Oates was the epitome of the Victorian English gentleman - a dashing cavalry officer who won numerous victories at racecourses throughout Ireland. He died on his 32nd birthday in an Antarctica blizzard in 1912.

Account of the thrilling race to the south pole. With an introduction by Fridtjof Nansen.

The story of the remarkable Tom Crean who ran away to sea aged 15 and played a memorable role in Antarctic exploration. He spent more time in the unexplored Antarctic than Scott or Shackleton, and outlived both. Among the last to see Scott alive, Crean was in the search party that found the frozen body. An unforgettable story of triumph over unparalleled hardship and deprivation.

On 17 March 1912, Lawrence 'Titus' Oates crawled bootless from a tent to his death in blizzard conditions of -40°C. Oates, always an outsider on Scott's Polar expedition, died on his 32nd birthday. His parting words were: 'I am just going outside and may be some time.' Oates was the epitome of the Victorian English gentleman: a public schoolboy who became a dashing cavalry officer and hero in the Boer War. Stationed in Ireland from 1902 to 1906, his passion became horse racing and he won numerous victories at racecourses throughout Ireland. Oates' austere and dominating mother blamed Scott for her son's death and was among the first to challenge the accepted version of events. She continued to control his memory long after his death, keeping his diary and letters hidden, even ordering their destruction from her deathbed. Oates always had difficulty forming lasting relationships with women. He died without realising that he was a father. The story of how Oates died, unaware of his daughter, has been a closely guarded secret until now. This is a compelling and heart-rending story of endurance, bravery and folly. From the author of TOM CREAN: AN UNSUNG HERO

Part historical essay, part scientific article, and part enthralling diary-Roald Amundsen's (1872-1928) book presents intriguing documentation about how his expedition reached the South Pole on December 14, 1911, just one month ahead of his rival, Robert Scott. Amundsen organized his gripping account using what is referred to in the film industry as the zooming technique. It starts in the past, examining the history of Antarctic exploration in different eras, and then moves ahead to describe how his own expedition was created, its organization, the slow stages involved in preparing for departure and, finally, the heart-stopping excitement of the race to the South Pole. Supplementing the vivid first-person text are black-and-white archival photographs illustrating the actual expedition, and color photographs depicting the landscape of Antarctica.

Bill Manhire takes the books and poems he loves out of the pupil and lecture hall and returns them to their readers. In these pages unlikely people rub shoulders - Ralph Hotere and Philip Larkin, Sylivia Plath and James K. Baxter, Maurice Gee and Laura Ranger - Then along the way Manhire investigates why the world's best poems sound like dirty songs, tell outrageous lies, and thrive on their own mistakes. These essays and interviews will not tell you what to think, but they will probably inspire you to do your own thinking.

A guide to writing poetry covers different poetic forms, structures and techniques.