“Earl de Blonville is a great, but unsung, Australian hero, courageous, strong, confident, and with outstanding leadership qualifications. His book is a powerful account of an expedition that he led to East Greenland in 1986. Australia has had a long involvement in Antarctica, and the achievements of Douglas Mawson and Phillip Law are widely recognised.Continue reading “Against all odds”
Tag Archives: Earle de Blonville
Refreshing honesty
“Australia’s reputation for Antarctic exploration and research is well known. Not so well-known is the country’s foray into the Arctic that Earl de Blonville describes in this book. The story is told with a refreshing honesty that obliges readers to consider what they themselves might have done in the challenging circumstances. It sanitises neither theContinue reading “Refreshing honesty”
Captures reality
“There is a vast contrast between the hardships of polar travel and the stories that people tell afterwards. I recall very well the stark difference between the harsh reality of a long overland traverse of Antarctica and the post-hoc heroic rationalisations of some of my expedition members. Earl de Blonville has convincingly captured the realityContinue reading “Captures reality”
Un-put-downable!
“In a word, this book is literally ‘un-put-downable’! The author disarms us with his self-deprecatory style, the lightness of the atmosphere, the ready admission of mistakes and even a questioning of his own capacity to bring it all off! The book is a rollicking adventure, the descriptions of nature in all her beauty and ferocityContinue reading “Un-put-downable!”
Still life
East Greenland offers extremes. In early winter, hurricanes of 140 knots or 260 kph blast down from the 10,000′ icecap destroying anything not bolted down or concreted in. But in the height of summer, the air can be breathless calm and the fjords as still as a mirror. This picture by a Tasmanian sea kayaker revealsContinue reading “Still life”
Earle de Blonville: Official Blog 