This two volume work sets a new benchmark for Antarctic Encyclopaedias with some 495 entries of between 500 and 6000 words. Edited by B. Riffenburgh the editorial team assembled to oversee this project is, in the true spirit of Antarctic Research, a multinational one consisting of many leading players in Antarctic Research today. The group of contributors (over 300) is equally impressive and reads like a who's who of Antarctic Research - lending weight to the significance of the two volumes as an authoritative account of the here and now of Antarctica. The topics, not surprisingly, are dominated by science with contributions on biology, geology, palaeontology, physics, glaciology, climate, oceanography and many others. What is an excellent addition to the book is the range of topics that deal with the humanities and social sciences including entries on “Art”, “Music”, “Books”, “Fiction and Poetry”, “Film” and “History of Antarctic Science”.
Although some of the topics are somewhat eclectic they do serve to capture the current point in time when international focus is on the polar regions through the International Polar Year. However, I suspect in a year or two the entries on polar research programmes (e.g. ANDEEP) or instruments (e.g. ICESAT) will no longer be relevant as these topics deal with projects rather than raw information. In a similar vein the entries on national operators will also date quickly as new players enter the Antarctic arena, and old players will have shifted focus as politics and science demands. Although such topics will serve to date the edition in a short timeframe they are nevertheless important as they provide a fixed view of the scientific and political landscape in Antarctica in 2007. This will be a valuable resource for those that come after us who want to understand what was happening around in Antarctic research around 2007.
As in any undertaking of this nature there are bound to be criticisms and the major one is the apparent random inclusion of topics that are clearly not Antarctic (even by the definitions applied in this tome). Definitions of what constitutes the Antarctic have varied over the years but having set out a definition the book goes on to include entries that are out of scope. There are entries on sub-Antarctic groups and regions but these are not comprehensive and it is not clear why some regions have been omitted (e.g. Antipodes Islands) yet others that are more northerly (e.g. Gough, Amsterdam and Crozet) are included. Evaluating each entry is beyond the scope for any one reviewer however, an examination of entries in fields I am familiar with revealed some omissions and factual errors. This did make me wonder about the quality of the reviewing process that accompanied each entry, and more particularly the quality of the information for those entries I was less familiar. Nevertheless the Encyclopaedia represents a quantum leap forward compared to past attempts that either lacked depth or are riddled with errors.
The amount of repetition is minimal and a testament to the editorial process and the definition of each topic. One of the great successes of the book, and indeed this is especially important for reference works, is the attention to detail for indexing. All entries are cross-referenced to related topics at the end of each entry and the volume is supported by an extensive index. Creating an effective index is time consuming and requires careful consideration and the index in this book is one of the best that I have seen.
The length of entries sometimes perplexed me and I often wondered why so many pages had been devoted to one topic when another seemingly more important to me had so few. This no doubt reflects the publishing constraints, and the competing needs within the space limitations, but it does not unduly detract from what is an excellent volume. Indeed the editorial and production team should be congratulated I was unable to locate a single typographical error. On the other hand the figures often fall short of the high standard applied to the text. The variation in typeface used, lettering sizes, and quality is variable and the lack of colour for some figures makes then difficult to visually comprehend. This is most evident in the maps at the end of volume 2 where the map showing the various tracks of the expeditions looks like a bowl of spaghetti and it is difficult to follow. The production values also leave something to be desired. No doubt, in an effort to keep costs down, some corners have been cut. The paper is of good quality but the quality of the binding for such a large volume is poor. After reading and rereading several passages during the review process the binding is showing signs of wear and I suspect will not stand the test of time.
The Encyclopaedia retails for £285 and although expensive at this price you get good value for money. This is the first authoritative reference point for the Antarctic and provides the reader with a comprehensive range of subjects all laid out clearly and with excellent cross-referencing.
