Mawson's Will: The Greatest Polar Survival Story Ever Written

By: Lennard Bickel

Narrated by: Scott Slocum

Mawson's Will is the dramatic story of what Sir Edmund Hillary calls "the most outstanding solo journey ever recorded in Antarctic history". For weeks in Antarctica, Douglas Mawson faced some of the most daunting conditions ever known to man: blistering wind, snow, and cold; loss of his companion, his dogs and supplies, the skin on his hands and the soles of his feet; thirst, starvation, disease, snowblindness - and he survived.

Sir Douglas Mawson is remembered as the young Australian who would not go to the South Pole with Robert Scott in 1911, choosing instead to lead his own expedition on the less glamorous mission of charting nearly 1,500 miles of Antarctic coastline and claiming its resources for the British Crown. His party of three set out through the mountains across glaciers in 60-mile-per-hour winds. Six weeks and 320 miles out, one man fell into a crevasse, along with the tent, most of the equipment, all of the dogs' food, and all except a week's supply of the men's provisions.

Mawson's Will is the unforgettable story of one man's ingenious practicality and unbreakable spirit and how he continued his meticulous scientific observations even in the face of death. When the expedition was over, Mawson had added more territory to the Antarctic map than anyone else of his time. Thanks to Bickel's moving account, Mawson can be remembered for the vision and dedication that make him one of the world's great explorers.

©2000 Lennard Bickel (P)2011 Steerforth Press LLC

Critic reviews

"A riveting account... makes Mawson's achievement a symbol of the desire to live." ( The New York Times Book Review)

"A powerful reading experience." ( Publishers Weekly)

Stunning Story of Days Gone By

The story was amazing, and further amplified by listening to it on my winter commutes. I felt, in some small sense, the Antarctic cold that pervades this true story of survival.

My one star deduction comes from the annoyance of the words quote and unquote on either side of direct quotes from Mawson’s journal. As a radio broadcaster, I was also required to read like that, but I never liked it. It disrupts the flow of the story.

A story amazing as Shackleton and Scott

Douglas Mawson's literal refusal to die makes for one of the greatest stories in polar exploration, a subject abounding with amazing stories. "Mawson's Will" focuses on Mawson's experience, from interacting with Scott and Shackleton to the despair and determination he felt. This is not the only book on Mawson's expedition but it is, in my opinion, the best.

yup it was great

great story. incredible survival. I audibly gasped several times at the trials that had to be overcome.

Brutal, savage, raw..... and extraordinary!

One of the best accounts of early Antarctic exploration I've come across . A graphic and brutal story taken from Mawson''s personal dairy. Narration was good but, at times, seemed out of step with such a torturous and brutal story (imo). I mean it was good narration but, at times, voice and style just didn't seem harsh enough for what was actually taking place in the story. Nonetheless, it was a fantastic audio book and I would recommend it to anyone who's looking for a true account of what exploration was truly like at the beginning of the 19th century.

Classic story of grueling survival in the Antarctic

I read this story about Antarctic survival many years ago, and found it absolutely captivating. I just listened to it on audiobook and once again appreciated the comfort and leisure of my own life while having the privilege of listening to a story by a truly great explorer. It really is one of the greatest survival stories ever told.