Sir John Richardson: Arctic Explorer, Natural Historian, Naval Surgeon.

Johnson, Robert E. London: Taylor & Francis, 1976.
  • Arctic Reading: General
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p. 71, when chief surgeon at Royal Naval Hospital Haslar: Richardson “was charged with caring for the hospital’s library and museum…. Between 1840 and 1850, he built up an important facility for research in natural history …and a first-rate library of natural history.” Visitors included Darwin, Lyell, Gray, and Hooker.

Reminiscences of a Voyage Around the World.

Davis, Raymond Cazallis. Ann Arbor, MI: Dr. Chase’s Steam Printing House, 1869.
  • 1849-51 American Circumnavigation (aboard Hampton).
  • Maritime Reading
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Written by an Assistant Librarian of the University of Michigan and son of the captain, who says he wrote it to increase an “insufficient salary.” First published in a weekly newspaper, readers he claims called for book publication. The author was early on a cabin boy, a job from which he was “ignominiously dismissed” for his greater interest in the world, than the world around him.

The Journal of Annie Holmes Ricketson on the Whaleship A. R. Tucker, 1871-1874: from the Original in the Kendall Whaling Museum.

Ricketson, Annie Holmes. (New Bedford, MA: Old Dartmouth Historical Society, 1958).
  • Whalemen's Reading
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A good example of the so-called petticoat whaler, the Captain’s wife., aboard the whaler A.R. Tucker. This is a fairly calm memoir with some observations about the business of whaling, and frequent reference to books, newspapers, and letters but seldom with any reading details.

Seamen’s Missions: Their Origin and Early Growth.

Kverndal, Roald. Pasadena, CA: William Carey Library, 1986.
  • Arctic Reading: General
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p. 106-7, on the influence of Lieutenant Richard Marks as an evangelical in the Napoleonic Wars who as minister expanded seaboard services on Nelson’s Conquerer including reading of Sunday prayers, a ship’s choir, and on arrival at home ports: Marks obtained Bibles for every mess, and several hundred tracks for distribution. (Henceforth, he seldom went between decks ‘without seeing some of the crew reading them.) He also organized a ship’s library of evangelical books, with over 150 subscribing members.

A Narrative of Arctic Discovery, from the Earliest Period to the Present Time, with the Details of the Measures Adopted by Her Majesty’s Government for the Relief of the Expedition under Sir John Franklin.

Stillinglaw, John J. London: William Shoberl, 1850.
  • Arctic Reading: Great Britain
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p. 114, Luke (Lucus) Fox on his own book: “Gentle reader,— expect not here any florishing phrases or eloquent tearmes, for this child of mine, begot in the north-west’s cold clime (where they breed no scholleers), is not able to digest the sweet milke of Rethorick, &c.”

Shackleton’s Forgotten Men: The Untold Tragedy of the Endurance Epic. [1914-17].

Bickel, Lennard. Foreword by Rt. Hon. Lord Shackleton. New York, Thunder’s Mouth Press and Balliett & Fitzgerald, 2000. (Adrenaline classics).
  • 1914-16 Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition (Shackleton on Endurance).
  • Antarctic Reading: Expeditions
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p. 72, May 6, 1915: Outside, they heard the bluster grow to gale force winds. Irvine Gaze and Stevens went early to their bunks. Spencer-Smith, as ever, was reading a book by the light of the acetylene lamp.

Daily Journal. Lady Franklin Bay Expedition (primarily temperature, animal, auroral, and magnetic observations). Explorer’s Club Inventory 2003-007. Each page bears stamp reading: “Recovered by Robert E. Peary, C. E., U.S.N., from Fort Conger, May, 1899, under the auspices of the Peary Arctic Club, and by it restored to the United States, December, 1899.

Greely, Adolphus W. These volumes are in good condition and show none of the wear seen in other Fort Conger books.
  • 1881-84 International Physical Year US Expedition to Lady Franklin Bay (led by Adolphus Greely).
  • Arctic Reading: United States
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The official records of the Lady Franklin Bay Expedition (1881-84) at the Explorers Club include the Daily Journal, copies of Letters sent, and the Sledge Journal.

The Wicked Mate: the Antarctic Diary of Victor Campbell. An Account of the Northern Party….

Campbell, Victor. Edited by H. G. R. King. Bluntisham, UK: Bluntisham books, 1988.
  • 1910-14 British National Antarctic Expedition (Scott on Terra Nova).
  • Antarctic Reading: Expeditions
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Campbell’s chief Antarctic activity was as first officer to Robert Falcon Scott on the Terra Nova expedition. As leader of the Northern Party (earlier called the Eastern Party), he led his team of six men while stranded for a winter in an ice cave on Inexpressible Island. On returning finally to Cape Evans and learning of Scott’s death, Campbell took command of the Terra Nova expedition.

The Last Voyage of Capt. Sir John Ross, R. N. Knt. To the Arctic Regions; For the Discovery of a North West Passage; Performed in the Years 1829-30-31-32 and 33.

Huish, Robert. To which is Prefixed an Abridgement of the Former Voyages… Transmitted by an Officer Attached to the Last Expedition. London: John Saunders, 1835.
  • 1829-33 British Private Second Voyage to the Northwest Passage (John Ross aboard Victory).
  • Arctic Reading: Great Britain
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Includes accounts of earlier British voyages to the high Arctic. Huish is wonderfully sardonic in viewing the whole operation from Captain Ross on down.

The Seaman’s Library Manual.

Howe, Herbert L. Prepared by Herbert L. Howe, Librarian. (New York: American Merchant Marine Library Association, 1939). unpaged.
  • Maritime Reading
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Intro. By Christopher Morley: I have seen the Green Box [American Seamen’s Friend Society library boxes] in use aboard American ships at sea, and I know what it means…to the reader off duty.

Griffith Taylor: Visionary Environmentalist Explorer.

Strange, Carolyn and Alison Bashford. Toronto: Univ. of Toronto Press, 2008.
  • 1910-14 British National Antarctic Expedition (Scott on Terra Nova).
  • Antarctic Reading: Expeditions
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Taylor was born in England but went to Australia at age 12, where he was a student of Edgeworth David, before studying in Cambridge 1907-09 (Emmanuel College). This biography presents him as a brilliant scientist but irascible, vain glorious, and sometimes mean-spirited. A geologist turned geographer he became an ardent geographic determinist, seeing both nature and man determined by their natural environment. He went on the Terra Nova expedition with Scott, and wrote about it in his With Scott: the Silver Lining, the silver lining being the scientific accomplishments of the expedition.

The Voyage of the Beagle

Darwin, Charles. Introduction by Catherine A. Henze. New York: Barnes & Noble, 2004.
  • Maritime Reading
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p. xv-xvi, Introduction: During this eventual circumnavigation of the globe, most of the time was spent first on the east, and secondarily on the west coasts of South America. With Darwin signed on as the captain’s companion, the vessel’s senior surgeon, Robert McCormick, was its naturalist. However, after only four months at sea, McCormick returned to England, because it was obvious that Darwin, nicked named “Philos,” short for “Ship’s Philosopher,” was FitzRoy’s preferred naturalist. Darwin brought with him the works of Shakespeare and Milton (taking Paradise Lost with him on his land excursions), and, more importantly, numerous scientific texts, including Charles Lyell’s Principles of Geology. (As subsequent volumes were published, Darwin had them sent from England). The tiny cabin FitzRoy and Darwin shared contained a library of some 245 volumes. Even though Darwin missed England, he was not cut off from its newspapers and journals which arrived regularly, and as much as possible, letters from home.