history and first-hand encounters this is the perfect book for the penguin person in your life

Peter Fretwell writes with concision and a lightness of touch which make absorbing complicated facts about penguins a joy

The publishing company Penguin, which is celebrating its 90th anniversary, has produced a new book – about its mascot bird. The Penguin Book of Penguins is written by Peter Fretwell, a cartographer and scientist at the British Antarctic Survey, and illustrated by his artist wife, Lisa, who's drawings enliven The Penguin Book of Penguins

An Expert’s Guide to the World’s Most Beloved Bird

'An ode to one of the world’s best-loved birds' Harper’s Bazaar 
 
'The perfect book for the penguin person in your life' Daunt Books 
 
'A joy' Horatio Clare, The Spectator 
 
‘Electrifyingly charismatic’ Dan Snow, author of On This Day in History 
 
‘The world's best-loved bird from the world's best-known publisher – what's not to like?’ Stephen Moss, author of The Bird Biography series 
 
'Simply wonderful. If you like feeling joy, you'll love this book' Tristan Gooley, author of How to Read a Tree 
 
‘Beautifully written and illustrated’ Matt Merritt, Editor of Bird Watching 
 
* 
 
A charming and beautifully illustrated book about the world’s most beloved bird, written by Peter Fretwell, a leading scientist at The British Antarctic Survey, and illustrated by Lisa Fretwell. 
 
There’s something about penguins that makes them irresistible. Maybe it’s their comical waddle, their black-and-white ‘tuxedo’ plumage, or their apparent cheerfulness in the face of extreme weather conditions. Whatever the reason, their cult following around the globe is indisputable. Penguins can tell us so much about the world we live in – and what the future of both our species might look like. 
 
In The Penguin Book of Penguins, leading British Antarctic scientist Peter Fretwell introduces us to eighteen charismatic species of penguin and the fascinating lives they lead: their evolution, behaviours and habitats, and their history with humans. From the fact that emperor penguins dive twice as deep as any other bird, to the story of a king penguin called Sir Nils Olav III who was made a Major General by the Norwegian Army, we discover through fascinating first-hand encounters (and even penguin jokes and emojis!) why penguins matter so greatly to all of us.

Peter Fretwell

Praise for The Penguin Book of Penguins

The world's best-loved bird from the world's best-known publisher - what's not to like?!

Penguins are at once the most iconic of birds, and the least familiar, to those of us who have never visited the frozen south – this beautifully written and illustrated book is just what is needed to change the latt ...

Simply wonderful! If you like feeling joy, you'll love this book. How have we managed without it?

The world's best-loved bird from the world's best-known publisher - what's not to like?!

Penguins are at once the most iconic of birds, and the least familiar, to those of us who have never visited the frozen south – this beautifully written and illustrated book is just what is needed to change the latt ...

Simply wonderful! If you like feeling joy, you'll love this book. How have we managed without it?

The world's best-loved bird from the world's best-known publisher - what's not to like?!

Penguins are at once the most iconic of birds, and the least familiar, to those of us who have never visited the frozen south – this beautifully written and illustrated book is just what is needed to change the latt ...

Simply wonderful! If you like feeling joy, you'll love this book. How have we managed without it?

Books by Peter Fretwell

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