Antarctica is the world's fifth largest continent. It is not just the snow and ice of popular imagination -- though both are abundant -- but it also has a fascinating wealth of birds and mammals and even plant life. Professor Stonehouse has drawn on more than 50 years experience of Antarctica to produce a guide that will appeal to all. History, geology, wildlife and the environment are here with plenty of jargon-free scientific information and all written in an engaging and refreshing style.