Jacket has chips and repairs and name on the front and inside on front endpaper map. Blue boards lots of pictures in colour and black and white.
The crossing of Antarctica led by **Sir Vivian Fuchs** and **Sir Edmund Hillary** was a remarkable achievement in polar exploration, known as the **Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition (TAE)**. This historic journey, which took place between **1955 and 1958**, was the first successful overland crossing of Antarctica via the South Pole. The expedition had two distinct parties with different objectives but united under a common goal.
### Key Details of the Expedition:
#### 1. **The Leaders**:
- **Sir Vivian Fuchs**: A British geologist and polar explorer, Fuchs was the overall leader of the expedition. His goal was to cross the entire continent of Antarctica from the Weddell Sea to the Ross Sea.
- **Sir Edmund Hillary**: A New Zealander and famous mountaineer, Hillary had gained international fame after becoming the first to summit Mount Everest in 1953. He was tasked with establishing supply depots from the Ross Sea towards the South Pole for Fuchs' crossing team.
#### 2. **The Expedition's Structure**:
- **Fuchs' Party**: Departing from Shackleton Base on the Weddell Sea in late 1957, Fuchs and his team were to cross 2,158 miles (3,473 km) of Antarctica by mechanized transport, including specially designed snow tractors.
- **Hillary's Party**: Starting from Scott Base on the opposite side of the continent, near the Ross Sea, Hillary's role was to establish supply depots to assist Fuchs' group when they reached the South Pole.
#### 3. **The Historic Crossing**:
- On **November 24, 1957**, Fuchs and his team departed Shackleton Base and traveled across some of the most hostile and unknown terrain on Earth. Along the way, they conducted scientific research in glaciology, geology, and meteorology.
- Hillary, meanwhile, exceeded his original task of setting up depots and, in January 1958, became only the third person to reach the South Pole overland (the first since Robert Falcon Scott in 1912), after deciding to push on with his team.
- Fuchs and his team reached the South Pole on **January 19, 1958**, where they were met by Hillary's party. After resupplying, Fuchs continued across the remaining part of the continent.
- On **March 2, 1958**, Fuchs completed the journey when he arrived at Scott Base, marking the first successful overland crossing of Antarctica.
#### 4. **Significance**:
- The expedition demonstrated the potential for scientific collaboration and exploration in Antarctica during the **International Geophysical Year (1957–1958)**, a global effort to advance scientific understanding.
- It was the first time that vehicles had been used to cross the entire Antarctic continent, showcasing the effectiveness of mechanized transport in polar conditions.
- The expedition is considered one of the last great feats of exploration in the 20th century.
### Cooperation and Tension:
Despite the shared goal, there was some tension between the two parties. Hillary’s decision to reach the South Pole independently was seen as somewhat controversial, as it went beyond his original brief of establishing depots. However, both men showed mutual respect for each other’s contributions to the expedition's success.
The crossing of Antarctica by Sir Vivian Fuchs and Sir Edmund Hillary remains a landmark achievement in exploration and is a testament to human endurance, teamwork, and scientific curiosity.
