Ending in Ice: The Revolutionary Idea and Tragic Expedition of Alfred Wegener
McCoy tells the story of Alfred Wegener, the German meteorologist who developed the continental drift theory based on the existence of a single landmass he called Pangaea. Wegener fought his entire life for acceptance among the scientific community and in 1930 led an expedition to Greenland to conduct measurements critical to proving his work. His death there was a sad blow to geology and it was only decades later that his theories became widely accepted. McCoy clearly has a great deal of admiration for his subject and has created a wonderful book that combines both the weighty science that Wegener developed and a gripping story of Arctic tragedy. Initially, McCoy cogently explains how and why Wegener came to believe the continents were once joined. His subsequent chapters on Greenland are particularly outstanding as he reveals the many difficulties in maintaining scientific bases in the Arctic. Ultimately,Ending in Iceproves to be not only a superb tribute to a forgotten scientific trailblazer but also a worthy addition to the catalog of polar exploration titles.Colleen MondorCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved