Included in Douglas Mawson’s Antarctic Diaries is a list of books included in the equipment of the British Antarctic Expedition of 1908-09, led by Shackleton aboard Nimrod in which Mawson served as “Physicist” of the expedition. The books are mentioned in Mawson’s Antarctic Diaires, ed. By Fred & Eleanor Jacka (Sydney 1988) p. 6 under the entry for 12 January 1908. The original pencil ms. diary is Notebook 2 (16 December 1908 – 10 February 1909, entitled “Douglas Mawson, his diary of journey from depot on shore of Ross Sea, N of Drygalski Glacier to South Magnetic Pole” (Jacka, p. xiii). The handwritten list is in most cases quite specific about the edition and these have been relatively easy to identify
In the following transcripts of this list, the original text appears in boldface, followed by imprints for the likely editions, transferred from the international data bases of RLIN, WorldCat, or COPAC. In trying to identify probable editions included we have favored the British editions most likely available in Australia, and editions closest in time to the outset of the expedition. Some editions cannot be identified (e.g. the Koran or “several scientific pamphlets”) and are so noted. Some physical volumes are still extant and where known that has been indicated as well.
“The Voyages of the “Discovery” by Capt. R.F.Scott Vols. I & II London, Smith Elder & Co.
Scott, Robert Falcon. The Voyage of the ‘Discovery’. Illustrations by E. A. Wilson. Two volumes. London: Smith, Elder, 1905.
Voyages of the “Discovery” by Capt. R.F.Scott Vols. I & II London, Smith Elder & Co.
Scott, Robert Falcon. The Voyage of the ‘Discovery’. Illustrations by E. A. Wilson. Two volumes. London: Smith, Elder, 1905.
On the “Polar Star” in the Arctic Sea by his Royal Highness, Luigi Amedeo of Savoy, Duke of the Abrizzi, translated by William le Jeune Vols. I & II London, Hutchinson & Co. 1903
Savoia, Luigi Amedeo di, duca degli Abruzzi. On the “Polar Star” in the Arctic Sea. Translated by William le Queux. Two volumes. London: Hutchinson & Co., 1903.
Hints to Travellers IXth Edition. Vols. I & II Edited for the Royal Geographical Society by E. A. Reeve London, Royal Geographical Society 1906
Royal Geographical Society (Great Britain). Hints to Travellers, Scientific and General. Ninth edition. Edited…by E.A. Reeves. Two volumes. London: Royal Geographical Society, 1906.
A Popular Guide to the Heavens by R. S. Ball George & Philip & Son Ltd., London 1905
Ball, Robert Stawell, Sir. A Popular Guide to the Heavens…. London: G. Philip & Son, 1905.
British New Guinea from the “Sovereignty 1884-1888 Theodore F Bevan
Bevan, Theodore Francis. Toil, Travel, and Discovery in British New Guinea. London: Kegan Paul, Trench, Trübner, 1890.
Haydn’s Dictionary of Dates by B. Vincent 24th Edition Ward Lock & Co. London 1906
Haydn, Joseph Timothy. Haydn’s Dictionary of Dates and Universal Information Relating to All Ages and Nations…. 24th Edition. London: Ward, Lock, 1906.
Congres International pour les etudes des Regions Polaires Series A (?) Bruxelles 7-11 Sept. 1906 Rapport d’ensemble
Congrès international pour l’étude des régions polaires. 1st, Brussels, 1906. Congrès international pour l’étude des régions polaires tenu à Bruxelles du 7 au 11 septembre 1906, sous le haut patronage du gouvernement belge. Rapport d’ensemble. Documents préliminaires et compte rendu des séances. Bruxelles, Belgium: Hayez, 1906.
Report of the Second Norwegian Arctic in the “Fram” 1898 – 1902 Gunn Isachsens Ast. & Geod. Observations. Published by Videnskabs Selskabet, Kristiania 1907
"Fram" Expedition (2nd: 1898-1902). Report of the Second Norwegian Arctic Expedition in the "Fram," 1898-1902. Kristiania: T.O. Brøgger, 1907-30.
Three Years in the Arctic Service by A. W. Greely Vols. I & II Richard Bentley and Son, London 1890
Greely, Adolphus W. Three Years of Arctic Service; An Account of the Lady Franklin Bay Expedition of 1881-84…. Two volumes. London: R. Bentley, 1886. [A second edition appeared in the same year.]
The first crossing of Greenland by Nansen Trans. by M. Gepp Vols. I & II Longman Green & Co. London 1890
Nansen, Fridtjof. The First Crossing of Greenland. Two volumes. London: Longman Green, 1890.
Fighting the Polar Ice by A. Fiala Hodder and Stoughton, London 1907
Fiala, Anthony. Fighting the Polar Ice. London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1907. [First published in New York, 1906.]
Farthest North by F. Nansen Vols. I & II Geo. Newnes Ltd., London 1898
Nansen, Fridtjof. Fridtjof Nansen’s "Farthest North": Being the Record of a Voyage of Exploration of the Ship Fram 1893-96 and of a Fifteen Months’ Sleigh Journey by Dr. Nansen and Lieut. Johansen. With an appendix by Otto Sverdrup. London: G. Newnes, 1898.
The World of Today by A.R. Hope Moncrieff 6 Vols. The Graham Publishing Co., London c. 1905-6
Moncrieff, Ascott Robert Hope is the author but I am unable to locate these volumes. It appears that Moncrieff published a number of topographical books on English counties and they may have been part of this unidentified series.
Book of Quotations W. G. Benham Cassel & Co. Ltd.
Benham, William Gurney. Cassell’s Book of Quotations, Proverbs and Household Words…. London: Cassell, 1907.
Dictionary of National Biography ed. by Sidney Lee Smith, Elder & Co. , London 1906
Dictionary of National Biography. Index and Epitome. Edited by Sidney Lee. Second edition. London: Smith, Elder, 1906.
Arctic Exploration by J. Dreyfus Hoare Methuen & Co. London 1906
Hoare, J. Douglas. Arctic Exploration. London: Methuen, 1906.
Ross’s Second Voyage in search of the North West Passage 1829-33 Paris, A & W Galignani & Co. 1 1835
Ross, John. Narrative of a Second Voyage in Search of a North-West Passage…[1829-33]. Paris: Galignani, 1835.
A Whaling Cruise in Baffin Bay by Capt. A.H. Markham RN Sampson Low, Martin Low & Searle, London 1874
Markham, Albert Hastings. A Whaling Cruise to Baffin’s Bay and the Gulf of Boothia; and an Account of the Rescue of the Crew of the “Polaris”. London: S. Low, Marston, Low, and Searle, 1874.
Voyage to the Polar Seas in H.M Ships “Alert” and “Discovery” Capt. G. S. Nares Vols. I & II Sampson Low, Marston, Searle & Rivington, London 1878
Nares, George Strong. Narrative of a Voyage to the Polar Sea during 1875-6 in H.M. Ships ‘Alert and ‘Discovery…. Third edition. Two volumes. London: S. Low, Marston, Searle, & Rivington, 1878.