With the "Aurora" in the Antarctic. 1911-1914 (First Edition)

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One of the rarer Antarctic voyage accounts.

As captain of the Aurora during Mawson's 1911-14 expedition, Davis was able to produce one of the few first-hand accounts available in print. His publishers, however, clearly had wartime difficulties with the book, most often seen today with its gilt lettering and decoration badly faded. Douglas Mawson led the Australian Antarctic Expedition (1911-1914) aboard the Aurora and Mawson's subsequent popular official account of the expedition, The Home of the Blizzard, offered an extensive overview. His book nonetheless failed to provide much detail about the ship's actual voyages. Davis, the ship's commander, therefore filled a gap in the literature by providing the present record of the Aurora's Antarctic service. Of the two works, Davis' has now become the rarer one.

First edition. London: Andrew Melrose, 1919. Large 8vo. Original dark-blue publisher's cloth. Pages: xxii, 183. Photographic frontispiece. Fold-out map at pp.178-179. 83 photographic plates. Numerous other maps, diagrams, and illustrations.

Original blue publisher's cloth. Lettering in gilt on cover and spine. Illustration of ship 'Aurora' in gilt on cover blocked in gilt. Good. Mild wearing to edges, corners, and creases. Some soiling and discolouration in parts to front and rear covers. Gilt dulled on spine. Binding is tight and square. End papers age toned. Some pages show minor markings.

Provenance: From the library of Warwick H. Williams.

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